The local economy of Arkansas and its counties, metro areas and cities, from official US government data, plus daily local gas prices for the state, its counties and metro areas.
Unemployment rate
3.9%
-0.3 ptsvs a year ago
Counties: lowest Madison County 2.8%, highest Phillips County 7.2%.
August 2026, seasonally adjusted, preliminary
Average weekly pay
$1,291
+4.6%vs a year ago
1,305,223 jobs at 109,385 business locations.
Q1 2026, all jobs
New homes permitted
14,741
-7.0%this year vs last year
Most in Benton County 5,273, Washington County 3,550.
Homes in the last 12 months, to August 2026
People moving in
+11,246
+5.0 per 1,000residents
69,149 moved in and 57,903 moved out. Most newcomers came from Texas.
Net people, 2022 to 2023, the newest year published
Arkansas gas price
$3.97
+$1.29vs a year ago
Counties: lowest Greene County $3.75, highest Montgomery County $4.40. Counties and metro areas
Regular, per gallon, Arkansas, October 10, 2026
Newest data: -. Not seasonally adjusted: compare with the same month a year earlier. Click a row for the history of that area.
The state, its counties and metro areas, updated daily. A separate series from the weekly survey prices above.
Business locations, employees and payroll by industry, 2023. Click an industry for its US report.
Business locations
70K
+1.2%vs 2022
2023, places with paid employees
Employees
1.12M
+2.9%vs 2022
Largest sector: Health Care and Social Assistance (17.4%).
2023, mid-March
Annual payroll
$60.9B
Wages and salaries paid during the year.
2023, all industries
Average pay
$54,370
Highest sector: Management of Companies and Enterprises $146,971.
Per employee per year
Share of Arkansas's employees, 2023
| Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places | 95,941 | $20,086 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 61,108 | $74,697 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 39,939 | $146,971 |
| Employment Services | 35,216 | $38,949 |
| General Merchandise Stores, including Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters | 33,744 | $29,731 |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 30,988 | $41,747 |
| General Freight Trucking | 29,935 | $64,290 |
| Offices of Physicians | 23,143 | $101,608 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 20,723 | $61,092 |
| Services to Buildings and Dwellings | 20,540 | $29,921 |
| Depository Credit Intermediation | 20,104 | $76,715 |
| Grocery Stores | 20,076 | $24,686 |
Most values are changed slightly to protect the privacy of single businesses; a few are withheld and shown as a range. Counties and metro areas have the same numbers in the area card above (Industries).
Offered pay in certified work-visa filings, fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025). Click a company for its jobs and salaries.
In fiscal year 2025, employers offered a median of $117,714 a year in 4,058 certified H-1B filings for jobs in Arkansas, up 5.6% from 2024 (US: $120,000). The largest job group was Software Developers. Fiscal year 2026 so far covers filings decided through Jun 30, 2026.
Median offered pay
$117,714
+5.6%vs 2024
Middle half: $85,000 to $140,000.
H-1B, fiscal year 2025
H-1B filings
4,058
+25.9%vs 2024
4,275 positions asked for.
Certified, full-time, fiscal year 2025
Top job group
$120,000
Software Developers, 2,183 filings.
Median offered pay of the largest job group
Green card jobs
$84,302
-10.1%vs 2024
861 PERM filings.
PERM median, fiscal year 2025
Median and middle half of the offers in Arkansas, next to the US median. Hover a year for the numbers.
| Job group | Filings | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | 2,183 | $120,000 |
| Data Scientists | 448 | $134,206 |
| Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians | 306 | $97,344 |
| Physicians, All Other | 101 | $75,865 |
| Industrial Engineers | 67 | $119,371 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 66 | $80,000 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 61 | $177,032 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers | 58 | $91,312 |
| Mechatronics Engineers | 30 | $130,000 |
| Information Security Analysts | 29 | $134,915 |
| Employer | Filings | Cities |
|---|---|---|
| Wal-Mart Associates, Inc. WMT | 2,019 | 6 |
| University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences | 145 | 4 |
| Cognizant Technology Solutions US Corp. CTSH | 94 | 3 |
| J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc. | 68 | 2 |
| UST Global Inc | 61 | 1 |
| compunnel software group inc. | 59 | 3 |
| University of Arkansas | 53 | 2 |
| K Tek Soft Inc. | 44 | 2 |
| Tyson Foods, Inc. TSN | 34 | 1 |
| Uber Freight US LLC | 24 | 1 |
| City | Filings | Median pay | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bentonville | 2,891 | $122,955 | $104,803 to $141,340 |
| Little Rock | 370 | $83,866 | $66,000 to $112,586 |
| Rogers | 98 | $94,797 | $70,429 to $148,750 |
| Fayetteville | 97 | $78,000 | $57,500 to $96,000 |
| Lowell | 82 | $124,357 | $116,439 to $134,288 |
| Centerton | 82 | $87,392 | $80,625 to $120,480 |
| Fort Smith | 64 | $110,200 | $65,894 to $144,844 |
| Springdale | 46 | $99,604 | $78,032 to $126,271 |
| Conway | 45 | $85,000 | $75,000 to $110,510 |
| Jonesboro | 42 | $78,950 | $62,734 to $197,250 |
Yearly pay that employers offered in certified work-visa filings (H-1B, E-3 and PERM green card), from official public data. Pay is the lower end of the offered pay range, for full-time positions only. These are offered pay figures for positions in work-visa filings, not the pay of all employees. A filing is an offer for a position, not a hire, and one person can appear in several filings. Fiscal years run from October to September. Groups with fewer than 3 filings show counts only. Employers are ranked by filings in the cities of Arkansas added up.
Declared disasters and flood insurance claims: what happened, from official public data.
Arkansas has had 89 declared disasters and emergencies since 1957, 51 of them since 2000, most often Severe Storm. Flood insurance has paid $220.6 million on 10,260 claims since 1978; the biggest year was 2019 ($31.8 million).
Declared disasters
51
41 major disasters. Most often Severe Storm (33 since 1957).
Since 2000, all types; 89 since 1957
Flood claims paid
$100.8M
2,342 claims. Biggest year 2019 ($31.8M).
2016 to 2025, flood insurance
Policies in force
11,418
Average premium $987 a year.
2025, flood insurance policies
Most-declared county
25
Jackson County, latest Jan 24, 2026.
Declarations since 2000
Declarations for Arkansas, 1957 to today
Claims paid in Arkansas by the year of the flood, US dollars
Declarations since 1957
Declarations naming the county since 2000; statewide ones not counted
All years since 1978; policies are a yearly average. Top 15 of 74.
| # | County | Claims | Paid | Policies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pulaski County | 1,720 | $30.4M | 2,654 |
| 2 | Sebastian County | 421 | $19.0M | 541 |
| 3 | Jefferson County | 596 | $14.4M | 442 |
| 4 | Washington County | 435 | $13.7M | 899 |
| 5 | Crittenden County | 887 | $12.8M | 642 |
| 6 | Randolph County | 234 | $9.57M | 148 |
| 7 | Benton County | 338 | $9.24M | 665 |
| 8 | Craighead County | 410 | $7.92M | 1,276 |
| 9 | Faulkner County | 321 | $7.71M | 648 |
| 10 | Saline County | 275 | $7.65M | 348 |
| 11 | Monroe County | 170 | $4.36M | 205 |
| 12 | Garland County | 271 | $4.30M | 941 |
| 13 | Chicot County | 153 | $4.20M | 263 |
| 14 | Clay County | 180 | $4.14M | 235 |
| 15 | Phillips County | 456 | $3.77M | 249 |
A declaration opens federal help after a disaster; it can name counties or the whole state. Flood insurance numbers count insured losses only (most homes have no flood insurance) and are not adjusted for inflation; the current year is data so far. For the flood-zone risk of a place, open the area on the real estate map.
Environmental compliance records, workplace safety inspections and greenhouse gas reports of facilities in Arkansas, from official public data.
Official public data lists 6,636 facilities in Arkansas with records since 2010, 6,543 of them with environmental compliance records. In 2022 to 2026, the largest penalties were at Jones Mill Locomotive Facility in Malvern ($910,895). 195 large facilities reported 37.9 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2023, down 7.8% from 2022.
Facilities with records
6,636
6,543 with environmental records.
Since 2010
Largest penalties
$911K
Jones Mill Locomotive Facility, Malvern.
One facility, 2022 to 2026
Greenhouse gases
37.9M t
-7.8%vs 2022
195 reporting facilities.
Metric tons CO2e, 2023
Largest emitter
5.57M t
Independence Plant, Newark.
Metric tons CO2e, 2023
| Facility | Penalties | Violations |
|---|---|---|
| Jones Mill Locomotive Facility Malvern | $910,895 | 2 |
| Abf Freight System, INC. Fort Smith | $535,000 | 0 |
| Abf Freight Systems INC N. Little Rock | $535,000 | 2 |
| Abf Freight Systems, INC. Jonesboro | $535,000 | 0 |
| Abf Freight Systems - El Dorado El Dorado | $535,000 | 0 |
| Abf Freight Systems - Texarkana Texarkana | $535,000 | 0 |
| Suzano Packaging, LLC Pine Bluff | $260,973 | 1 |
| Lanxess Corp - Central Plant El Dorado | $174,818 | 19 |
| Great Lakes Chemical, South Plant El Dorado | $117,880 | 6 |
| Ash Grove Cement CO - Foreman Facility Foreman | $75,760 | 18 |
| Facility | Metric tons CO2e |
|---|---|
| Independence Plant Newark | 5,566,309 |
| Union Power Station El Dorado | 5,260,039 |
| White Bluff Plant Redfield | 3,979,106 |
| Plum Point Energy Station Osceola | 3,376,312 |
| Turk Power Plant Fulton | 2,902,385 |
| Southwestern Electric Power Company D/B/A Flint Creek Power Plant Gentry | 2,278,545 |
| Dell Power Plant Dell | 1,694,715 |
| Magnet Cove Generating Station Malvern | 1,264,268 |
| El Dorado Chemical Company El Dorado | 1,027,772 |
| Ash Grove Cement CO - Foreman Facility Foreman | 884,375 |
Large facilities in Arkansas, metric tons of CO2 equivalent. Hover a year for the number.
Their facilities in Arkansas, 2022 to 2026. Click a company for its Risk & Compliance tab.
| Company | Facilities | Penalties | CO2e (t) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ArcBest Corporation ARCB | 1 | $535K | - |
| The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company GT | 1 | $23K | 41K |
| Delek US Holdings, Inc. DK | 1 | $14K | 713K |
| Nucor Corporation NUE | 5 | $14K | 748K |
| American Electric Power Company, Inc. AEP | 2 | $7,716 | 3.02M |
| Tyson Foods, Inc. TSN | 36 | $6,900 | 306K |
| The Chemours Company CC | 1 | $4,130 | 13K |
| Archer-Daniels-Midland Company ADM | 2 | $2,000 | - |
Official public data on environmental compliance records, workplace safety inspections and greenhouse gas reports, summarized by facility and year since 2010. A record does not mean a site is unsafe today; penalties and violations vary a lot by industry and size. Penalties are the amounts assessed (after settlements), not amounts paid. Recent years can still change.
Cost, students and graduate earnings of the colleges in the state, from official public data.
The newest unemployment rate, pay, new home permits, moves and gas price for Arkansas, updated as new official numbers come out.
Unemployment for Arkansas is seasonally adjusted; for its counties, metro areas and cities it is not, so compare a month with the same month a year earlier. Pay covers all jobs that pay into unemployment insurance. Building permits count homes approved to be built, not homes sold. Moves count households by where they filed their tax returns in two years in a row. Daily gas prices are average pump prices for Arkansas, its counties and metro areas on the day shown. The weekly gas prices in the explorer come from a separate weekly survey that publishes a price for only some states, so a state without one shows the price of its region there; the two series are never combined.
The unemployment rate in Arkansas was 3.9% in August 2026 (seasonally adjusted, preliminary), compared with 4.2% a year earlier. 1,401,154 people were employed out of a labor force of 1,458,078. Among its counties, Madison County had the lowest rate (2.8%) and Phillips County the highest (7.2%, not seasonally adjusted).
Average weekly pay in Arkansas was $1,291 in Q1 2026, up 4.6% from a year earlier, across 1,305,223 jobs at 109,385 business locations.
Building permits were issued for 884 new homes in Arkansas in August 2026 (738 single-family and 89 in buildings with 5 or more units). From January to August the total was 9,605, down 7.0% from the same months last year, and 14,741 in the last 12 months. The most homes were permitted in Benton County (5,273), Washington County (3,550), Pulaski County (1,261) over the last 12 months.
Yes. From 2022 to 2023, 69,149 people moved to Arkansas and 57,903 moved away, a net gain of 11,246 (+5.0 per 1,000 residents). Most newcomers came from Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and most people who left went to Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma.
Regular gasoline in Arkansas averaged $3.97 per gallon on October 10, 2026, up $1.29 from a year earlier. Diesel averaged $5.92. Among its counties, Greene County had the lowest regular price ($3.75) and Montgomery County the highest ($4.40).
Health Care and Social Assistance (194,618 employees), Manufacturing (164,240 employees), Retail Trade (144,531 employees) were the largest sectors in Arkansas in 2023. In all, 70,452 business locations employed 1,120,356 people at an average pay of $54,370 a year.
$117,714 a year was the median pay offered in 4,058 certified H-1B filings for jobs in Arkansas in fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025), up 5.6% from 2024. The middle half of the offers ranged from $85,000 to $140,000. The US median was $120,000. These are offered pay figures in work-visa filings, not the pay of all workers.
Wal-Mart Associates, Inc. (2,019), University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (145), Cognizant Technology Solutions US Corp. (94), J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc. (68), UST Global Inc (61) had the most certified H-1B filings for jobs in Arkansas in fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025).
Software Developers (2,183 filings, median $120,000), Data Scientists (448 filings, median $134,206), Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians (306 filings, median $97,344) were the largest job groups in certified H-1B filings in Arkansas in fiscal year 2025.
$124,357 was the median offered pay in Lowell, the highest among the Arkansas cities with the most H-1B filings in fiscal year 2025 (82 filings).
$84,302 a year was the median pay offered in 861 certified PERM green card filings for jobs in Arkansas in fiscal year 2025.
89 disasters and emergencies have been declared for Arkansas since 1957, 51 of them since 2000 (41 major disasters). The most common type is Severe Storm (33 declarations).
Jackson County, with 25 declarations since 2000, followed by Newton County (24) and Franklin County (23). Statewide declarations are not counted for single counties.
$220.6 million on 10,260 flood insurance claims since 1978. The biggest year was 2019, with $31.8 million paid on 503 claims. Pulaski County received the most ($30.4 million).
$987 a year in 2025, across 11,418 flood insurance policies in Arkansas. Most homes have no flood insurance; the premium depends on the home's flood risk and coverage.