1st Advantage MortgageThe median Crawford County household earns $64,132, and 15% of residents live below the poverty line. Your income, debts and credit decide what you qualify for. Get offers in writing, compare the total repaid, and never pay a fee up front.
On this page
- Crawford County by the numbers
- How Crawford County residents earn a living
- Household income in Crawford County
- What it costs to live in Crawford County
- The communities that make up Crawford County
- The counties around Crawford County
- More Crawford County figures
- What the numbers mean for Crawford County borrowers
- Debt-to-income at Crawford County's medians
- Licensing and complaints for Crawford County
- Checklist for Crawford County applicants
- Related local guides
- Frequently asked questions
Crawford County by the numbers
Roughly 61,139 residents live in Crawford County, Arkansas, 13th by population among the state's 75 counties and county equivalents. Land area is 595 square miles (2024 Gazetteer), so density runs near 103 per square mile. The federal metro definitions (OMB, July 2023) place it in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metropolitan area. Van Buren is the biggest of its 11 Census places, at roughly 23,763 people (39% of the county total).
How Crawford County residents earn a living
Education and health care employs 24% of working residents, the largest share; manufacturing is next with 15%. Compared with Arkansas, the county leans toward manufacturing (15% against 13%). ACS puts five-year average unemployment at 4.1% in Crawford County. Long commutes are the exception here: 12% of workers spend 45 minutes or longer getting to work. Households without a car make up 4.2% of the total (5.9% statewide).
| Where residents work | Crawford County | Difference from Arkansas |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 24.0% | +0.1 pts |
| Manufacturing | 15.2% | +2.5 pts |
| Retail trade | 13.3% | +0.1 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 8.9% | +0.7 pts |
| Construction | 7.9% | +0.6 pts |
| Other services | 6.8% | +1.8 pts |
Industry shapes paperwork. Salaried and public jobs are easy to verify, while hourly, tipped, commission or contract earners in Crawford County should have bank statements and tax returns ready.
Household income in Crawford County
At $64,132, the typical Crawford County household income is 2% below the median U.S. county ($65,681). Only 7 Arkansas counties post a higher median.
| Yearly household income | Crawford County | Gap to Arkansas |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 26.5% | -2.4 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 46.9% | +3.8 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 22.0% | +0.7 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 4.6% | -2.1 pts |
Some 27% of households here live on less than $35,000 a year; 27% have six-figure incomes. Census counts 14.7% of Crawford County residents in poverty, against 16.0% across Arkansas. None of these numbers decides a Crawford County application. Lenders weigh your own documented income against your own debts.
What it costs to live in Crawford County
Renters in Crawford County pay a median of $851 a month, 10% below the Arkansas figure of $947. 40% of renting households spend 30% or more of income on rent, and 17% spend half or more. With a median value of $182,800, a typical Crawford County house costs 2.9 times what the median household earns in a year. The ownership rate is 75%. Half the housing stock was built before 1991.
| Housing | Crawford County | Arkansas statewide | Typical U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $851/mo | $947/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $182,800 | $188,000 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 75% | 66% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 40% | 45% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 19% | 22% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 9.9% | 11.0% | n/a |
| Vacant units | 9% | 14% | n/a |
Because most Crawford County households own, home repairs are a frequent reason to borrow. An unsecured personal loan leaves the house out of the deal, while a HELOC uses it as collateral.
The communities that make up Crawford County
Here are the 11 most populous of the county's 11 Census places, with income and rent from the same 2020 to 2024 survey. About 59% of Crawford County residents live in one of the 11. Among places of 500 or more people, median income runs from $50,428 in Mulberry to $94,327 in Dyer. Rent is cheapest in Dyer ($596) and steepest in Cedarville ($1,101). This guide covers each of the 11 places and the rural areas around them.
| Community | Type | Residents | Household income (median) | Rent (median) | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren | city | 23,763 | $61,149 | $847 | 11 mi |
| Alma | city | 5,906 | $68,562 | $1,012 | 6 mi |
| Cedarville | city | 1,760 | $59,740 | $1,101 | 7 mi |
| Mulberry | city | 1,646 | $50,428 | $730 | 10 mi |
| Kibler | city | 1,085 | $58,500 | $807 | 11 mi |
| Dyer | city | 1,049 | $94,327 | $596 | 8 mi |
| Mountainburg | city | 566 | $53,068 | $756 | 6 mi |
| Rudy | town | 178 | $56,181 | n/a | 4 mi |
| Uniontown | CDP | 168 | n/a | n/a | 12 mi |
| Chester | town | 76 | $29,250 | $669 | 7 mi |
| Dora | CDP | 74 | n/a | n/a | 14 mi |
The counties around Crawford County
Franklin County is closest, 20 miles from center to center; the sixth, Logan County, is 38 miles off. Income ranges from $48,041 in Adair County to $70,639 in Washington County; 1 of these neighbors top Crawford County's median. The list crosses into Oklahoma, where different lending rules and regulators apply.
| County | Distance | Median income | Median rent | Owners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crawford County | - | $64,132 | $851/mo | 75% |
| Franklin County, AR | 20 mi | $55,886 | $719/mo | 78% |
| Sebastian County, AR | 27 mi | $57,790 | $886/mo | 61% |
| Washington County, AR | 27 mi | $70,639 | $1,071/mo | 56% |
| Sequoyah County, OK | 29 mi | $51,093 | $811/mo | 71% |
| Adair County, OK | 32 mi | $48,041 | $667/mo | 69% |
| Logan County, AR | 38 mi | $58,555 | $745/mo | 78% |
More Crawford County figures
20% of Crawford County adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or more. About 9% go without health insurance.
| Crawford County | Arkansas | U.S. county median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.2 | 38.5 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 20.0% | 25.7% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 13.4% | 11.3% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 9.4% | 9.0% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 4.2% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 6.3% | 8.8% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 14.7% | 16.0% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 4.1% | 4.9% | 4.4% |
| Travel time to work | Workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 28.9% |
| 15 to 29 min | 41.3% |
| 30 to 44 min | 17.7% |
| 45 to 59 min | 6.4% |
| 60+ min | 5.7% |
What the numbers mean for Crawford County borrowers
Based on the Crawford County data above, these borrowing questions are most likely to matter locally.
- Consolidating cards in Crawford County. Compare the total repaid, not the monthly figure (how).
- Scams. A fee demanded before funding is a red flag; report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (spotting scams).
- Getting ready. Gather pay stubs or benefit letters before you apply (checklist).
Debt-to-income at Crawford County's medians
Crawford County at the medians, through a lender's eyes (what DTI means):
- $5,344 a month: gross income for a household at the Crawford County median
- Housing at the median rent of $851 uses 16%
- At 35%, room after rent is $1,020 a month
- At 45%, room after rent is $1,554 a month
Two-income households and single earners in Crawford County land in very different places on this math, so run it for your own budget.
Licensing and complaints for Crawford County
Consumer lenders serving Crawford County are licensed by the state, not the county; in Arkansas that is the Arkansas State Bank Department. A CFPB complaint gets forwarded to the company for a response. More on Arkansas: Arkansas personal loans.
Checklist for Crawford County applicants
Four checks before you sign anything:
- Write down what the expense costs; a smaller loan costs less.
- Ask each lender for the APR and all fees in writing.
- Check the license, then the reviews, then the offer.
- Pick the shortest term whose payment still fits.
Related local guides
For statewide rules and data, see the Arkansas guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much do households in Crawford County earn?
The median is $64,132; 27% earn $100,000 or more and 27% under $35,000. A lender uses your own documented income, not this figure.
Is Crawford County expensive for renters?
Median rent is $851 against $947 statewide, and 40% of renter households are cost-burdened.
I own my home in Crawford County. Personal loan or HELOC?
A HELOC uses the house as collateral; a personal loan usually does not. With 75% of homes owner-occupied here, many readers can compare both in writing.
What are the biggest places in Crawford County?
By population: Van Buren, Alma, Cedarville, Mulberry, Kibler. The county has 11 Census places in all.
Will a Crawford County address affect my match?
Beyond confirming Arkansas as your state, no. Your answers about amount, credit, income and payments are all that count.