Arkansas Demographics

A map of Arkansas's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	2,055,048	2,063,550	67.4%	68.5%
Black	446,603	449,884	14.6%	14.9%
Hispanic	275,571	256,847	9.0%	8.5%
Multiracial	191,722	147,157	6.3%	4.9%
Asian	48,748	51,210	1.6%	1.7%
Native American/Other	31,699	42,876	1.0%	1.4%

Arkansas has an estimated population of 3,049,391, a slight increase from the 3,011,524 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 67.4% White, 14.6% Black, 9.0% Hispanic, 6.3% Multiracial, 1.6% Asian, and 1.0% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Arkansas, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Arkansas has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Arkansas, that probability was 49.8% in 2020 and 51.2% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Arkansas is ranked the 33rd most populous state in the United States, out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Arkansas was ranked the 33rd most populous state in the 2020 Census.

Arkansas's White Population

2,055,048 residents of Arkansas, or 67.4% of the population, identify as White. Ranked among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, Arkansas is 25th in terms of White residents as a share of the population.

Since the 2020 Census, Arkansas's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Arkansas's population has decreased from 68.5% to 67.4%.

Arkansas is more White than neighboring Mississippi (55.2% White), Louisiana (55.7% White), Oklahoma (62.1% White), and Alabama (63.4% White). Arkansas is less White than neighboring Missouri (76.3% White),

Arkansas's Black Population

446,603 residents of Arkansas, or 14.6% of the population, identify as Black. Ranked among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, Arkansas is 12th in terms of Black residents as a share of the population.

Since the 2020 Census, Arkansas's Black population has remained roughly the same. Black residents' share of Arkansas's population has remained roughly unchanged at 14.6%.

Arkansas is more Black than neighboring Missouri (10.9% Black), and Oklahoma (6.8% Black). Arkansas is less Black than neighboring Mississippi (36.3% Black), Louisiana (30.5% Black). and Alabama (25.6% Black).

Arkansas's Asian Population

48,748 residents of Arkansas, or 1.6% of the population, identify as Asian. Ranked among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, Arkansas is 40th in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population.

Since the 2020 Census, Arkansas's Asian population has declined by an estimated 4.8%. Asian residents' share of Arkansas's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.6%.

Arkansas is more Asian than neighboring Mississippi (1% Asian), and Alabama (1.4% Asian). Arkansas is less Asian than neighboring Missouri (2.1% Asian), Louisiana (1.7% Asian). and Oklahoma (2.4% Asian).

Arkansas's Hispanic Population

275,571 residents of Arkansas, or 9.0% of the population, identify as Hispanic. Ranked among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, Arkansas is 29th in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population.

Since the 2020 Census, Arkansas's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 7.3%. Hispanic residents' share of Arkansas's population has increased from 8.5% to 9.0%.

Arkansas is more Hispanic than neighboring Missouri (5.2% Hispanic), Mississippi (3.7% Hispanic), Louisiana (7.2% Hispanic), and Alabama (5.6% Hispanic). Arkansas is less Hispanic than neighboring Oklahoma (12.7% Hispanic),

Arkansas's Native American/Other Population

31,699 residents of Arkansas, or 1.0% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. Ranked among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, Arkansas is 17th in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population.

Since the 2020 Census, Arkansas's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 26.1%. Native American/Other residents' share of Arkansas's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.0%.

Arkansas is more Native American/Other than neighboring Missouri (0.7% Native American/Other), Mississippi (0.8% Native American/Other), and Alabama (0.7% Native American/Other). Arkansas is less Native American/Other than neighboring Oklahoma (7.1% Native American/Other),

Arkansas's Multiracial Population

191,722 residents of Arkansas, or 6.3% of the population, identify as Multiracial. Ranked among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, Arkansas is 10th in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population.

Since the 2020 Census, Arkansas's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 30.3%. Multiracial residents' share of Arkansas's population has increased from 4.9% to 6.3%.

Arkansas is more Multiracial than neighboring Missouri (4.8% Multiracial), Mississippi (3% Multiracial), Louisiana (3.8% Multiracial), and Alabama (3.3% Multiracial). Arkansas is less Multiracial than neighboring Oklahoma (8.9% Multiracial),

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.