Polk County, Arkansas


Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,221. The county seat is Mena. Polk County is Arkansas's 48th county, formed on November 30, 1844; it was named for James K. Polk, 11th President of the United States.

Wet county

Pol County was formerly under an alcohol prohibition as a dry county. However, following a historic mid-term election in 2022, Polk County is now a wet county.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.

Major highways

Transit

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 19,221. The median age was 45.2 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 23.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.3 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 85.5% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 1.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 3.2% from some other race, and 8.6% from two or more races. [Hispanic and Race (United States Census)|Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino] residents of any race comprised 6.6% of the population.
28.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 71.2% lived in rural areas.
There were 7,992 households in the county, of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.0% were married-couple households, 19.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 9,612 housing units, of which 16.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.0% were owner-occupied and 23.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.7%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 20,229 people, 8,047 households, and 5,793 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 9,236 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 94.69% White, 0.16% Black or African American, 1.49% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.72% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. 3.50% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 8,047 households, out of which 31.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.40% were married couples living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.60% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 25.00% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $25,180, and the median income for a family was $31,379. Males had a median income of $23,397 versus $17,294 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,063. 18.20% of the population and 14.00% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 23.50% were under the age of 18 and 16.20% were 65 or older.
As of 2010 Polk County had a population of 20,662. Of this population 89.77% were non-Hispanic whites, 0.31% were blacks, 1.76% Native Americans, 0.45% Asians, 2.03% non-Hispanics reporting one or more race and 5.76% Hispanic or Latino.

Government

Government

The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the Constitution of Arkansas and the Arkansas Code. The quorum court is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are called justices of the peace and are elected from county districts every even-numbered year. The number of districts in a county vary from nine to fifteen, and district boundaries are drawn by the county election commission. The Polk County Quorum Court has nine members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is the county judge, who serves as the chief operating officer of the county. The county judge is elected at-large and does not vote in quorum court business, although capable of vetoing quorum court decisions.
PositionOfficeholderParty
County JudgeBrandon EllisonRepublican
County ClerkLisa StandridgeRepublican
Circuit ClerkMichelle Heath SchnellRepublican
Sheriff/CollectorScott SawyerRepublican
TreasurerTanya FretzRepublican
AssessorJovan ThomasIndependent
CoronerBrian BowserRepublican

The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 7 Republicans and 2 Independents. Justices of the Peace of the Quorum Court following the elections are:
  • District 1: Chris Daniel
  • District 2: Jeremy Jones
  • District 3: Levi Ellison
  • District 4: James P. Looney
  • District 5: Troy Lunsford
  • District 6: Tommy Floyd
  • District 7: Tawana L. Gilbert
  • District 8: Terry Scott
  • District 9: Mitchell Ray Tidwell
Additionally, the townships of Polk County are entitled to elect their own respective constables, as set forth by the Constitution of Arkansas. Constables are largely of historical significance as they were used to keep the peace in rural areas when travel was more difficult. The township constables as of the 2024 elections are:
  • Gap Springs: John Deming
  • Mountain: Donald D. Davis
  • Potter: Eddie Price

Politics

Since 1952, Polk County has been heavily Republican, only voting for the Democratic nominee for president three times since then. It last voted for the Democratic nominee for president in 1992, when it gave Arkansas governor Bill Clinton 43.8 percent of the vote. After this, the county trended rapidly towards Republicans, with the Republican margin of victory increasing in every subsequent election. In 2020, the county gave Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump 82.9 percent of the vote, the highest ever vote share for a Republican presidential candidate in the county, and Democratic nominee Joe Biden 14.7 percent of the vote, the lowest ever vote share for a Democratic presidential candidate in the county.

Popular culture

Polk County is the setting for Stephen Hunter's fictional Bob Lee Swagger series, the most notable being Black Light, as well as the place where Joel B Reed's fictional character, Jazz Phillips, of the Jazz Phillips mystery series, grew up.

Communities

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Townships