Ouachita County Demographics

A map of Ouachita County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	11,907	12,092	53.9%	53.4%
Black	9,006	8,856	40.8%	39.1%
Hispanic	575	516	2.6%	2.3%
Multiracial	477	964	2.2%	4.3%
Asian	71	123	0.3%	0.5%
Native American/Other	49	99	0.2%	0.4%

Ouachita County, Arkansas has an estimated population of 22,085, a slight decrease from the 22,650 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 53.9% White, 40.8% Black, 2.6% Hispanic, 2.2% Multiracial, 0.3% Asian, and 0.2% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Ouachita County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Ouachita has become 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 Ouachita County, that probability was 56.0% in 2020 and 54.2% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Ouachita County is ranked the 29th most populous county in Arkansas, out of 75 counties. Ouachita County was ranked the 29th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Ouachita County's White Population

11,907 residents of Ouachita County, or 53.9% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Ouachita County is considerably lower than in Arkansas overall, where 67.4% of the population is White. Ouachita County ranks 63rd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 75 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ouachita County's White population has declined by an estimated 1.5%. White residents' share of Ouachita County's population has increased from 53.4% to 53.9%.

Ouachita County is more White than neighboring Dallas County (52.1% White). Ouachita County is less White than neighboring Calhoun County (72.4% White), Nevada County (62.6% White), Union County (59.4% White), and Columbia County (58.2% White).

Ouachita County's Black Population

9,006 residents of Ouachita County, or 40.8% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Ouachita County is significantly higher than in Arkansas overall, where 14.6% of the population is Black. Ouachita County ranks 10th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 75 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ouachita County's Black population has grown by an estimated 1.7%. Black residents' share of Ouachita County's population has increased from 39.1% to 40.8%.

Ouachita County is more Black than neighboring Calhoun County (17.2% Black), Nevada County (31.2% Black), Union County (32.1% Black), and Columbia County (34.4% Black). Ouachita County is less Black than neighboring Dallas County (42.6% Black).

Ouachita County's Asian Population

71 residents of Ouachita County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Ouachita County is comparable to the share in Arkansas overall, where 1.6% of the population is Asian. Ouachita County ranks 33rd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 75 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ouachita County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 42.3%. Asian residents' share of Ouachita County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Ouachita County is more Asian than neighboring Calhoun County (0.2% Asian), Nevada County (0% Asian), and Dallas County (0.1% Asian). Ouachita County is less Asian than neighboring Union County (0.9% Asian), and Columbia County (0.4% Asian).

Ouachita County's Hispanic Population

575 residents of Ouachita County, or 2.6% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Ouachita County is lower than in Arkansas overall, where 9% of the population is Hispanic. Ouachita County ranks 61st statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 75 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ouachita County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 11.4%. Hispanic residents' share of Ouachita County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.6%.

Ouachita County is more Hispanic than neighboring Dallas County (1.1% Hispanic). Ouachita County is less Hispanic than neighboring Calhoun County (3% Hispanic), Nevada County (4.8% Hispanic), Union County (4.7% Hispanic), and Columbia County (3.5% Hispanic).

Ouachita County's Native American/Other Population

49 residents of Ouachita County, or 0.2% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Ouachita County is comparable to the share in Arkansas overall, where 1% of the population is Native American/Other. Ouachita County ranks 66th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 75 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ouachita County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 50.5%. Native American/Other residents' share of Ouachita County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.2%.

Ouachita County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Dallas County (0% Native American/Other). Ouachita County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Calhoun County (0.6% Native American/Other), and Union County (0.3% Native American/Other).

Ouachita County's Multiracial Population

477 residents of Ouachita County, or 2.2% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Ouachita County is slightly lower than in Arkansas overall, where 6.3% of the population is Multiracial. Ouachita County ranks 42nd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 75 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ouachita County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 50.5%. Multiracial residents' share of Ouachita County's population has decreased from 4.3% to 2.2%.

Ouachita County is more Multiracial than neighboring Nevada County (1.2% Multiracial). Ouachita County is less Multiracial than neighboring Calhoun County (6.6% Multiracial), Dallas County (4.1% Multiracial), Union County (2.7% Multiracial), and Columbia County (3.4% 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.