What is the population of Jonesboro Arkansas

Based on the latest 2022 data from the US census, the current population of Jonesboro is 79,324. Jonesboro, Arkansas is the 455th largest city in the US.

Jonesboro Geography [top]

What county is Jonesboro, Arkansas in?

Jonesboro is located entirely in Craighead County.

What is the size of Jonesboro, Arkansas in square miles?

Jonesboro has an area of 79.9 square miles. Jonesboro is the 2nd largest city, by area, in Arkansas.

Jonesboro Population Facts [top]

What was the peak population of Jonesboro?

The current population of Jonesboro (79,324) is it's peak population.

How quickly is Jonesboro growing?

Jonesboro has grown 42.2% since the 2000. Jonesboro, Arkansas is growing somewhat quickly; it is growing faster than 68% of similarly sized cities since 2000.

What is the population density of Jonesboro, Arkansas?

Jonesboro has a population density of 842.2 people per square mile.

Jonesboro Demographics [top]

What is the voting age population of Jonesboro, Arkansas?

The total voting age population of Jonesboro, Arkansas, meaning US citizens 18 or older, is 54,206. The voting age population is 46.5% male and 53.5% female.

What percentage of Jonesboro, Arkansas residents are senior citizens?

According to the latest census statistics, 12.5% of the residents of Jonesboro are 65 or older.

What are the racial demographics of Jonesboro, Arkansas?

The racial demographics of Jonesboro are 71.8% White, 20.0% Black, 2.9% Two or more races, 2.7% Other, 1.9% Asian and 0.6% American Indian. Additionally, 6.2% of the population identifies as Hispanic.

What percentage of Jonesboro, Arkansas residents are below the poverty line?

In Jonesboro, 18.1% of residents have an income below the poverty line, and the child poverty rate is 23.7%. On a per-household basis, 13.5% of families are below the poverty line in Jonesboro.

What percentage of Jonesboro, Arkansas residents are in the labor force?

Among those aged 16 and older, 64.3% of Jonesboro residents are in the labor force.

What are the education levels among Jonesboro, Arkansas residents?

Among the adult population 25 years old and over, 90.6% of Jonesboro residents have at least a high school degree or equivalent, 29.5% have a bachelor's degree and 11.5% have a graduate or professional degree.

What percentage of Jonesboro, Arkansas residents speak a non-English language at home?

Among Jonesboro residents aged 5 and older, 7.2% of them speak a non-English language at home. Broken down by language: 4.2% of residents speak Spanish at home, 1.7% speak an Indo-European language, and 0.9% speak an Asian language.

Jonesboro Income & Labor Statistics [top]

What is the unemployment rate in Jonesboro, Arkansas?

The unemployment rate in Jonesboro is 6.9%, which is calculated among residents aged 16 or older who are in the labor force.

What percentage of Jonesboro, Arkansas residents work for the government?

In Jonesboro, 13.7% of the residents in the non-military labor force are employed by the local, state and federal government.

What is the median income in Jonesboro, Arkansas?

The median household income in Jonesboro is $45,931.

Jonesboro Housing & Rent Statistics [top]

What percentage of housing units are owner-occupied in Jonesboro, Arkansas?

In Jonesboro, 51.3% of housing units are occupied by their owners.

What percentage of housing units are rented in Jonesboro, Arkansas?

Renters occupy 48.7% of housing units in Jonesboro.

What percentage of Jonesboro, Arkansas housing units were built before 1940?

Of all the housing units in Jonesboro, 2.9% of them were build before 1940.

What percentage of Jonesboro, Arkansas housing units were built after 2000?

In Jonesboro, 32.1% of the total housing units were built after the year 2000, which is approximately 10,200 units.

Jonesboro is a city located on Crowley's Ridge in the northeastern corner of the U.S. State of Arkansas. Jonesboro is one of two county seats of Craighead County. According to the 2020 Census,[2] the city had a population of 78,576 and is the fifth-largest city in Arkansas. In 2020, the Jonesboro metropolitan area had a population of 133,860[3] and a population of 179,932[4] in the Jonesboro-Paragould Combined Statistical Area.[5]

Jonesboro is the home of Arkansas State University and is the cultural and economic center of Northeast Arkansas.[citation needed]

History[edit]

The Jonesboro area was first inhabited for thousands of years by indigenous peoples. At the time of European encounter, historic tribes included the Osage, the Caddo, and the Quapaw.[6] The name of the state of Arkansas comes from the Quapaw language.[6] French and Spanish traders and trappers had relations with these groups.[citation needed]

After the United States acquired this territory in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, American settlers eventually made their way to the area where Jonesboro is located. They began exploring, hunting, trapping, and trading with the local Indian tribes. A permanent settlement of Jonesboro was set up shortly after 1859. When Craighead County was established.[citation needed]

In 1859, land was taken from nearby Greene, Mississippi, and Poinsett counties and was used to form Craighead County. Jonesboro was designated as the original county seat. As the population increased in the west of the county, Lake City was named as the second seat.[7] Jonesboro had 150 residents in 1859. It was named after State Senator William A. Jones[8] in recognition of his support for the formation of Craighead County. Originally spelled Jonesborough, the city name was later shortened to its present-day spelling.[citation needed]

The Jonesboro Lynching of 1881 took place at midnight on March 12. The Decatur Daily Republican reported that four black men—Green Harris (sometimes referred to as Hawes), Giles Peck, John Woods (sometimes referred to as Jud Woods), and Burt Hoskins (sometimes referred to as Haskins)—had been arrested and tried before magistrates Jackson and Akers at New Haven Church, eight miles north of Jonesboro. The hearing, which found that the men were guilty, was attended by several hundred people. According to this and several other reports, the accused made a complete confession. The magistrates bound them over to the grand jury, and they were ordered taken to the jail in Jonesboro. The hour being late, however, it was decided to hold them overnight in the church under a strong guard. The large crowd gradually dispersed, "muttering threats of vengeance." Around midnight, between 200 and 300 masked men surrounded the church, overpowered the guards, and broke in the doors and windows. They seized the accused, dragged them to a tree about 200 yards away, and hanged them. Once again, the crowd dispersed, "leaving the bodies of their victims dangling in the air and presenting a horrible spectacle in the moonlight." According to the Republican, "The crime and punishment form one of the blackest pages in the annals of the state."[9]

During the late 19th century, the city tried to develop its court system and downtown infrastructure. Shortly after the city was named county seat, the highest point in Jonesboro was identified and a courthouse was planned for construction. This was delayed for several years, for the locals did not want to ruin their deer hunting. The first courthouse was finally completed but was destroyed by a fire in 1869. A store across from this site was rented and used as a courthouse. It was destroyed in an 1876 fire. Another building was constructed on the same site, but it fell to a fire in 1878, a major one that destroyed most of downtown Jonesboro. Soon afterward, another courthouse was constructed; it was replaced by the present courthouse in 1934.[citation needed]

The St. Louis Southwestern Railway, known as the Cotton Belt Railroad was constructed through Jonesboro, with its tracks passing just north of the center of the city. During the first train's journey, it became stuck and supplies had to be carried into town.[6] It connected St. Louis to points in Arkansas and Texas. Other major railways began to construct tracks to and from Jonesboro, including the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway and Missouri Pacific Railroad. Some of the rail companies still own and use the tracks that run through Jonesboro.[citation needed]

The city set up the Jonesboro School District in 1899.[10] In 1900, St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center was established by the Olivetan Benedictine Sisters.[11] The Grand Leader Department Store, the first department store in the city, was opened in 1900. Woodland College and two schools within the Jonesboro School District were opened in 1904. Arkansas State College (now Arkansas State University) was established in 1909,[12] a year in which the first horseless carriages were driven in the city. There is a recording on a Sanborn Fire Insurance Map dating back to March 1897 of a Presbyterian Church existing at the corner of Church St. and Monroe, and a Christian church located at the corner of Union and Huntington Ave. Other early churches of the city were started in the 1910s. First Baptist Church was founded in 1911, and First Methodist Church in 1916.[citation needed]

Wade Thomas was lynched on December 26, 1920, in downtown Jonesboro. A large white mob seized Thomas after he allegedly shot local Patrolman Elmer Ragland during a Christmas Day raid on a local dice game. He was paraded through the town and then hanged and his body riddled with bullets.

On September 10, 1931, Governor Harvey Parnell authorized the Arkansas National Guard to be deployed in Jonesboro to quell the Church War, a clash between the followers of Joe Jeffers and Dow H. Heard, the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Jonesboro. Jeffers' supporters also attacked the mayor and police chief, resulting in front-page coverage of the incident in The New York Times.[citation needed]

On May 15, 1968 an F4 tornado struck Jonesboro, destroying 164 homes.[15] At least 34 people died and more than 350 people were injured as a result of the tornado which struck the town without warning at 10:00pm that night.

The Westside School shooting occurred on March 24, 1998. Two young boys (aged 11 and 13 years) fired upon students at Westside Middle School while hidden in woodlands near the school. They killed four students and one teacher, and injured 10 persons.[16]

In the 2007–2008 school year the Jonesboro Public School District elementary schools were reclassified as magnet schools.[17]

2020 tornado[edit]

A "large, destructive"[18] EF3 tornado struck Jonesboro on March 28, 2020, causing severe damage to a shopping mall and at least twenty minor injuries, and two severe injuries.[18]

Geography[edit]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 80.5 square miles (208.4 km2), of which 79.9 square miles (206.9 km2) is land and 0.58 square miles (1.5 km2), or 0.72%, is water.[2]

Climate[edit]

Jonesboro has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa).[citation needed]

Climate data for Jonesboro 2 NE, AR (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present)MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYearRecord high °F (°C)82
(28)83
(28)95
(35)96
(36)101
(38)110
(43)116
(47)111
(44)110
(43)98
(37)88
(31)79
(26)116
(47)Mean maximum °F (°C)67
(19)71
(22)78
(26)85
(29)90
(32)96
(36)98
(37)98
(37)94
(34)87
(31)77
(25)68
(20)100
(38)Average high °F (°C)45.6
(7.6)50.5
(10.3)60.0
(15.6)70.7
(21.5)79.2
(26.2)87.2
(30.7)89.7
(32.1)89.0
(31.7)83.0
(28.3)72.4
(22.4)58.8
(14.9)48.6
(9.2)69.6
(20.9)Daily mean °F (°C)36.1
(2.3)40.4
(4.7)49.0
(9.4)59.2
(15.1)68.2
(20.1)76.6
(24.8)79.7
(26.5)78.5
(25.8)71.5
(21.9)60.3
(15.7)48.0
(8.9)39.3
(4.1)58.9
(14.9)Average low °F (°C)26.7
(−2.9)30.2
(−1.0)38.0
(3.3)47.7
(8.7)57.2
(14.0)66.1
(18.9)69.6
(20.9)68.0
(20.0)60.0
(15.6)48.1
(8.9)37.2
(2.9)30.1
(−1.1)48.2
(9.0)Mean minimum °F (°C)11
(−12)16
(−9)22
(−6)33
(1)44
(7)56
(13)62
(17)59
(15)47
(8)34
(1)23
(−5)16
(−9)8
(−13)Record low °F (°C)−18
(−28)−13
(−25)1
(−17)26
(−3)32
(0)41
(5)50
(10)45
(7)33
(1)21
(−6)9
(−13)−7
(−22)−18
(−28)Average precipitation inches (mm)3.90
(99)4.11
(104)5.23
(133)5.36
(136)5.73
(146)3.35
(85)3.61
(92)3.69
(94)3.50
(89)3.97
(101)4.89
(124)4.68
(119)52.02
(1,321)Average snowfall inches (cm)1.0
(2.5)1.2
(3.0)1.2
(3.0)0.0
(0.0)0.0
(0.0)0.0
(0.0)0.0
(0.0)0.0
(0.0)0.0
(0.0)0.0
(0.0)0.1
(0.25)0.4
(1.0)3.9
(9.9)Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)9.18.610.29.410.17.37.87.26.68.39.29.6103.4Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)0.70.80.30.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.10.32.2Source: NOAA[20][21]

Demographics[edit]

It is the principal city of the Jonesboro, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area.[citation needed]

2020 census[edit]

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 78,576 people, 29,688 households, and 19,637 families residing in the city.[citation needed]

As of the census of 2013, there were 71,551 people, 26,111 households, and 16,637 families residing in the city. The population density was 697.1 inhabitants per square mile (269.2/km2). There were 28,321 housing units at an average density of 304.7 per square mile (117.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 74.7% White, 18.4% Black, 0.4% Native American, 1.5% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.0% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. 5.2% of the population were Hispanic.[24]

There were 26,111 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. There are 878 unmarried partner households: 776 heterosexual, 50 same-sex male, and 52 same-sex female households. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.93.[24]

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 16.6% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.[24]

The median income for a household in the city was $32,196, and the median income for a family was $42,082. Males had a median income of $21,633 versus $31,633 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,884. About 12.9% of families and 23.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.4% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.[24]

Economy[edit]

The Mall at Turtle Creek entrance

The Mall at Turtle Creek, opened in 2006, was the largest mall in northeast Arkansas and was the only enclosed mall constructed in the country that year.[25] The mall closed in 2020 due to tornado damage; currently, the only stores in operation at Turtle Creek are Dillard's, JCPenney, and Target.[26] Before The Mall at Turtle Creek opened, Indian Mall, named for the former mascot of Arkansas State University,[27] was the primary shopping destination in northeast Arkansas. The Indian Mall was demolished in 2012.[28]

In 2012, Kiplinger's Personal Finance ranked Jonesboro ninth of the "10 Best Cities for Cheapskates".[29]

Arts and culture[edit]

Points of interest[edit]

Craighead Forest Park is a city-owned park located on Crowley's Ridge featuring a 60-acre fishing lake, camping facilities, hiking/biking trails, nature areas, picnic sites and recreational fields.[citation needed]

Crowley's Ridge Parkway runs through Jonesboro. It was designated one of Arkansas' Scenic Byways in 1997, and it was designated Arkansas' first National Scenic Byway in 1998.[citation needed]

In 2004 the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission opened the 160-acre Forrest L. Wood Crowley's Ridge Nature Center in south Jonesboro, adjacent to Craighead Forest Park. The center includes exhibits on the origins and history of the Ridge, wildlife, educational models and displays, land and water features, hiking trails, an observation tower and an auditorium.[citation needed]

Located on the ASU campus, the Arkansas State University Museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums and features 21,000 square feet of historic, archaeological, and natural history exhibits. The museum focuses on the history and cultural heritage of Northeast Arkansas and the Mississippi River Delta region.[citation needed]

Arkansas State University is located in Jonesboro. New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine maintains a second location on Arkansas State University's campus in Wilson Hall.[30]

The Northeast Arkansas Career & Tech Center is also located in Jonesboro.[31]

Elementary and secondary education[edit]

Prior to School integration in the United States, a separate set of schools was maintained for White and Black children. Jonesboro was a leader in educating African-American Children, providing education for Black children from surrounding areas under contract at Booker T. Washington High School until the schools were finally integrated.[32]

There are six public school districts operating within the city limits of Jonesboro:[33]

Infrastructure[edit]

Transportation[edit]

Air service[edit]

The region is served by the Jonesboro Municipal Airport.

Public transport[edit]

The city is served by the Jonesboro Economic Transit System (JETS). As of 2011, JETS operates three fixed routes, as well as para-transit service for disabled persons.[citation needed]

What percentage of Jonesboro Arkansas is black?

What is famous about Jonesboro Arkansas?

What's the population of Jonesboro Arkansas 2022?

What percentage of Arkansas population is black?