Little Rock demographics at a glance
Little Rock is large enough to show clear urban patterns, but still compact enough that the numbers feel readable. The latest figures show a city that is slowly growing, racially diverse, highly owner-occupied by local standards, and shaped by a wide mix of household types, income bands, and age groups.
Table of contents
- Quick facts
- Population trend
- Age and household structure
- Race and ethnicity
- Housing and tenure
- Education, work, and mobility
- Income, poverty, and hardship indicators
- What the numbers suggest
Quick facts
A useful way to read Little Rock demographics is to start with scale, then move through how the city is housed, who lives there, and how households are distributed.
- July 1, 2024 population estimate: 204,774 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- April 1, 2020 estimate base: 202,531 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- 2020 Census population: 202,591 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- 2010 Census population: 193,524 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- Land area: 123.015 square miles (Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet)
- Population density: 1,646.9 persons per square mile (Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet)
- Housing units in 2020: 98,993 (Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet)
- Occupied housing units: 88,229 (Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet)
- Households in 2019-2023: 86,853 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- Persons per household in 2019-2023: 2.28 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
Fast read on the city profile
The city is growing modestly, with a 1.1% increase from the April 1, 2020 estimate base to July 1, 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts). That is not explosive growth, but it is enough to keep housing, schools, transportation, and neighborhood planning in steady motion.
The 2020 fact sheet also shows a city of mixed household size, significant racial diversity, and a large share of owner-occupied units relative to many urban places.
Population trend
The core trend is straightforward: Little Rock has grown, but at a measured pace.
From 2010 to 2020, the population increased by 9,067 people, or 4.7% (Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet). The 2020 Census population was 202,591, while the July 1, 2024 estimate reached 204,774 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts).
That means the city crossed the 200,000 mark and has stayed above it in the latest estimates. The jump between the 2020 base estimate of 202,531 and the 2024 estimate of 204,774 is small in percentage terms, but important because it signals continued stability rather than a post-census dip (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts).
Population timeline
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 Census population | 193,524 | U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts |
| 2020 Census population | 202,591 | U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts |
| July 1, 2024 estimate | 204,774 | U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts |
| 2010 to 2020 change | +9,067 | Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet |
| 2010 to 2020 change rate | 4.7% | Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet |
| 2020 base estimate | 202,531 | U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts |
| 2020 base to 2024 estimate change | 1.1% | U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts |
The city’s density of 1,646.9 persons per square mile helps explain why local conditions can vary sharply from one neighborhood to another (Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet). A city of that size is not uniformly dense in the way a compact downtown district might be, but it is dense enough that housing choice, commuting patterns, and neighborhood composition all matter.
Age and household structure
Age structure is one of the clearest ways to understand how a city functions. Little Rock has a sizable child and working-age population, plus a meaningful older adult share.
Age profile
- Persons under age 5: 6.7% (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- Persons under age 18: 24.1% (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- Persons under 18 in the 2020 fact sheet: 45,130, or 22.3% (Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet)
- Persons age 65 and over: 15.2% (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- Female persons: 52.8% (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
The under-18 share near one-quarter of the population means schools, youth services, and family-oriented housing remain central to city life. At the same time, the 15.2% share age 65 and over shows a substantial older population that can shape healthcare demand, mobility needs, and housing accessibility (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts).
Household composition
Little Rock’s household structure is varied rather than dominated by one household type.
- Family households were 56.9% of households in the 2019 ACS (Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan)
- Non-family households were 43.1% of households in the 2019 ACS (Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan)
- One-person households were estimated at 29,431 in the 2019 ACS (Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan)
- Persons in households were 197,134 (Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet)
- Persons in group quarters were 5,457 (Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet)
- Average persons per household were 2.23 in the 2020 fact sheet and 2.28 in 2019-2023 QuickFacts (Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet; U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
Household structure by type
| Household measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Family households | 56.9% | Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan |
| Non-family households | 43.1% | Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan |
| One-person households | 29,431 | Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan |
| Persons per household | 2.28 | U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts |
| Housing occupancy rate | 89.1% | Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet |
The 43.1% non-family household share is high enough to matter. It points to a city where singles, roommates, older adults living alone, and small nontraditional households are all part of the normal housing mix (Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan).
The 2019 ACS poverty-by-income table also gives a sense of household scale: 36,460 total households were counted there, with 17,570 small family households and 2,040 large family households (Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan). That spread reinforces the idea that Little Rock’s housing needs are not uniform.
Race and ethnicity
Little Rock is demographically diverse, and the data show that clearly. The city is not just one broad category; multiple groups are large enough to be visible in citywide totals.
2020 fact sheet race and ethnicity snapshot
- White population: 88,083, or 43.5% (Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet)
- Black or African American population: 82,340, or 40.6% (Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet)
- American Indian population: 1,196, or 0.6% (Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet)
- Asian population: 7,143, or 3.5% (Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet)
- Other race population: 23,829, or 11.8% (Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet)
- Hispanic population: 20,467, or 10.1% (Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet)
- Non-Hispanic population: 182,124, or 89.9% (Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet)
- Non-Hispanic White population: 85,401, or 42.2% (Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet)
QuickFacts race and ethnicity snapshot
- White alone: 46.3% (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- Black alone: 39.4% (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 0.3% (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- Asian alone: 3.0% (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: 0.1% (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- Two or More Races: 6.6% (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- Hispanic or Latino: 10.4% (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 43.7% (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
Hispanic population detail from the 2019 ACS
The 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan also breaks out the Hispanic population by race. That level of detail matters because it shows that Hispanic identity in the city is internally diverse rather than a single block.
- Hispanic White: 10,190 persons, 69.3% of the Hispanic population (Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan)
- Hispanic African American: 135 persons, 0.9% (Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan)
- Hispanic American Indian/Alaskan Native: 195 persons, 1.3% (Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan)
- Hispanic Asian: 70 persons, 0.5% (Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan)
Race and ethnicity summary table
| Category | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| White alone | 46.3% | U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts |
| Black alone | 39.4% | U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts |
| Asian alone | 3.0% | U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts |
| Two or More Races | 6.6% | U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.4% | U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts |
| White population | 43.5% | Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet |
| Black or African American population | 40.6% | Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet |
| Hispanic population | 10.1% | Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet |
The main takeaway is not just diversity in the abstract. It is that Little Rock has multiple large groups, with no single group overwhelmingly dominating the citywide picture (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts; Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet).
Housing and tenure
Housing tells a lot about how people are actually living in the city. In Little Rock, the housing profile combines a sizable ownership base, a meaningful rental market, and some indicators of stability.
Ownership and rent
- Owner-occupied housing unit rate: 54.2% in 2019-2023 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- Median value of owner-occupied housing units: $221,200 in 2019-2023 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- Median selected monthly owner costs with a mortgage: $1,567 in 2019-2023 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- Median selected monthly owner costs without a mortgage: $541 in 2019-2023 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- Median gross rent: $1,067 in 2019-2023 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
Core housing inventory
- Total housing units in 2020: 98,993 (Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet)
- Occupied housing units: 88,229 (Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet)
- Housing occupancy rate: 89.1% (Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet)
- Households in 2019-2023: 86,853 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- Living in the same house 1 year ago: 86.6% of persons age 1+ in 2019-2023 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- Households with a computer: 95.4% in 2019-2023 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- Households with a broadband Internet subscription: 89.9% in 2019-2023 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
Housing conditions and shelter indicators
The 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan adds a few important hardship indicators.
- Overcrowded households: 1.7% in 2019 ACS (Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan)
- Severely overcrowded households: 0.8% in 2019 ACS (Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan)
- Households lacking complete plumbing facilities: 345, or 0.4% of total households (Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan)
- Households lacking complete kitchen facilities: 710, or 0.9% of total households (Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan)
The ownership rate of 54.2% suggests a city that is close to balanced between owners and renters, but still slightly owner-leaning (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts). The median rent of $1,067 and the median owner costs also help frame the local affordability discussion, especially for households on the lower and middle ends of the income distribution (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts).
Education, work, and mobility
Demographics are not just about who lives in a place. They also show what kind of workforce, commute pattern, and long-term stability a city may need to support.
Education
- High school graduate or higher: 92.3% of persons age 25+ in 2019-2023 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- Bachelor’s degree or higher: 44.0% of persons age 25+ in 2019-2023 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
Those figures indicate a city with a substantial college-educated base, but also a broad middle that matters for service work, public sector work, skilled trades, and mixed-income employment.
Labor force and migration stability
- Civilian labor force participation: 63.6% of population age 16+ in 2019-2023 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- Female civilian labor force participation: 60.2% of population age 16+ in 2019-2023 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- Foreign-born persons: 7.9% of the population in 2019-2023 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- Language other than English spoken at home: 12.9% of persons age 5+ in 2019-2023 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
- Veterans: 9,021 in 2019-2023 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
The 86.6% figure for living in the same house one year ago suggests that most residents are relatively stable in place, not highly transient (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts). That matters because neighborhood organizations, school enrollment, and local services often depend on consistent residential patterns.
Income, poverty, and hardship indicators
Income distribution is where the city’s demographic story becomes much more practical. Household earnings are spread across a wide range, which means the city serves both high-income and lower-income residents at the same time.
Household income distribution
From the 2019 ACS in the Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan:
- Households earning less than $15,000: 12.7%
- Households earning $15,000 to $19,999: 5.0%
- Households earning $20,000 to $24,999: 6.0%
- Households earning $25,000 to $34,999: 10.4%
- Households earning $35,000 to $49,999: 14.7%
- Households earning $50,000 to $74,999: 16.5%
- Households earning $75,000 to $99,999: 10.4%
- Households earning $100,000 or more: 24.3%
Poverty and related measures
- Poverty rate: 16.6% in 2019 ACS (Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan)
- Estimated persons in poverty: 32,408 in 2019 ACS (Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan)
- Persons under age 6 accounted for 24.5% of those in poverty (Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan)
- Persons age 6 to 17 accounted for 23.4% of those in poverty (Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan)
- Persons age 18 to 64 accounted for 15.2% of those in poverty (Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan)
- Persons age 65 or older accounted for 10.9% of those in poverty (Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan)
Income distribution table
| Household income band | Share of households | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $15,000 | 12.7% | Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan |
| $15,000 to $19,999 | 5.0% | Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan |
| $20,000 to $24,999 | 6.0% | Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan |
| $25,000 to $34,999 | 10.4% | Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan |
| $35,000 to $49,999 | 14.7% | Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 16.5% | Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 10.4% | Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan |
| $100,000 or more | 24.3% | Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan |
The distribution shows a city with both high-income households and a meaningful lower-income base. That kind of spread is important because citywide averages can hide very different realities from one neighborhood or household type to another.
Poverty context worth keeping in view
The 16.6% poverty rate is not just a single number. When you pair it with the counts of households lacking complete plumbing or kitchen facilities, overcrowding, and the income spread, you get a fuller picture of where pressure points may exist (Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan).
The age breakdown inside poverty also matters. Children make up a large share of persons in poverty, with those under age 6 accounting for 24.5% and those age 6 to 17 accounting for 23.4% (Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan). That points to the importance of family support, childcare access, and school-linked services.
What the numbers suggest
Little Rock’s demographic profile is not defined by one dramatic outlier. It is defined by a set of steady, structurally important patterns.
- The city is growing slowly but consistently (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts).
- Its population is racially and ethnically mixed, with large White and Black communities and a meaningful Hispanic population (Little Rock Demographic Fact Sheet; U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts).
- Household structure is split between family and non-family households, which means both family-oriented and single-person housing needs matter (Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan).
- The city is slightly owner-leaning but still has a large rental footprint, so housing policy has to account for both sides of the market (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts).
- Income and poverty data show a wide range of household circumstances, which is why citywide medians alone are not enough to describe daily life (Little Rock 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan).
A practical reading of the data is this: Little Rock is large, diverse, and stable enough to support a broad mix of residents, but it also has enough variation in income, household type, and housing conditions that local detail matters. That is the real value of looking at demographics closely. It turns a city from a single number into a usable profile.