Howard County Demographics

A map of Howard County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	7,909	7,982	62.9%	62.4%
Black	2,614	2,626	20.8%	20.5%
Hispanic	1,582	1,517	12.6%	11.9%
Multiracial	393	491	3.1%	3.8%
Asian	73	62	0.6%	0.5%
Native American/Other	12	107	0.1%	0.8%

Howard County, Arkansas has an estimated population of 12,583, a slight decrease from the 12,785 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 62.9% White, 20.8% Black, 12.6% Hispanic, 3.1% Multiracial, 0.6% Asian, and 0.1% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Howard County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Howard has become slightly less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is more diverse than Arkansas overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Howard County, that probability was 55.2% in 2020 and 54.5% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Howard County is ranked the 54th most populous county in Arkansas, out of 75 counties. Howard County was ranked the 54th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Howard County's White Population

7,909 residents of Howard County, or 62.9% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Howard County is slightly lower than in Arkansas overall, where 67.4% of the population is White. Howard County ranks 56th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 75 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Howard County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Howard County's population has increased from 62.4% to 62.9%.

Howard County is more White than neighboring Sevier County (52.7% White), and Hempstead County (51.5% White). Howard County is less White than neighboring Pike County (83.4% White), Little River County (71.6% White), and Polk County (86.3% White).

Howard County's Black Population

2,614 residents of Howard County, or 20.8% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Howard County is higher than in Arkansas overall, where 14.6% of the population is Black. Howard County ranks 27th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 75 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Howard County's Black population has remained roughly the same. Black residents' share of Howard County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 20.8%.

Howard County is more Black than neighboring Sevier County (4.8% Black), Pike County (3.3% Black), Little River County (19% Black), and Polk County (0.1% Black). Howard County is less Black than neighboring Hempstead County (28.6% Black).

Howard County's Asian Population

73 residents of Howard County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Howard County is comparable to the share in Arkansas overall, where 1.6% of the population is Asian. Howard County ranks 39th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 75 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Howard County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 17.7%. Asian residents' share of Howard County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Howard County is more Asian than neighboring Sevier County (0% Asian), Pike County (0.5% Asian), Little River County (0.4% Asian), and Polk County (0.1% Asian). Howard County is less Asian than neighboring Hempstead County (0.7% Asian).

Howard County's Hispanic Population

1,582 residents of Howard County, or 12.6% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Howard County is slightly higher than in Arkansas overall, where 9% of the population is Hispanic. Howard County ranks 10th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 75 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Howard County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 4.3%. Hispanic residents' share of Howard County's population has increased from 11.9% to 12.6%.

Howard County is more Hispanic than neighboring Pike County (8% Hispanic), Little River County (4% Hispanic), and Polk County (7% Hispanic). Howard County is less Hispanic than neighboring Sevier County (35.5% Hispanic), and Hempstead County (15.3% Hispanic).

Howard County's Native American/Other Population

12 residents of Howard County, or 0.1% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Howard County is comparable to the share in Arkansas overall, where 1% of the population is Native American/Other. Howard County ranks 30th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 75 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Howard County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 88.8%. Native American/Other residents' share of Howard County's population has decreased from 0.8% to 0.1%.

Howard County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Sevier County (3.6% Native American/Other), Pike County (0.2% Native American/Other), Little River County (0.7% Native American/Other), Polk County (1.1% Native American/Other), and Hempstead County (0.3% Native American/Other).

Howard County's Multiracial Population

393 residents of Howard County, or 3.1% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Howard County is slightly lower than in Arkansas overall, where 6.3% of the population is Multiracial. Howard County ranks 48th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 75 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Howard County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 20.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Howard County's population has decreased from 3.8% to 3.1%.

Howard County is less Multiracial than neighboring Sevier County (3.4% Multiracial), Pike County (4.7% Multiracial), Little River County (4.2% Multiracial), Polk County (5.4% Multiracial), and Hempstead County (3.6% 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.