1st Advantage MortgageWoodruff County households have a median income of $48,158 and median rent of $613 a month (ACS 2020 to 2024). A loan makes sense only if its total cost beats your alternatives and the payment fits your budget. Check the lender's Arkansas license first.
On this page
- Who lives in Woodruff County
- How much Woodruff County households make
- Employment and commuting in Woodruff County
- What it costs to live in Woodruff County
- Woodruff County and the counties next door
- The communities that make up Woodruff County
- Woodruff County residents: age, schooling, coverage
- Local borrowing considerations for Woodruff County
- Budget math at the Woodruff County median
- A Woodruff County borrower's checklist
- Lender oversight for Woodruff County
- Nearby and statewide guides
- Frequently asked questions
Who lives in Woodruff County
With an estimated 6,026 residents (ACS 2020 to 2024), Woodruff County ranks 74th of 75 in Arkansas for population. It covers 586 square miles of land, or about 10 people per square mile. No metropolitan area includes Woodruff County in the 2023 federal delineation, so its numbers stand on their own rather than as part of a metro. Augusta is the biggest of its 6 Census places, at roughly 1,859 people (31% of the county total). Small populations mean wide margins of error, so read every Woodruff County figure on this page as a rough guide.
How much Woodruff County households make
At $48,158, the typical Woodruff County household income is 27% below the median U.S. county ($65,681).
| Band | Woodruff County | Compared with Arkansas |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 42.1% | +13.1 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 41.3% | -1.8 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 11.3% | -9.9 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 5.3% | -1.4 pts |
Some 42% of households here live on less than $35,000 a year; 17% have six-figure incomes. The poverty rate is 24.1%, 8 points higher than the state's 16.0%. Income inequality, measured by the Gini index, comes to 0.504 here. A household earning below the $48,158 median should test any payment carefully; one earning above it should still pick the shortest term it can manage.
Employment and commuting in Woodruff County
The biggest employer of Woodruff County residents, by industry, is education and health care at 23% of workers, followed by retail trade (12%). Agriculture, forestry and mining stands out: 8% of workers here, versus 2% statewide. The survey's unemployment rate for Woodruff County averages 5.0% over 2020 to 2024 (state: 4.9%). 18% of commuters travel 45 minutes or more each way, and 3% work from home.
| Industry (employed residents 16+) | Woodruff County | Gap to Arkansas |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 23.2% | -0.8 pts |
| Retail trade | 12.1% | -1.1 pts |
| Manufacturing | 11.3% | -1.4 pts |
| Transportation, warehousing and utilities | 11.2% | +5.0 pts |
| Public administration | 8.7% | +4.3 pts |
| Agriculture, forestry and mining | 7.8% | +5.5 pts |
If your hours swing with the season or with overtime, size a loan payment against your base pay, not your best month.
What it costs to live in Woodruff County
Renters in Woodruff County pay a median of $613 a month, 35% below the Arkansas figure of $947. 46% of renting households spend 30% or more of income on rent, and 25% spend half or more. With a median value of $106,500, a typical Woodruff County house costs 2.2 times what the median household earns in a year. Owners occupy 65% of homes. Half the housing stock was built before 1977.
| Housing | Woodruff County | Arkansas statewide | Typical U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $613/mo | $947/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $106,500 | $188,000 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 65% | 66% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 46% | 45% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 21% | 22% | n/a |
Woodruff County and the counties next door
Cross County is closest, 28 miles from center to center; the sixth, Monroe County, is 36 miles off. 3 of the six report a higher median household income than Woodruff County; White County is highest at $55,249 and St. Francis County lowest at $42,574.
| County | Miles | Median household income | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodruff County | - | $48,158 | $613/mo | 65% |
| Cross County, AR | 28 mi | $50,863 | $764/mo | 68% |
| Jackson County, AR | 28 mi | $44,218 | $668/mo | 65% |
| White County, AR | 29 mi | $55,249 | $850/mo | 69% |
| St. Francis County, AR | 30 mi | $42,574 | $779/mo | 55% |
| Prairie County, AR | 31 mi | $51,646 | $625/mo | 76% |
| Monroe County, AR | 36 mi | $43,214 | $614/mo | 63% |
The communities that make up Woodruff County
Here are the 6 most populous of the county's 6 Census places, with income and rent from the same 2020 to 2024 survey. About 77% of Woodruff County residents live in one of the 6. No Woodruff County place has a separate guide yet; this county page serves all 6.
| Name | Kind | Pop. | Income | Rent | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augusta | city | 1,859 | $50,575 | $650 | 9 mi |
| McCrory | city | 1,850 | $43,516 | $560 | 5 mi |
| Cotton Plant | city | 444 | $11,790 | $569 | 13 mi |
| Patterson | city | 364 | $42,250 | $656 | 5 mi |
| Hunter | town | 100 | n/a | n/a | 12 mi |
| Gregory | CDP | 0 | n/a | n/a | 6 mi |
Woodruff County residents: age, schooling, coverage
Degree holders: 16% of adults over 25. 9.2% of residents have no health coverage.
| People and households | Woodruff County | Arkansas | Median county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.3 | 38.5 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 16.2% | 25.7% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 17.0% | 11.3% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 9.2% | 9.0% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 14.7% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 2.9% | 8.8% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 24.1% | 16.0% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 5.0% | 4.9% | 4.4% |
| Commute length | Woodruff County |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 47.7% |
| 15 to 29 min | 17.1% |
| 30 to 44 min | 17.5% |
| 45 to 59 min | 11.4% |
| 60+ min | 6.3% |
Local borrowing considerations for Woodruff County
The county's numbers point to a few situations that come up often for Woodruff County borrowers.
- 13% mobile homes. Many are not titled as real estate, so home-equity options may not apply; an unsecured loan is the usual route.
- Fixed incomes. Woodruff County's median age is 45.3. Social Security and pensions count as income when documented.
- Lower-cost alternatives. In a county with 24% in poverty, nonprofit credit counseling may beat a loan (options).
- 46% rent-burdened. A payment on top of high rent needs a cushion; size it with the calculator.
Budget math at the Woodruff County median
Lenders compare monthly debt payments with gross monthly income, the debt-to-income ratio. For a Woodruff County household at the medians it works out like this; treat it as an illustration only.
- Median income divided by twelve: $4,013 before taxes
- Housing at the median rent of $613 uses 15%
- With a 35% ceiling, about $792 remains for car, card, student and any new loan payments
- 45% debt-to-income limit: $1,193 left for all other debt payments
Car, student loan and card payments come out of that room first. Try your own numbers in the calculator.
A Woodruff County borrower's checklist
Four checks before you sign anything:
- Price the Woodruff County expense first and borrow that amount, no more.
- Ask each lender for the APR and all fees in writing.
- Verify the Arkansas license before giving out your Social Security number.
- Confirm the first due date before setting up autopay.
Lender oversight for Woodruff County
Consumer lenders serving Woodruff 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. Statewide data and rules: Arkansas guide.
Nearby and statewide guides
The Arkansas guide covers the whole state.
Frequently asked questions
Is Woodruff County a high-income county?
Its $48,158 median ranks 53rd of 75 Arkansas counties and compares with $65,681 for the median U.S. county.
How does Woodruff County rent compare with Arkansas?
$613 locally versus $947 for the state, 35% below.
Does this page cover Augusta?
Yes, along with the other 5 Census places in Woodruff County, such as McCrory, Cotton Plant, Patterson.
Does my county matter to the questionnaire?
Only your state does. Whether you live in Woodruff County or elsewhere in Arkansas, the same rules apply.
Who regulates personal lenders for Woodruff County residents?
The Arkansas State Bank Department licenses consumer lenders in Arkansas; the CFPB takes complaints about any lender, and the FTC wants to hear about fee-first offers.