Poverty Rates in Arkansas
Poorest Areas Along the Mississippi are Isolated from Rest of State
Arkansas unfortunately falls into the top ten states with the highest poverty rates. It is currently ranked at the 8th highest poverty rate in the United States, with a poverty rate of 15.6%.
This is just slightly better than the poverty rate of Alabama, and just slightly higher than the poverty rates of Tennessee and South Carolina.
Where the Worst Poverty in Arkansas Occurs
The most critical levels of poverty in Arkansas occur mainly along the southeast border on the bank of the Mississippi River (see map below article).
Nine of the 13 major cities in Arkansas also have a poverty rate above the state average, showing the poverty is in both urban and more rural regions of Arkansas.
Two of those nine cities experience critical levels of poverty, meaning that the poverty rate is at least 50% above the state average. These two cities are Pine Bluff with a poverty rate of 25.5% and West Memphis with a poverty rate of 28.3%.
Poverty rates also reach a critical levels (at least 50% above the state average) in the following counties:
- Chicot (28.0%)
- Lee (30.3%)
- Phillips (28.7%)
- St. Francis (25.1%)
- Woodruff (24.0%)
Two other counties, Lincoln and Desha, both have poverty rates of 23.3%, and were included in the map of critical poverty areas below the article to avoid the misleading image of a gap in critical poverty.
Why the Worst Poverty in Arkansas Exists
In the areas along the Mississippi River, people living in poverty often times have to deal with a constant negative stigma attached to the area in which they live.
This negative stigma causes businesses to be hesitant before investing in the area, and it also makes the area an unattractive place to work for teachers and health care professionals.
To make matters worse, people living in these areas right along the Mississippi River are also in constant danger of flooding. Flooding from the Mississippi is capable of destroying what little these families own in a matter of days.
In the cities, residents are completely reliant on the market to provide them with everything required for life. This includes food, shelter, health care, higher education, insurance, and other necessities for avoiding critical poverty.
The problem in these areas is that even if you work, which most of the extremely poor do, you are still going to be poor. The wages in cities like West Memphis and Pine Bluff are simply not high enough to keep your head above water.
All of this aside, it is important to keep in mind that the reasons for poverty are as unique as the individuals who live through it. Though finding trends in a specific area is important, no generalization can account for everyone.
What is Being Done about Poverty in Arkansas
In Arkansas, a lot of the relief coming into areas of critical poverty is actually from organizations such as the Southern Good Faith Fund.
The Southern Good Faith Fund invests in these Arkansas communities especially along the Mississippi River by providing loans to businesses in the area, giving grants for home ownership and utilities, and fighting to change public policy to help the poorest Americans living in Arkansas.
Though the government is currently lacking in its support of these communities, the local communities are attempting to band together and gain a stronger voice.
If these communities can yell loud enough to get the attention of our nation’s politicians, perhaps some positive change will begin to save the poorest areas of Arkansas.
References:
United States Census Bureau
Southern Good Faith Fund
