Craighead County makes large population gain

Craighead County had more births than deaths between mid-2022 and July 1, 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau reported this week. That’s significant because 65 of Arkansas’ 75 counties recorded more deaths than births, and statewide, Arkansas had 907 more deaths than births during that time. Despite that, the state is believed to have gained 21,328 people through in-migration from other states and nations, putting the latest estimate at 3,067,732.

By: Keith Inman
The Sun

JONESBORO — Craighead County had more births than deaths between mid-2022 and July 1, 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau reported this week.

That’s significant because 65 of Arkansas’ 75 counties recorded more deaths than births, and statewide, Arkansas had 907 more deaths than births during that time. Despite that, the state is believed to have gained 21,328 people through in-migration from other states and nations, putting the latest estimate at 3,067,732.

The census bureau estimated that Craighead County’s population grew by 1,130 during that 12-month period. Of those new residents, 678 moved in from other states and 61 from other countries. Births outnumbered deaths by 449. The county’s overall population grew by 1 percent to 113,993 during that year, and 2.5 percent since the official 2020 census.

Benton (Bentonville-Rogers), Boone (Harrison), Faulkner (Conway), Lonoke (Cabot), Pope (Russellville), Pulaski (Little Rock), Saline (Benton-Bryant), Sebastian (Fort Smith), and Washington (Fayetteville) counties were the other counties that experienced what the census bureau classified as natural growth.

As for other areas in Northeast Arkansas, Greene County’s population was estimated at 46,743, an increase of 335, or 0.7 percent in the past year and 2.5 percent since 2020. Deaths outnumbered births by 36, but 343 people moved into Greene County in the past year’s estimate.

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