Stone County, Arkansas
Stone County is located in the Ozark Mountains in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The county is named for the rugged, rocky area terrain of the Ozarks. Created as Arkansas's 74th county on April 21, 1873, Stone County has two incorporated cities: Mountain View, the county seat and most populous city, and Fifty-Six. The county is also the site of numerous unincorporated communities and ghost towns.
Most of the county is sparsely populated forested Ozark hills; including the northern fifth of the county managed by the United States Forest Service as the Ozark National Forest. The remainder of the county is used for poultry, ranching, and timber production. The White River runs along the eastern boundary of Stone County. The county contains six protected areas in addition to the Ozark National Forest: Blanchard Springs Caverns within the Ozark National Forest, two Natural Areas, two Wildlife Management Areas and the Ozark Folk Center, which preserves and interprets Ozark cultural heritage, especially traditional mountain folk music and crafts. Other features such as log cabins, one-room school houses, community centers, and museums, as well as annual cultural events, preserve the history and culture of Stone County.
Stone County occupies and contained a population of 12,359 as of the 2020 Census.
Geography
Stone County is located in the Ozark Mountains, one of the six ecoregions of Arkansas. The Ozarks are a mountainous subdivision of the U.S. Interior Highlands, and Stone County contains the Springfield Plateau, Salem Plateau, and the relatively steeper Boston Mountains subsets. The county is roughly split along an east–west line near Mountain View, the centrally located county seat, with areas north within the Springfield Plateau, and areas south within the Boston Mountains. Areas along the White River, which forms the county's northeastern boundary, are dissected bluffs of the Salem Plateau rather than riparian floodplains. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.The county is located approximately north of Little Rock, northwest of Memphis, Tennessee, and southwest of St. Louis, Missouri. Stone County is surrounded by three Ozark counties, Searcy County to the west, Baxter County to the northwest, Izard County to the northeast, and three border counties with the Arkansas River Valley, Van Buren County to the southwest, Cleburne County to the south, and Independence County to the east.
Hydrology
National protected area
- Ozark National Forest
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 12,359. The median age was 49.8 years. 20.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 27.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.6 males age 18 and over.The racial makeup of the county was 93.0% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.7% from some other race, and 5.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.2% of the population.
<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 5,333 households in the county, of which 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.6% were married-couple households, 18.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 6,784 housing units, of which 21.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.9% were owner-occupied and 24.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.9%.
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 12,394 people, 5,325 households, and 3,590 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 6,712 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 96.8% White, 0.1% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.4% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. 1.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.There were 5,325 households, out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.4% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 36.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.6% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 19.4% from 25 to 44, 31.0% from 45 to 64, and 22.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.2 years. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,380, and the median income for a family was $36,765. Males had a median income of $28,258 versus $25,341 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,090. About 16.6% of families and 23.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.7% of those under age 18 and 20.6% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 11,499 people, 4,768 households, and 3,461 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 5,715 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 97.27% White, 0.08% Black or African American, 0.77% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races, and 1.64% from two or more races. 1.08% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.There were 4,768 households, out of which 26.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.30% were married couples living together, 7.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.40% were non-families. 24.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.20% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 23.60% from 25 to 44, 28.50% from 45 to 64, and 18.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 96.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $22,209, and the median income for a family was $28,009. Males had a median income of $20,904 versus $16,118 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,134. About 14.10% of families and 18.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.20% of those under age 18 and 12.10% of those age 65 or over.
Culture and contemporary life
Media
The county newspaper is the Stone County Leader, a weekly published in Mountain View since 1952. Former newspapers include the Stone County Democrat and Mountain View Herald. Mountain View has also produced several short-lived publications, including the Mountain View News, The Mountain View, and The Ozark Times.The Stone County Historical Society has published the Heritage of Stone since 1972. Issued twice annually to members and available to the public for individual purchase, the publication covers topics relating to the history and culture of Stone County.
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 Stone 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.| Position | Officeholder | Party |
| County Judge | Stacey Avey | Independent |
| County/Circuit Clerk | Angie Hudspeth-Wade | Independent |
| Sheriff | Brandon Long | Republican |
| Treasurer | Kayla Meeker | Republican |
| Collector | Karen Hodges | Republican |
| Assessor | Heather Stevens | Democratic |
| Coroner | Joseph A. Blake | Republican |
| Surveyor | William "Randy" Berry |
The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 9 Republicans. Justices of the Peace of the Quorum Court following the elections are:
- District 1: Jim Bullard
- District 2: Travis Trammell
- District 3: Billy Wayne Mitchell
- District 4: Jason Kocher
- District 5: Ronald Clark
- District 6: Mark Davis
- District 7: Michael W. Vickers
- District 8: Neal Harness
- District 9: Eddie Cowell
- District 1: Travis Shepherd
- District 2: Chip Doss
- District 3: Tom Falci
- District 4: John P. Walsh
- District 5: Michael Tharp
- District 6: Justin Meeks
- District 7: Bob Cook
- District 8: Lisa Freshler Murphy
- District 9: Keenan Glenn