Arkansas

State Office of Rural Health

Arkansas Office of Rural Health Section

Phone: 501.280.4529
Email: orhpc@arkansas.gov

Supports access to quality health care services throughout Arkansas by helping develop community-based healthcare systems and services. Part of the Arkansas Department of Health.
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Arkansas Nonmetro Population

3,018,669

Estimated population

1,193,299 (39.5%)

People living in nonmetro areas

Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-year estimate

Arkansas Rural Healthcare Facilities

27

Critical Access Hospitals

4

Rural Emergency Hospitals

138

Rural Health Clinics

158

Federally Qualified Health Centers*

21

Short Term/PPS Hospitals*

*Sites according to data.HRSA.gov (July 2024), showing only locations outside of U.S. Census Bureau Urban Areas with a population of 50,000 or more

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural Arkansas

8.5% of Arkansas residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2022). According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for Arkansas residents in 2021 was $50,625, with the rural per capita income at $42,056. The ERS reports, based on 2021 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural Arkansas is 18.7%, compared with 14.5% in urban areas of the state. 14.8% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 10.8% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2017-2021 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural Arkansas is 3.9%, while in urban Arkansas, it is 3.0% (USDA-ERS, 2022).