The Town Files

Polk County, Arkansas

19,361 people. The median home is worth $138,400 (typical Arkansas town: $128,600) and the median household earns $49,191.

Towns in Polk County

Towns in Polk County

TownPeopleMedian homeIncomeMedian age
Mena5,589$132,900$47,42842.7

People and housing

Polk CountyTypical Arkansas town
Median home value$138,400$128,600
Median rent$711$792
Median household income$49,191$50,408
Median age44.337.8
Bachelor's degree or higher17.8%16.5%
Below the poverty line15.9%19.7%

Jobs and pay

5,837 jobs in 2024, average pay $42,869 a year.

Largest industries in Polk CountyManufacturing1,262 jobs · $45,034Retail915 jobs · $27,222Hotels & restaurants426 jobs · $17,555Construction220 jobs · $50,235Transportation & warehousing173 jobs · $51,325Finance & insurance169 jobs · $46,715
BLS QCEW 2024.
Unemployment rate in Polk County0%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023 3.6%
BLS LAUS via USDA ERS, annual averages.

Storms since 1996

NOAA recorded 470 storm events in Polk County from 1996 to 2026, with 3 deaths.

Storm events in Polk County by type since 1996Hail164Flood2Tornado25Ice Storm3Lightning8Heavy Rain13Flash Flood67Funnel Cloud5Winter Storm7Winter Weather15
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Federal disaster declarations

Polk County has been included in 24 FEMA declarations since 1953.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
January 24, 2026Winter StormEM-3636: Severe Winter Storm
April 5, 2025Severe StormEM-3627: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
August 27, 2020HurricaneEM-3541: Hurricane Laura
April 3, 2020BiologicalDR-4518: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3461: Covid-19
February 5, 2016Severe StormDR-4254: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024; BLS QCEW and LAUS; NOAA Storm Events; FEMA OpenFEMA (not endorsed by FEMA).