Like all states, Arkansas has certain places that are going on hard times. These Arkansas places have an above-average percentage of people living in poverty, out of work, or not making as much as they should be.
Even as the economy continues to improve, it’s worthwhile to look at the places in each state struggling to make ends meet. So we set our sites on locating the poorest places in Arkansas.
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the newest Census data from the American Community Survey for the 68 cities in Arkansas with more than 5,000 people.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Poorest Places In Arkansas For 2026:
What’s the poorest city in Arkansas? According to the facts, Forrest City is the poorest place in Arkansas for 2026.
This isn’t a commentary on the people that live there or the vibrant culture and traditions of these places. Instead, it’s just a look at the facts.
For more Arkansas reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Arkansas
- Cheapest Places To Live In Arkansas
- Most Dangerous Places in Arkansas
- The poorest states in the US
- The poorest cities in the US
The 10 Poorest Cities In Arkansas For 2026
1. Forrest City
/10
Population: 12,646
Rank Last Year: 2 (Up 1)
Median Income: $35,689 (3rd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 37.7% (highest)
People In Poverty: 4,763
More on Forrest City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Forrest City, unfortunately, ranks as the poorest place in Arkansas thanks to combination of low pay and and a lack of jobs.
The city of 12,646 people averages the 3rd lowest median household income in Arkansas and the highest poverty rate. At the very least, the cost of living ranks in the bottom 15% of place in the state, so things like housing are relatively affordable.
2. Monticello
/10
Population: 8,257
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 1)
Median Income: $27,238 (lowest)
Poverty Rate: 30.1% (4th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,488
More on Monticello: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The second poorest city in Arkansas is Monticello.
The city ranks as having the 4th highest incidence of poverty and lowest median household income. However, the unemployment rate ‘only’ ranks as the 10th highest in the Natural State.
3. Newport
/10
Population: 8,024
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1)
Median Income: $34,764 (2nd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 30.4% (3rd highest)
People In Poverty: 2,440
More on Newport: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Placing as the third poorest city, Newport’s median income ranks as the 2nd lowest.
And that’s a sign that there’s a relatively substantial jump in the quality of the economy from second to third place on our list. The poverty rate is 30.42% and ranks near the bottom of places in the state.
But what makes up for the relatively low incomes of the city is its low cost of living. The income you do make here goes further than in most parts of the Natural State.
4. Helena-West Helena
/10
Population: 8,935
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 3)
Median Income: $36,019 (4th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 31.7% (2nd highest)
People In Poverty: 2,831
More on Helena-West Helena: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Helena-West Helena ranks as the fourth poorest place in Arkansas.
The town ranks as having the 4th lowest median household income and the 2nd highest incidence of poverty in the state.
That being said, there’s still a ton of cultural diversity in the city as it hosts many events throughout the year.
5. Clarksville
/10
Population: 9,526
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 4)
Median Income: $37,373 (7th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 27.6% (7th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,631
More on Clarksville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The fifth poorest city in Arkansas is Clarksville.
The city ranks as having the 7th lowest median income in the state. However, an extremely low cost of living prevents a good number of folks from living in poverty as the poverty rate only ranks as the 7th highest in Arkansas.
Still not the best news for Clarksville.
6. West Memphis
/10
Population: 23,929
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 4)
Median Income: $42,674 (12th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 29.1% (5th highest)
People In Poverty: 6,970
More on West Memphis: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
West Memphis ranks as the sixth poorest place in the Natural State.
It ranks as having the 5th highest incidence of poverty and the 3rd highest unemployment rate.
7. Trumann
/10
Population: 7,410
Rank Last Year: 13 (Up 6)
Median Income: $38,881 (9th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 25.4% (14th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,878
More on Trumann: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Trumann places as the seventh poorest city in Arkansas.
The city of over 7,410 ranks as having the 14th highest incidence of poverty in the state. However, it has a very low cost of living which helps to pay the bills each month.
8. Hope
/10
Population: 8,671
Rank Last Year: 24 (Up 16)
Median Income: $37,500 (8th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 23.4% (19th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,028
More on Hope: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Hope ranks as the eighth poorest city in Arkansas.
The big issue for the town is the unemployment rate which ranks as one of the highest in the state.
9. Walnut Ridge
/10
Population: 5,434
Rank Last Year: 21 (Up 12)
Median Income: $45,027 (17th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 25.6% (12th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,390
More on Walnut Ridge: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Walnut Ridge couldn’t stay out of the top ten poorest places in Arkansas; it ranks number 9.
While the median income is the 17th lowest, there are a substantial number of people that live below the poverty line. Overall, Walnut Ridge ranks as having the 12th most people living in poverty of all the places we analyzed in Arkansas.
10. Wynne
/10
Population: 8,120
Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 2)
Median Income: $43,250 (14th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 24.7% (15th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,007
More on Wynne: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
And rounding out the top ten poorest cities in Arkansas is Wynne.
The city of 8,120 people ranks in the bottom 20% for both median income and poverty rate in the Natural State.
Methodology: How We Determined The Poorest Places In Arkansas for 2026
The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the poorest places is to simply the poverty rate. That is, the number of people living below a federally established level of income for a household of a certain size.
However, we don’t think that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “poorest places”. So we used Saturday Night Science to look at this set of criteria from the newly released 2020-2024 American Community Survey:
- Poverty Level
- Median Household Income
After we collected the data for all 68 places with more than 5,000 people in Arkansas, we ranked each place from 1 to 68 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the poorest.
We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Poor Score” with the place having the lowest overall Poor Score, Forrest City, crowned the “Poorest Place In Arkansas For 2026”.
This report has been updated for 2026, which is our eleventh time ranking the poorest places in Arkansas.
Summary: The Poorest Cities In Arkansas For 2026
Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the poorest places in Arkansas, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in Arkansas.
When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very bottom of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.
If you’re curious enough, here are the richest cities in Arkansas, according to data:
-
Richest: Cave Springs
2nd Richest: Centerton
3rd Richest: Bentonville
For more Arkansas reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In Arkansas
- Safest Places In Arkansas
- Worst Places To Live In Arkansas
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Arkansas
Detailed List Of The Poorest Places To Live In Arkansas
| Rank | City | Population | Poverty Rate | Median Income | People In Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forrest City | 12,646 | 37.7% | $35,689 | 4,763 |
| 2 | Monticello | 8,257 | 30.1% | $27,238 | 2,488 |
| 3 | Newport | 8,024 | 30.4% | $34,764 | 2,440 |
| 4 | Helena-West Helena | 8,935 | 31.7% | $36,019 | 2,831 |
| 5 | Clarksville | 9,526 | 27.6% | $37,373 | 2,631 |
| 6 | West Memphis | 23,929 | 29.1% | $42,674 | 6,970 |
| 7 | Trumann | 7,410 | 25.4% | $38,881 | 1,878 |
| 8 | Hope | 8,671 | 23.4% | $37,500 | 2,028 |
| 9 | Walnut Ridge | 5,434 | 25.6% | $45,027 | 1,390 |
| 10 | Wynne | 8,120 | 24.7% | $43,250 | 2,007 |
| 11 | Texarkana | 29,177 | 25.8% | $45,835 | 7,527 |
| 12 | Osceola | 6,688 | 26.2% | $46,202 | 1,754 |
| 13 | Pine Bluff | 39,743 | 24.0% | $42,718 | 9,538 |
| 14 | Warren | 5,353 | 22.1% | $36,788 | 1,181 |
| 15 | Arkadelphia | 10,099 | 28.9% | $48,657 | 2,917 |
| 16 | Pocahontas | 7,538 | 23.8% | $44,216 | 1,795 |
| 17 | Berryville | 5,707 | 22.8% | $42,283 | 1,300 |
| 18 | Morrilton | 7,080 | 25.5% | $47,572 | 1,807 |
| 19 | Blytheville | 12,790 | 24.2% | $47,865 | 3,099 |
| 20 | Batesville | 11,445 | 26.3% | $51,856 | 3,007 |
| 21 | Mountain Home | 13,108 | 18.9% | $41,274 | 2,470 |
| 22 | Cherokee Village | 5,046 | 17.0% | $37,326 | 856 |
| 23 | El Dorado | 17,115 | 23.3% | $49,244 | 3,994 |
| 24 | Stuttgart | 7,903 | 23.1% | $49,399 | 1,824 |
| 25 | Hot Springs | 37,920 | 20.6% | $47,760 | 7,792 |
| 26 | Malvern | 10,953 | 20.2% | $46,250 | 2,215 |
| 27 | Camden | 10,307 | 20.5% | $49,361 | 2,117 |
| 28 | Alma | 5,906 | 27.3% | $68,562 | 1,611 |
| 29 | Russellville | 29,162 | 20.8% | $50,877 | 6,059 |
| 30 | Jonesboro | 80,137 | 22.8% | $55,424 | 18,295 |
| 31 | Harrison | 13,350 | 14.9% | $44,056 | 1,986 |
| 32 | Jacksonville | 29,221 | 19.8% | $49,666 | 5,771 |
| 33 | Magnolia | 10,894 | 22.7% | $56,127 | 2,477 |
| 34 | North Little Rock | 64,538 | 20.3% | $52,707 | 13,101 |
| 35 | Searcy | 23,340 | 18.8% | $52,170 | 4,387 |
| 36 | Mena | 5,582 | 13.9% | $47,428 | 775 |
| 37 | Heber Springs | 7,161 | 17.0% | $50,636 | 1,214 |
| 38 | Fayetteville | 99,319 | 20.6% | $62,695 | 20,499 |
| 39 | De Queen | 6,058 | 17.1% | $52,522 | 1,038 |
| 40 | Fort Smith | 89,805 | 18.3% | $54,816 | 16,416 |
| 41 | Sheridan | 5,165 | 19.9% | $62,453 | 1,030 |
| 42 | Paragould | 30,215 | 17.8% | $56,980 | 5,366 |
| 43 | Barling | 5,007 | 15.1% | $54,387 | 756 |
| 44 | Little Rock | 203,436 | 17.5% | $63,003 | 35,580 |
| 45 | Van Buren | 23,763 | 15.3% | $61,149 | 3,642 |
| 46 | Beebe | 8,707 | 15.1% | $59,476 | 1,315 |
| 47 | Conway | 67,642 | 16.9% | $63,004 | 11,404 |
| 48 | Prairie Grove | 7,798 | 15.2% | $70,701 | 1,182 |
| 49 | Greenbrier | 6,018 | 10.1% | $57,214 | 609 |
| 50 | Siloam Springs | 18,699 | 14.6% | $72,065 | 2,737 |
| 51 | Springdale | 88,160 | 13.4% | $69,787 | 11,795 |
| 52 | Greenwood | 9,616 | 10.0% | $66,844 | 962 |
| 53 | Ward | 6,573 | 11.1% | $72,734 | 732 |
| 54 | Cabot | 26,960 | 11.2% | $75,000 | 3,022 |
| 55 | Benton | 36,595 | 8.1% | $72,876 | 2,949 |
| 56 | Rogers | 72,981 | 10.5% | $86,728 | 7,641 |
| 57 | White Hall | 5,512 | 8.6% | $78,092 | 471 |
| 58 | Sherwood | 33,070 | 9.0% | $81,328 | 2,989 |
| 59 | Marion | 13,623 | 8.7% | $78,330 | 1,178 |
| 60 | Bryant | 21,504 | 5.6% | $83,024 | 1,210 |
| 61 | Tontitown | 6,425 | 4.7% | $85,603 | 298 |
| 62 | Lowell | 10,849 | 6.9% | $95,527 | 750 |
| 63 | Maumelle | 19,373 | 7.1% | $103,333 | 1,369 |
| 64 | Farmington | 9,094 | 3.8% | $90,469 | 342 |
| 65 | Pea Ridge | 8,108 | 3.2% | $95,521 | 259 |
| 66 | Bentonville | 58,249 | 5.2% | $112,792 | 3,034 |
| 67 | Centerton | 21,920 | 5.5% | $115,713 | 1,207 |
| 68 | Cave Springs | 6,008 | 1.8% | $146,473 | 108 |