United States · state

Arkansas population 2026

Q: What is the population of Arkansas in 2026?

The latest official figure is 3,114,791, for 1 July 2025 (US Census Bureau). If last year’s change continues, Arkansas would have about 3.1 million people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December.

Arkansas has 3,114,791 people on the latest official figure, for 1 July 2025, 18,711 more than a year earlier (+0.60%). It is 33rd of the US’s 50 states and DC by population, home to 0.9% of the US’s people.

If last year’s change continues: about 3.1 million by 1 July 2026. That is our arithmetic, not an official figure.

Arkansas in numbers

Population: 3.1 million 1 July 2025
Change in a year: +0.60% +18,711 people
Change since 2020: +3.33% from 3 million
Share of the US: 0.9% 33rd of 50 states and DC
Population density: 23per km² 134,659 km²
Births in the year: 35 thousand deaths: 37 thousand
International migration: +5 thousand net arrivals from abroad
Moves within the US: +14 thousand more people moved in than left

In the latest year deaths outnumbered births by 1,224, 5,470 more people arrived from abroad than left, and 14,475 more people moved in from the rest of the US than moved out.

That is about as many people as Bosnia and Herzegovina (3.1 million).

Population of Arkansas by year

3.1M

› Show the numbers as a table

Year	Population
2010	2,921,998
2011	2,941,038
2012	2,952,876
2013	2,960,459
2014	2,968,759
2015	2,979,732
2016	2,991,815
2017	3,003,855
2018	3,012,161
2019	3,020,985
2020	3,014,399
2021	3,027,127
2022	3,047,429
2023	3,069,856
2024	3,096,080
2025	3,114,791

Year	Population	Change	%
2025	3,114,791	+18,711	+0.60%
2024	3,096,080	+26,224	+0.85%
2023	3,069,856	+22,427	+0.74%
2022	3,047,429	+20,302	+0.67%
2021	3,027,127	+12,728	+0.42%
2020	3,014,399	−6,586	−0.22%
2019	3,020,985	+8,824	+0.29%
2018	3,012,161	+8,306	+0.28%
2017	3,003,855	+12,040	+0.40%
2016	2,991,815	+12,083	+0.41%
2015	2,979,732	+10,973	+0.37%
2014	2,968,759	+8,300	+0.28%
2013	2,960,459	+7,583	+0.26%
2012	2,952,876	+11,838	+0.40%
2011	2,941,038	+19,040	+0.65%

2010–2019 are Vintage 2020 estimates and 2020–2025 are Vintage 2025, so the step between 2019 and 2020 is partly a change of base.

Arkansas among the US’s states

Full ranking →

States of the US by population
#
1	California	39,355,309	−0.02%	11.5%	98
2	Texas	31,709,821	+1.25%	9.3%	47
3	Florida	23,462,518	+0.84%	6.9%	169
4	New York State	20,002,427	+0.01%	5.9%	164
5	Pennsylvania	13,059,432	+0.10%	3.8%	113
6	Illinois	12,719,141	+0.13%	3.7%	89
7	Ohio	11,900,510	+0.34%	3.5%	113
8	Georgia (US State)	11,302,748	+0.88%	3.3%	76
9	North Carolina	11,197,968	+1.32%	3.3%	89
10	Michigan	10,127,884	+0.28%	3.0%	69
11	New Jersey	9,548,215	+0.44%	2.8%	501
12	Virginia	8,880,107	+0.69%	2.6%	87
13	Washington State	8,001,020	+0.92%	2.3%	47
14	Arizona	7,623,818	+0.89%	2.2%	26
15	Tennessee	7,315,076	+0.88%	2.1%	69
16	Massachusetts	7,154,084	+0.22%	2.1%	354
17	Indiana	6,973,333	+0.56%	2.0%	75
18	Missouri	6,270,541	+0.43%	1.8%	35
19	Maryland	6,265,347	+0.32%	1.8%	249
20	Colorado	6,012,561	+0.40%	1.8%	22
21	Wisconsin	5,972,787	+0.26%	1.7%	43
22	Minnesota	5,830,405	+0.57%	1.7%	28
23	South Carolina	5,570,274	+1.46%	1.6%	72
24	Alabama	5,193,088	+0.58%	1.5%	40
25	Louisiana	4,618,189	+0.07%	1.4%	41
26	Kentucky	4,606,864	+0.50%	1.3%	45
27	Oregon	4,273,586	+0.19%	1.3%	17
28	Oklahoma	4,123,288	+0.62%	1.2%	23
29	Connecticut	3,688,496	+0.38%	1.1%	294
30	Utah	3,538,904	+1.02%	1.0%	17
31	Nevada	3,282,188	+0.88%	1.0%	12
32	Iowa	3,238,387	+0.25%	0.9%	22
33	Arkansas	3,114,791	+0.60%	0.9%	23
34	Kansas	2,977,220	+0.40%	0.9%	14
35	Mississippi	2,954,160	+0.14%	0.9%	24
36	New Mexico	2,125,498	−0.06%	0.6%	7
37	Idaho	2,029,733	+1.44%	0.6%	10
38	Nebraska	2,018,006	+0.62%	0.6%	10
39	West Virginia	1,766,147	−0.07%	0.5%	28
40	Hawaii	1,432,820	−0.15%	0.4%	86
41	New Hampshire	1,415,342	+0.48%	0.4%	61
42	Maine	1,414,874	+0.46%	0.4%	18
43	Montana	1,144,694	+0.63%	0.3%	3
44	Rhode Island	1,114,521	+0.37%	0.3%	416
45	Delaware	1,059,952	+0.94%	0.3%	210
46	South Dakota	935,094	+0.86%	0.3%	5
47	North Dakota	799,358	+0.75%	0.2%	5
48	Alaska	737,270	+0.10%	0.2%	1
49	District of Columbia	693,645	+0.34%	0.2%	4,381
50	Vermont	644,663	−0.29%	0.2%	27
51	Wyoming	588,753	+0.35%	0.2%	2

Largest cities in Arkansas

City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), so years differ.

Little Rock202,591
Fort Smith88,194
Fayetteville82,830
Springdale77,859
Jonesboro73,907
North Little Rock66,504

Questions

What is the population of Arkansas in 2026?

The latest official figure is 3,114,791, for 1 July 2025 (US Census Bureau). If last year’s change continues, Arkansas would have about 3.1 million people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December.

Is Arkansas’s population growing or shrinking?

It grew by 18,711 people (+0.60%) in the latest year, and has changed +3.33% since 2020. In the latest year deaths outnumbered births by 1,224, 5,470 more people arrived from abroad than left, and 14,475 more people moved in from the rest of the US than moved out.

How does Arkansas rank in the US?

Arkansas is 33rd of the US’s 50 states and DC, with 0.9% of the people. California is the largest, with 39.4 million.

What is the population density of Arkansas?

About 23 people per km², on 134,659 km². Land area, US Census Bureau Gazetteer.

What is the largest city in Arkansas?

Little Rock, with about 203 thousand people in the city proper. Metro areas are larger, and years differ (GeoNames).

Source and method

US Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. US government work, public domain. Land area, US Census Bureau Gazetteer. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December. Ranks, shares and changes are our arithmetic on the published figures. National figures can differ from the UN’s projection for the US, which uses a different method. The 2026 figure above carries last year’s change forward; it does not come from the source.

Cite this page: Arkansas population, US Census Bureau, 1 July 2025. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/united-states/arkansas/

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