Pope County, Arkansas: commercial real estate data.
Pope County, Arkansas has a population of 64,131 across 813 square miles, up 2.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $4.15 bn in 2024, 1,601 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 30 7(a) approvals worth $20.3 m.
119 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Pope County
How many people live in Pope County
- Population64,131
- Households24,348
- Average household size2.63
- Median household income$57,344
- Median age37.0
- Median gross rent$859 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$170,100
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over41,919
- Population under 1814,816
- Share under 1823.1 percent
- Population 65 and over10,574
- Share 65 and over16.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6438,741
- Civilian labor force29,123
- Unemployment rate5.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over59.1 percent
- Rank by population among Arkansas counties12th of 75
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents861st
Pope County is the 12th largest of 75 Arkansas counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.1 percent against 16.5 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Pope County
Is Pope County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.28 percent
- Census 2020 base population63,381
- Births, 2024728
- Deaths, 2024629
- Natural change, 202499
- Net domestic migration, 2024-50
- Net international migration, 2024114
- Total net migration, 202464
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,127
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1079th
The county has grown 2.28 percent since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Pope County
Where people moving to Pope County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,586
- People arriving, from those returns3,047
- Adjusted gross income arriving$77.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$48,810
- Largest single originPope County Non-migrants (20,698 households)
- Largest single destination (20,698 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pope County Non-migrants | 20,698 | 44,551 | $1.41 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 601 | 1,229 | $35.7 m |
| Yell County | 264 | 479 | $10.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 261 | 498 | $11.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 198 | 361 | $8.3 m |
| Other flows - West | 164 | 348 | $9.4 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 133 | 281 | $9.3 m |
| Johnson County | 124 | 270 | $5.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Pope County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Pope County
What the Pope County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$4.15 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.98 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.2 percent
- GDP change over five years34.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Arkansas counties8th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents787th
- GDP per resident$64,758
Output grew 4.2 percent in the latest year and 34.6 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Pope County
Who employs people in Pope County
- Covered employment, annual average26,851
- Establishments reporting1,765
- Average annual pay$50,324
- Average weekly wage$968
- Sector 31-33, employment5,009
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$57,000
- Sector 62, employment3,295
- Sector 62, average annual pay$44,412
- Sector 44-45, employment3,061
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,659
- Sector 72, employment2,906
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,134
- Sector 23, employment1,375
- Sector 48-49, employment1,324
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 5,009 | 68 | $57,000 |
| Sector 62 | 3,295 | 292 | $44,412 |
| Sector 44-45 | 3,061 | 240 | $32,659 |
| Sector 72 | 2,906 | 138 | $21,134 |
| Sector 23 | 1,375 | 183 | $66,112 |
| Sector 48-49 | 1,324 | 54 | $54,499 |
| Sector 56 | 1,257 | 86 | $50,164 |
| Sector 54 | 624 | 148 | $52,132 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 5,009 jobs, 18.7 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Pope County
What businesses operate in Pope County
- Establishments, all industries1,601
- Employment at those establishments23,884
- Annual payroll$1.15 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.0
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Pope County
What is being built in Pope County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202453
- Declared construction value permitted$8.8 m
- Single family units authorised46
- Multifamily units authorised7
- Multifamily share of units13.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$165,112
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.2
Multifamily is 13.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Pope County
How much SBA lending happens in Pope County
- 7(a) approvals recorded30
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$20.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$675,877
- Median 7(a) approval$170,000
- 10th percentile approval$40,000
- 90th percentile approval$3,250,000
- Largest single approval$4,270,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)594
- Jobs per approval19.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active16
- Distinct industries receiving approvals24
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer26.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms8
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter20
- Franchise loans5
- Franchise share of approvals16.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (3)
- Most active lenderFirst State Bank (7)
- 504 approvals recorded6
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.6 m
- Average 504 approval$604,500
- Median 504 approval$400,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval11.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved18.7
- Most active CDCSix Bridges Capital Corporation (4)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals83.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$23.9 m
The average approval of $675,877 sits well above the median of $170,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 26.7 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Pope County
Do SBA loans in Pope County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded7
- Paid in full7
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure16
- Status: Paid in full7
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed3
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 7 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Pope County
Which parts of Pope County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- Russellville, approvals25
- Dover, approvals3
- Pottsville, approvals1
- Fayetteville, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Russellville | 25 | $18,207,200 |
| Dover | 3 | $1,439,100 |
| Pottsville | 1 | $63,000 |
| Fayetteville | 1 | $567,000 |
Russellville accounts for 25 approvals against 3 in Dover. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Pope County
How big is Pope County
- Land area813 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Arkansas counties16th of 75
- Width, east to west27.6 mi
- Height, north to south41.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land79
- Establishments per square mile1.97
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Pope County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Pope County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population64,131
- Households24,348
- Average household size2.63
- Median household income$57,344
- Median age37.0
Common questions
Pope County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Pope County, Arkansas?
64,131, in 24,348 households, ranking 12th of 75 Arkansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Pope County growing?
The population has grown 2.28 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 728 births against 629 deaths, with net migration of 64. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Pope County?
$57,344. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $170,100, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $859 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Pope County?
1,601 establishments, employing 23,884 people with an annual payroll of $1.15 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Pope County?
Average annual pay is $50,324, or $968 a week, across 26,851 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Pope County?
30 7(a) approvals totalling $20.3 m since FY2020, across 16 lenders, with a median approval of $170,000, plus 6 504 approvals worth $3.6 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Pope County?
53 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $8.8 m. Multifamily was 13.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Pope County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Pope County come from?
The largest single origin is Pope County Non-migrants, with 20,698 households. Arriving households report an average income of $48,810 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Pope County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Pope County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.