204,244
Little Rock is a city located in Pulaski County and Saline County Arkansas. Little Rock has a 2024 population of 204,244. It is also the county seat of Pulaski County. Little Rock is currently growing at a rate of 0.2% annually and its population has increased by 0.79% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 202,634 in 2020.
The average household income in Little Rock is $96,841 with a poverty rate of 16.48%. The median age in Little Rock is 36.6 years: 34.6 years for males, and 38 years for females.
Little Rock is the capital and largest city in the state of Arkansas, and it's located near the very center of Arkansas. Little Rock is found in Pulaski County, and it was founded in 1821.
The larger urban area has a population of 432,000 (88th in the U.S.), while the metropolitan area has a population of 726,000 (75th largest in the country). The Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR Combined Statistical Area has a population of 900,000.
Little Rock Population Growth
Central Arkansas, including Little Rock, is currently leading the state in population growth with a growth rate estimated at 2%. The area is expected to grow slowly but steadily in the years to come with more young people looking for homes in the urban core of Little Rock. The area's fastest-growing sector is retail, and the city is developing an entrepreneurial culture that is expected to bring in more young college graduates.
Little Rock Facts
- Little Rock s named for a small rock formation on the bank of the Arkansas River called la Petite Roche, which is French for "the little rock." This formation was used as a landmark during early river traffic.
- Two ships of the U.S. Navy are named for Little Rock, including the U.S.S. Little Rock.
- Little Rock and its surrounding areas are headquarters for some of the largest non-profit organizations in the world, including The Nature Conservancy, Audubon Arkansas, Clinton Presidential Center, Clinton Foundation, Heifer International and Winrock International.
- In 2013, Little Rock was named as the best place to live among metro areas with less than one million people by Kiplinger.
- Little Rock Central High School pushed Little Rock into the spotlight in 1957 when it became the site of the first test of the Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v Board of Education, holding racial segregation unconstitutional. Nine black students, or the Little Rock Nine, made history when, with the protection of the U.S. Army, they entered the school.
The Little Rock area was first inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. Original inhabitants included the Bluff Dwellers, Folsom people, and Mississippian culture peoples, who constructed earthwork mounds that were recorded in 1541 by Spaniard Hernando de Soto, the first explorer of the area who was followed by Jean-Baptiste Benard de La Harpe in 1722. The first settlement was Arkansas Post, a French trading post founded in 1686 at the mouth of the river. By 1769, there were many families of mixed French and Indian origin in the area.
In 1803, the United States acquired the area as part of the Louisiana Purchase. A treaty between the United States and Osage people in 1808 ended the tribe's claim on the area, and more settlers arrived, most of whom were squatters as the land was not offered for sale until 1815. Arkansas became part of the Missouri Territory when Louisiana became a state in 1812, and the Territory of Arkansas was created in 1819. Little Rock was chosen as the territorial capital two years later, and the city of Little Rock was founded and incorporated in 1831.
In 1819, Little Rock was nothing more than 4 log huts and a handful of settlers, but it had 400 residents by the late 1820s. By 1860, Little Rock had a population of 3,700 and residents had gas lighting in their homes for the first time, although the Civil War delayed the construction of the railroad line between the city and Memphis until 1871. After the war, the city grew quickly, reaching 12,380 people by 1870 and 40,000 people by the turn of the century.
Little Rock Demographics
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Little Rock was:
- White: 47.85%
- Black or African American: 41.48%
- Two or more races: 4.02%
- Other race: 3.21%
- Asian: 3.02%
- Native American: 0.38%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.04%
State
Arkansas
County
Pulaski County
Saline County
Land Area (mi²)
120.3
sq mi
Density (mi²)
1,698.10
/sq mi
Growth Since 2020
0.79% (
1,610
)
The current population of Little Rock, Arkansas is 204,244 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates (released May 2024). The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 202,634.
Population by Race
White
Black or African American
Two or more races
Other race
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Little Rock Population by Race
Little Rock Population Pyramid 2024
Little Rock Median Age
36.6
Total
34.6
Male
38
Female
Little Rock Adults
There are 154,724 adults, (30,402 of whom are seniors) in Little Rock.
Little Rock Age Dependency
62.7
Age Dependency Ratio
24.5
Old Age Dependency Ratio
38.2
Child Dependency Ratio
Little Rock Sex Ratio
| Female | 106,774 | 52.8% |
| Male | 95,444 | 47.2% |
Little Rock Population by Age
Little Rock Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 86,365 | 2.29 | 54.4 | 45.6 |
| Non Family | 39,125 | 1.18 | 42 | 58 |
| Married | 29,779 | 3.18 | 79.3 | 20.7 |
| Female | 14,389 | 3.39 | 39.9 | 60.1 |
| Male | 3,072 | 2.85 | 39.8 | 60.2 |
3.14
Average Family Size
2.29
Average Household Size
54.4%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Little Rock Households and Families
Male
Female
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
Little Rock Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)
Little Rock Educational Attainment by Race
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 66.77%.
Little Rock Educational Attainment by Race
All
Male
Female
$46,250
Average Earnings
$51,599
Average Male
$42,561
Average Female
Little Rock Earnings by Educational Attainment
Little Rock Language by Age
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
Little Rock Language
89.32% of Little Rock residents speak only English, while 10.68% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 6.5% of the population.
Little Rock Language
Little Rock Poverty by Race
rate
16.48%
Overall Poverty Rate
15.56%
Male Poverty Rate
17.29%
Female Poverty Rate
Poverty in Little Rock
The race most likely to be in poverty in Little Rock is Islander, with 52.44% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Little Rock is White, with 7.24% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.31%. Among those working part-time, it was 18.57%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 27.55%.
Little Rock Poverty
rate
Little Rock Poverty Rate by Education
rate
Little Rock Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex
Little Rock Income by Household Type
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
mean
median
Income by Household Type
Little Rock Marital Status
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Marriage Rates
39.9%
Overall Marriage Rate
43.8%
Male Marriage Rate
36.4%
Female Marriage Rate
Little Rock Married by Age and Sex
male
female
Little Rock Marriage
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Little Rock Marital Status by Race
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Little Rock Marital Status
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
Little Rock Veterans by War
count
Little Rock Veterans by Age
count
Little Rock Veterans by Race
Little Rock Veterans by Education
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
9.96%
Veteran Poverty Rate
34.11%
Veteran Disability Rate
Little Rock Veterans by Education
LaborForceParticipation
64.8%
Labor Force Participation
61.8%
Employment Rate
4.4%
Unemployment Rate
Little Rock Employment by Age
LaborForceParticipation
Little Rock Employment by Race
LaborForceParticipation
Little Rock Employment by Education
Origin of Non-Citizens
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Origin of Naturalized Citizens
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
66.9%
Born in Little Rock
93.36%
Native Born
6.64%
Foreign Born
4.11%
Non Citizen
2.53%
Naturalized
Place of Birth
93.36% of Little Rock residents were born in the United States, with 66.9% having been born in Arkansas. 4.11% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Little Rock Place of Birth
Note: data after 2022 is projected based on recent change
Year | Population | Growth | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 206,257 | 402 | 0.2% |
| 2028 | 205,855 | 403 | 0.2% |
| 2027 | 205,452 | 403 | 0.2% |
| 2026 | 205,049 | 402 | 0.2% |
| 2025 | 204,647 | 403 | 0.2% |
| 2024 | 204,244 | 402 | 0.2% |
| 2023 | 203,842 | 666 | 0.33% |
| 2022 | 203,176 | 947 | 0.47% |
| 2021 | 202,229 | -405 | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 202,634 | 5,075 | 2.57% |
| 2019 | 197,559 | -69 | -0.03% |
| 2018 | 197,628 | -841 | -0.42% |
| 2017 | 198,469 | -230 | -0.12% |
| 2016 | 198,699 | 397 | 0.2% |
| 2015 | 198,302 | 592 | 0.3% |
| 2014 | 197,710 | 459 | 0.23% |
| 2013 | 197,251 | 611 | 0.31% |
| 2012 | 196,640 | 1,311 | 0.67% |
| 2011 | 195,329 | 1,346 | 0.69% |
| 2010 | 193,983 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 183,133 | 7,338 | 4.17% |
| 1990 | 175,795 | 16,644 | 10.46% |
| 1980 | 159,151 | 26,668 | 20.13% |
| 1970 | 132,483 | 24,670 | 22.88% |
| 1960 | 107,813 | 5,600 | 5.48% |
| 1950 | 102,213 | 14,174 | 16.1% |
| 1940 | 88,039 | 6,360 | 7.79% |
| 1930 | 81,679 | 16,537 | 25.39% |
| 1920 | 65,142 | 19,201 | 41.79% |
| 1910 | 45,941 | 7,634 | 19.93% |
| 1900 | 38,307 | 12,433 | 48.05% |
| 1890 | 25,874 | 12,736 | 96.94% |
| 1880 | 13,138 | 758 | 6.12% |
| 1870 | 12,380 | 8,653 | 232.17% |
| 1860 | 3,727 | 1,527 | 69.41% |
| 1850 | 2,200 | -204,057 | -98.93% |
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