Independence County Demographics

A map of Independence County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	31,345	31,511	82.1%	83.1%
Hispanic	3,382	3,258	8.9%	8.6%
Multiracial	2,022	1,743	5.3%	4.6%
Black	700	830	1.8%	2.2%
Native American/Other	418	256	1.1%	0.7%
Asian	308	340	0.8%	0.9%

Independence County, Arkansas has an estimated population of 38,175, a less than 1% change from the 37,938 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 82.1% White, 8.9% Hispanic, 5.3% Multiracial, 1.8% Black, 1.1% Native American/Other, and 0.8% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Independence County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Independence has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less 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 Independence County, that probability was 30.0% in 2020 and 31.5% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Independence County is ranked the 19th most populous county in Arkansas, out of 75 counties. Independence County was ranked the 20th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Independence County's White Population

31,345 residents of Independence County, or 82.1% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Independence County is considerably higher than in Arkansas overall, where 67.4% of the population is White. Independence County ranks 28th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 75 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Independence County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Independence County's population has decreased from 83.1% to 82.1%.

Independence County is more White than neighboring Jackson County (75.1% White). Independence County is less White than neighboring Sharp County (90.9% White), Izard County (87.4% White), Cleburne County (91.5% White), and White County (85% White).

Independence County's Black Population

700 residents of Independence County, or 1.8% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Independence County is considerably lower than in Arkansas overall, where 14.6% of the population is Black. Independence County ranks 48th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 75 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Independence County's Black population has declined by an estimated 15.7%. Black residents' share of Independence County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.8%.

Independence County is more Black than neighboring Sharp County (0.5% Black), Izard County (1.6% Black), and Cleburne County (0.3% Black). Independence County is less Black than neighboring Jackson County (15.2% Black), and White County (4.2% Black).

Independence County's Asian Population

308 residents of Independence County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Independence County is comparable to the share in Arkansas overall, where 1.6% of the population is Asian. Independence County ranks 19th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 75 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Independence County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 9.4%. Asian residents' share of Independence County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Independence County is more Asian than neighboring Jackson County (0.4% Asian), Sharp County (0.7% Asian), Izard County (0.5% Asian), Cleburne County (0.2% Asian), and White County (0.7% Asian).

Independence County's Hispanic Population

3,382 residents of Independence County, or 8.9% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Independence County is comparable to the share in Arkansas overall, where 9% of the population is Hispanic. Independence County ranks 12th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 75 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Independence County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 3.8%. Hispanic residents' share of Independence County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 8.9%.

Independence County is more Hispanic than neighboring Jackson County (3.3% Hispanic), Sharp County (2.5% Hispanic), Izard County (3% Hispanic), Cleburne County (3% Hispanic), and White County (5% Hispanic).

Independence County's Native American/Other Population

418 residents of Independence County, or 1.1% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Independence County is comparable to the share in Arkansas overall, where 1% of the population is Native American/Other. Independence County ranks 46th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 75 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Independence County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 63.3%. Native American/Other residents' share of Independence County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.1%.

Independence County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Jackson County (0.5% Native American/Other), Sharp County (0.2% Native American/Other), Izard County (0.9% Native American/Other), Cleburne County (1% Native American/Other), and White County (0.4% Native American/Other).

Independence County's Multiracial Population

2,022 residents of Independence County, or 5.3% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Independence County is comparable to the share in Arkansas overall, where 6.3% of the population is Multiracial. Independence County ranks 30th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 75 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Independence County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 16.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Independence County's population has increased from 4.6% to 5.3%.

Independence County is more Multiracial than neighboring Cleburne County (4.1% Multiracial), and White County (4.8% Multiracial). Independence County is less Multiracial than neighboring Jackson County (5.6% Multiracial), and Izard County (6.7% 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.