Sebastian County, Arkansas: commercial real estate data.
Sebastian County, Arkansas has a population of 128,900 across 532 square miles, up 1.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $9.26 bn in 2024, 3,398 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 88 7(a) approvals worth $60.8 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Sebastian County
How many people live in Sebastian County
- Population128,900
- Households52,181
- Average household size2.47
- Median household income$57,790
- Median age38.0
- Median gross rent$886 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$176,200
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over86,709
- Population under 1830,628
- Share under 1823.8 percent
- Population 65 and over21,959
- Share 65 and over17.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6476,313
- Civilian labor force61,388
- Unemployment rate5.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over62.5 percent
- Rank by population among Arkansas counties4th of 75
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents511th
Sebastian County is the 4th 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 23.8 percent against 17.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Sebastian County
Is Sebastian County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.75 percent
- Census 2020 base population127,797
- Births, 20241,582
- Deaths, 20241,468
- Natural change, 2024114
- Net domestic migration, 2024535
- Net international migration, 2024182
- Total net migration, 2024717
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,534
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1261st
The county has grown 1.75 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Sebastian County
Where people moving to Sebastian County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving3,502
- People arriving, from those returns6,552
- Adjusted gross income arriving$165.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$47,340
- Largest single originSebastian County Non-migrants (43,433 households)
- Largest single destination (43,433 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sebastian County Non-migrants | 43,433 | 91,043 | $3.19 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,241 | 2,411 | $69.3 m |
| Crawford County | 647 | 1,221 | $23.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 617 | 1,161 | $33.3 m |
| Other flows - West | 299 | 642 | $20.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 254 | 461 | $12.7 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 247 | 429 | $10.6 m |
| Le Flore County | 232 | 432 | $7.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Sebastian 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.
Sebastian County
What the Sebastian County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$9.26 bn
- County GDP, 2023$8.93 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.6 percent
- GDP change over five years31.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among Arkansas counties4th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents470th
- GDP per resident$71,802
Output grew 3.6 percent in the latest year and 31.4 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.
Sebastian County
Who employs people in Sebastian County
- Covered employment, annual average67,665
- Establishments reporting3,751
- Average annual pay$55,173
- Average weekly wage$1,061
- Sector 31-33, employment12,904
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$61,573
- Sector 62, employment11,740
- Sector 62, average annual pay$63,377
- Sector 44-45, employment7,700
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$34,540
- Sector 72, employment6,050
- Sector 72, average annual pay$22,306
- Sector 56, employment4,295
- Sector 42, employment2,915
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 12,904 | 174 | $61,573 |
| Sector 62 | 11,740 | 591 | $63,377 |
| Sector 44-45 | 7,700 | 526 | $34,540 |
| Sector 72 | 6,050 | 338 | $22,306 |
| Sector 56 | 4,295 | 204 | $36,672 |
| Sector 42 | 2,915 | 220 | $67,049 |
| Sector 23 | 2,789 | 285 | $55,406 |
| Sector 48-49 | 2,332 | 106 | $72,490 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 12,904 jobs, 19.1 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.
Sebastian County
What businesses operate in Sebastian County
- Establishments, all industries3,398
- Employment at those establishments60,727
- Annual payroll$3.20 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents26.4
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.
Sebastian County
What is being built in Sebastian County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024385
- Declared construction value permitted$93.1 m
- Single family units authorised234
- Multifamily units authorised151
- Multifamily share of units39.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$241,791
- Units authorised per 1,000 households7.4
Multifamily is 39.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Sebastian County
How much SBA lending happens in Sebastian County
- 7(a) approvals recorded88
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$60.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$691,427
- Median 7(a) approval$203,400
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,400,000
- Largest single approval$4,862,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)891
- Jobs per approval10.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active37
- Distinct industries receiving approvals55
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer19.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms17
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter66
- Franchise loans19
- Franchise share of approvals21.6 percent
- Leading industry by approval countVeterinary Services (5)
- Most active lenderArvest Bank (14)
- 504 approvals recorded10
- 504 gross approval dollars$9.6 m
- Average 504 approval$955,200
- Median 504 approval$763,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval7.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved7.9
- Most active CDCRural Missouri, Inc. (5)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals89.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$70.4 m
The average approval of $691,427 sits well above the median of $203,400, 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 19.3 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.
Sebastian County
Do SBA loans in Sebastian County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded16
- Paid in full15
- Charged off1
- Charge off rate on resolved loans6.3 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure51
- Status: Paid in full15
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Cancelled17
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed4
Of the 16 loans that have reached a final outcome, 6.3 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Sebastian County
Which parts of Sebastian County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending9
- FORT SMITH, approvals66
- Greenwood, approvals10
- Barling, approvals3
- Hackett, approvals3
- LAVACA, approvals2
- MUSKOGEE, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| FORT SMITH | 66 | $49,213,600 |
| Greenwood | 10 | $2,959,100 |
| Barling | 3 | $767,000 |
| Hackett | 3 | $256,400 |
| LAVACA | 2 | $150,000 |
| MUSKOGEE | 1 | $150,000 |
| FRISCO | 1 | $1,840,000 |
| CHARLESTON | 1 | $4,862,000 |
FORT SMITH accounts for 66 approvals against 10 in Greenwood. 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.
Sebastian County
How big is Sebastian County
- Land area532 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Arkansas counties74th of 75
- Width, east to west23.7 mi
- Height, north to south35.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land242
- Establishments per square mile6.39
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 Sebastian 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 Sebastian County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population128,900
- Households52,181
- Average household size2.47
- Median household income$57,790
- Median age38.0
Common questions
Sebastian County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Sebastian County, Arkansas?
128,900, in 52,181 households, ranking 4th of 75 Arkansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Sebastian County growing?
The population has grown 1.75 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,582 births against 1,468 deaths, with net migration of 717. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Sebastian County?
$57,790. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $176,200, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $886 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Sebastian County?
3,398 establishments, employing 60,727 people with an annual payroll of $3.20 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 Sebastian County?
Average annual pay is $55,173, or $1,061 a week, across 67,665 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Sebastian County?
88 7(a) approvals totalling $60.8 m since FY2020, across 37 lenders, with a median approval of $203,400, plus 10 504 approvals worth $9.6 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Sebastian County get paid back?
Of the 16 loans that have reached a final outcome, 15 were paid in full and 1 charged off, a charge off rate of 6.3 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Sebastian County?
385 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $93.1 m. Multifamily was 39.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Sebastian 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 Sebastian County come from?
The largest single origin is Sebastian County Non-migrants, with 43,433 households. Arriving households report an average income of $47,340 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 Sebastian 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 Sebastian 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.