The town most recently singled out as the poorest in Arkansas is Marianna (Lee County), based on U.S. Census Bureau‑derived median‑income data.
Why Marianna is labeled the poorest
- Median household income: About $17,932 per year, roughly 65% below the statewide median of $52,123.
- Poverty rate: Around 39% of residents live below the poverty line, compared with about 16% for Arkansas overall.
How economists define “poorest town”
Analyses that designate a “poorest town” typically look at:
- Median household income (Marianna’s is the lowest among ~190 Arkansas towns with usable Census data).
- Poverty rate and percentage of people on public assistance.
Marianna appears in multiple “poorest‑places‑in‑Arkansas” lists precisely because of this combination of very low income and high poverty, even though the state has other struggling river‑towns and rural communities.
Sources:
- https://247wallst.com/city/this-is-the-poorest-town-in-arkansas/
- https://zipatlas.com/us/ar/city-comparison/highest-poverty.htm
