Editing Stephens, Arkansas

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Stephens, Arkansas
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|image_skyline            = Stephens, AR, water tower IMG_2210.JPG
|imagesize                = 250px
|image_caption            = <span style="font-size:100%;">Water tower in Stephens</span>
|image_seal               = 
|image_map                = File:Ouachita County Arkansas Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Stephens Highlighted 0566860.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Stephens in Ouachita County, Arkansas.
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Arkansas|County]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_name1        = [[Arkansas]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Ouachita County, Arkansas|Ouachita]]
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|established_date         = 
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_05.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 29, 2021}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 7.17
|area_total_sq_mi         = 2.77
|area_land_km2            = 7.14
|area_land_sq_mi          = 2.76
|area_water_km2           = 0.03
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.01
|elevation_ft             = 259
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 770
|population_metro         = 
|population_density_km2   = 107.89
|population_density_sq_mi = 279.39
|timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|coordinates              = {{coord|33|25|20|N|93|04|01|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 71764
|area_code                = [[Area code 870|870]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 05-66860
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2405528<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2405528}}</ref>
|footnotes                = 
|website                  = 
}}

[[Image:Stephens, AR, Municipal Building IMG 2214.JPG|thumb|Stephens Municipal Building]]

'''Stephens''' is a city in southwest [[Ouachita County, Arkansas|Ouachita County]], [[Arkansas]], United States. The population was 891 at the [[United States Census, 2010|2010 census]]. It is part of the [[Camden, Arkansas|Camden]] [[Camden micropolitan area|Micropolitan Statistical Area]]. Stephens was incorporated in 1889.

==Geography==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|2.8|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|2.7|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.04|sqmi|km2}} (0.73%) is water.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1890= 379
|1900= 407
|1910= 572
|1920= 769
|1930= 1045
|1940= 998
|1950= 1283
|1960= 1275
|1970= 1184
|1980= 1366
|1990= 1137
|2000= 1152
|2010= 891
|2020= 770
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Stephens racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US0566860&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 13, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
|276
|35.84%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
|462
|60.00%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
|4
|0.52%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
|27
|3.51%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|1
|0.13%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 770 people, 376 households, and 237 families residing in the city.

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States Census]], there were 891 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 57.1% Black, 40.6% White, 0.1% Native American, 0.1% from some other race and 1.1% from two or more races. 0.9% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 1,152 people, 448 households, and 317 families living in the city.  The population density was {{convert|421.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 509 housing units at an average density of {{convert|186.4|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the city was 53.04% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 45.83% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.35% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.17% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.61% from two or more races.  0.69% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 448 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 19.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.3% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 79.2 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $22,045, and the median income for a family was $30,903. Males had a median income of $25,568 versus $20,333 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $10,608.  About 30.4% of families and 32.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 41.7% of those under age 18 and 28.8% of those age 65 or over.

== Education ==
Students are zoned to the [[Camden Fairview School District]], including [[Camden Fairview High School]].

It was previously served by the [[Stephens School District]], which operated [[Stephens High School (Arkansas)|Stephens High School]]. The [[Arkansas Board of Education]] voted to dissolve the Stephens district in April 2014. A portion in Ouachita County was assigned to Camden Fairview, affecting about 140 students. Camden Fairview took ownership of the Stephens district buildings in Stephens. According to Mike McNeill of the ''[[Magnolia Reporter]]'', the expected outcome was that the Camden Fairview district would give the Stephens school property to the Stephens city government. In 2021, The Stephens Highschool was reopened under the ownership of The Apostolic Church of Stephens (ACTS Church) as a private school.<ref name=McNeillbreakup>{{cite web|author=McNeill, Mike|url=http://www.magnoliareporter.com/education/article_e7e1e57e-c158-11e3-ae59-001a4bcf887a.html|title=5-2 state board vote shuts down Stephens School District |publisher=[[Magnolia Reporter]]|date=April 11, 2014|accessdate=May 23, 2018}}</ref>

==Notable people==<!--consensus reached to standardize this heading per WP:WikiProject Cities/US Guideline -->
*[[Dee Brown (writer)|Dee Brown]], author
*[[Bobby Collier]], American football player
*[[Barbara Hendricks]], opera and lieder soprano singer
*[[Dick Hughes (baseball)|Dick Hughes]], baseball player, pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals
*[[Joe Perry (American football)|Joe Perry]], NFL Hall of Fame running back<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=PERRYJOE01/|title=Joe Perry|publisher=databaseFootball.com|access-date=November 26, 2012|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130808010044/http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=PERRYJOE01%2F|archive-date=August 8, 2013}}</ref>
*[[Frank Spooner]], Louisiana businessman and politician, born in Stephens in 1937.<ref>Billy Hathorn, "Otto Passman, Jerry Huckaby, and Frank Spooner: The Louisiana Fifth Congressional District Election of 1976", ''Louisiana History:  The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association'', LIV No. 3 (Summer 2013), p. 346</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery class="center" widths="180px">
Image:Security Bank in Stephens, AR IMG 2212.JPG|Across from the municipal building, Security Bank is a major business in Stephens.
Image:First Baptist Church of Stephens, AR IMG 2211.JPG|First [[Baptist]] Church of Stephens
Image:Church of Christ in Stephens, AR IMG 2275.JPG|Stephens [[Churches of Christ|Church of Christ]] off U.S. Highway 79 North
Image:Abandoned gasoline station in Stephens, AR IMG 2277.JPG|Abandoned [[gasoline]] station in Stephens
</gallery>

==References==
<references />
{{Commons category}}
{{Ouachita County, Arkansas}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Ouachita County, Arkansas]]
[[Category:Cities in Arkansas]]
[[Category:Camden, Arkansas micropolitan area]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1889]]