State
County
Land Area
120.0 sq mi
Density
1,641.50/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
-0.09%
Growth Since 2010
1.78%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
Metro Population
746,990
Little Rock is a city located in Arkansas. With a 2020 population of 196,968, it is the largest city in Arkansas and the 129th largest city in the United States. Little Rock is currently declining at a rate of -0.09% annually but its population has increased by 1.78% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 193,524 in 2010. Little Rock reached it's highest population of 198,631 in 2016. Spanning over 123 miles, Little Rock has a population density of 1,642 people per square mile.
The average household income in Little Rock is $83,730 with a poverty rate of 16.63%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $872 per month, and the median house value is $167,600. The median age in Little Rock is 36.7 years, 34.8 years for males, and 38.4 years for females. For every 100 females there are 92.2 males.
Little Rock is the capital and largest city in the state of Arkansas, and it's located near the very center of Arkansas. Little Rock is found in Pulaski County, and it was founded in 1821.
The larger urban area has a population of 432,000 (88th in the U.S.), while the metropolitan area has a population of 726,000 (75th largest in the country). The Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR Combined Statistical Area has a population of 900,000.
Central Arkansas, including Little Rock, is currently leading the state in population growth with a growth rate estimated at 2%. The area is expected to grow slowly but steadily in the years to come with more young people looking for homes in the urban core of Little Rock. The area's fastest-growing sector is retail, and the city is developing an entrepreneurial culture that is expected to bring in more young college graduates.
The Little Rock area was first inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. Original inhabitants included the Bluff Dwellers, Folsom people, and Mississippian culture peoples, who constructed earthwork mounds that were recorded in 1541 by Spaniard Hernando de Soto, the first explorer of the area who was followed by Jean-Baptiste Benard de La Harpe in 1722. The first settlement was Arkansas Post, a French trading post founded in 1686 at the mouth of the river. By 1769, there were many families of mixed French and Indian origin in the area.
In 1803, the United States acquired the area as part of the Louisiana Purchase. A treaty between the United States and Osage people in 1808 ended the tribe's claim on the area, and more settlers arrived, most of whom were squatters as the land was not offered for sale until 1815. Arkansas became part of the Missouri Territory when Louisiana became a state in 1812, and the Territory of Arkansas was created in 1819. Little Rock was chosen as the territorial capital two years later, and the city of Little Rock was founded and incorporated in 1831.
In 1819, Little Rock was nothing more than 4 log huts and a handful of settlers, but it had 400 residents by the late 1820s. By 1860, Little Rock had a population of 3,700 and residents had gas lighting in their homes for the first time, although the Civil War delayed the construction of the railroad line between the city and Memphis until 1871. After the war, the city grew quickly, reaching 12,380 people by 1870 and 40,000 people by the turn of the century.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Little Rock was:
2019 and 2020 population is estimated by projecting the raw 2018 numbers.
Year | Total Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 746,990 | 2,303 | 0.31% |
2020 | 744,687 | 2,303 | 0.31% |
2019 | 742,384 | 2,303 | 0.31% |
2018 | 740,081 | 2,524 | 0.34% |
2017 | 737,557 | 3,391 | 0.46% |
2016 | 734,166 | 3,277 | 0.45% |
2015 | 730,889 | 2,699 | 0.37% |
2014 | 728,190 | 5,031 | 0.69% |
2013 | 723,159 | 5,494 | 0.76% |
2012 | 717,665 | 6,983 | 0.97% |
2011 | 710,682 | 8,388 | 1.18% |
2010 | 702,294 | 0.00% |
Race | Population | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White | 99,550 | 50.29% |
Black or African American | 83,216 | 42.04% |
Asian | 6,530 | 3.30% |
Two or More Races | 4,463 | 2.25% |
Some Other Race | 3,486 | 1.76% |
American Indian and Alaska Native | 612 | 0.31% |
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 101 | 0.05% |
Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
---|---|---|---|
All | 81,987 | 2.37 | 55.3 |
Non Family | 35,351 | 1.23 | 43.1 |
Married | 29,162 | 3.12 | 79.7 |
Female | 13,984 | 3.44 | 38.4 |
Male | 3,490 | 3.4 | 43.2 |
3.14
Average Family Size
2.37
Average Household Size
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 4,272 | 3.20% |
9th to 12th Grade | 7,419 | 5.55% |
High School Graduate | 29,748 | 22.25% |
Some College | 28,155 | 21.06% |
Associates Degree | 8,224 | 6.15% |
Bachelors Degree | 31,719 | 23.72% |
Graduate Degree | 24,170 | 18.08% |
Name | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 67,668 | 65,231 | 39,300 |
Black | 51,779 | 45,675 | 11,701 |
Hispanic | 7,528 | 4,612 | 771 |
Asian | 4,334 | 4,132 | 3,041 |
Multiple Races | 2,257 | 2,068 | 906 |
Other Race | 1,717 | 1,087 | 172 |
Native American | 386 | 351 | 81 |
Islander | 101 | 83 | 62 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 96.40%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 70.17%.
$38,686
Average Earnings
$43,736
Average Male
$34,938
Average Female
88.91% of Little Rock residents speak only English, while 11.09% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 6.48% of the population.
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Black | 81,697 | 20,192 | 24.72% |
White | 87,976 | 7,491 | 8.51% |
Hispanic | 14,554 | 3,632 | 24.96% |
Other | 3,461 | 1,047 | 30.25% |
Multiple | 4,415 | 677 | 15.33% |
Asian | 6,530 | 659 | 10.09% |
Native | 608 | 250 | 41.12% |
16.63%
Overall Poverty Rate
15.41%
Male Poverty Rate
17.76%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Little Rock is Native, with 41.12% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Little Rock is White, with 8.51% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.08%. Among those working part-time, it was 19.90%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 27.51%.
39.9%
Overall Marriage Rate
43.1%
Male Marriage Rate
37.0%
Female Marriage Rate
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 45-54, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 5,633 | 7.01% |
Black | 4,587 | 7.54% |
2 or More | 270 | 9.13% |
Hispanic | 167 | 1.81% |
Asian | 44 | 0.93% |
Other | 33 | 1.62% |
Hawaiian | 28 | 27.72% |
Indian | 27 | 6.92% |
11.64%
Veteran Poverty Rate
29.22%
Veteran Disability Rate
65.8%
Labor Force Participation
63%
Employment Rate
4.1%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
92.28%
Native Born
7.72%
Foreign Born
5.06%
Non Citizen
2.67%
Naturalized
92.28% of Little Rock residents were born in the United States, with 65.94% having been born in Arkansas. 5.06% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 196,968 | -172 | -0.09% |
2020 | 197,140 | -172 | -0.09% |
2019 | 197,312 | -172 | -0.09% |
2018 | 197,484 | -830 | -0.42% |
2017 | 198,314 | -317 | -0.16% |
2016 | 198,631 | 453 | 0.23% |
2015 | 198,178 | 583 | 0.30% |
2014 | 197,595 | 452 | 0.23% |
2013 | 197,143 | 579 | 0.29% |
2012 | 196,564 | 1,272 | 0.65% |
2011 | 195,292 | 1,320 | 0.68% |
2010 | 193,972 | 10,839 | 0.58% |
2000 | 183,133 | 7,338 | 0.41% |
1990 | 175,795 | 16,644 | 1.00% |
1980 | 159,151 | 26,668 | 1.85% |
1970 | 132,483 | 24,670 | 2.08% |
1960 | 107,813 | 5,600 | 0.53% |
1950 | 102,213 | 14,174 | 1.50% |
1940 | 88,039 | 6,360 | 0.75% |
1930 | 81,679 | 16,537 | 2.29% |
1920 | 65,142 | 19,201 | 3.55% |
1910 | 45,941 | 7,634 | 1.83% |
1900 | 38,307 | 12,433 | 4.00% |
1890 | 25,874 | 12,736 | 7.01% |
1880 | 13,138 | 758 | 0.60% |
1870 | 12,380 | 8,653 | 12.76% |
1860 | 3,727 | 1,527 | 5.41% |
1850 | 2,200 | 0.00% |