Dallas County, Arkansas: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 02:22, 29 April 2025

Template:Short description Template:Distinguish Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county

Dallas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,482,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> making it the fourth-least populous county in Arkansas. The county seat is Fordyce.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> Dallas County is Arkansas's 49th county, formed on January 1, 1845; it was named for George M. Dallas, 11th Vice President of the United States.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (0.1%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Grant County (northeast)
Cleveland County (east)
Calhoun County (southeast)
Ouachita County (southwest)
Clark County (west)
Hot Spring County (northwest)

Demographics

Template:US Census population

File:USA Dallas County, Arkansas age pyramid.svg

Age pyramid Dallas County<ref>Based on 2000 census data</ref>

2020 census

Dallas County racial composition<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	3,425	52.84%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	2,582	39.83%
Native American	14	0.22%
Asian	7	0.11%
Other/Mixed	253	3.9%
Hispanic or Latino	201	3.1%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 6,482 people, 2,969 households, and 1,797 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census,<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> there were 9,210 people, 3,519 households, and 2,431 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 4,401 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 56.96% White, 40.98% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 1.01% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. 1.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,519 households, out of which 29.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.00% were married couples living together, 13.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 28.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.20% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 24.50% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,608, and the median income for a family was $32,630. Males had a median income of $28,538 versus $17,884 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,610. About 13.30% of families and 18.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.80% of those under age 18 and 20.00% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the Constitution of Arkansas and the Arkansas Code. The quorum court is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are called justices of the peace and are elected from county districts every even-numbered year. The number of districts in a county vary from nine to fifteen, and district boundaries are drawn by the county election commission. The Dallas County Quorum Court has nine members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is the county judge, who serves as the chief operating officer of the county. The county judge is elected at-large and does not vote in quorum court business, although capable of vetoing quorum court decisions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Dallas County, Arkansas Elected countywide officials<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":1">https://www.arcounties.org/site/assets/files/6033/november_races.pdf</ref>
Position	Officeholder	Party
County Judge	Chris Stanfield	Independent
County/Circuit Clerk	Dori Keeton	Republican
Sheriff	Mike Knoedl	Republican
Treasurer	Louann Clayton	Republican
Collector	Crystal Stroud	Republican
Assessor	Vanessa Pierce	Republican
Coroner	Kevin Kauffman	Democratic

The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 6 Republicans, 2 Democrats, and 1 Independent. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref>

District 1: Wornest Lambert (D)
District 2: Loretta Cotton (D)
District 3: Edith Totty (I)
District 4: Tracy Scott Graves (R)
District 5: Todd Roark (R)
District 6: John Andrew Johnson (R)
District 7: David A. Fite (R)
District 8: Robert Seale (R)
District 9: Donny Ford (R)

Additionally, the townships of Dallas County are entitled to elect their own respective constables, as set forth by the Constitution of Arkansas. Constables are largely of historical significance as they were used to keep the peace in rural areas when travel was more difficult.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The township constables as of the 2024 elections are:<ref name=":2" />

District 8: Brady Harmon (R)
District 9: Kenneth Workman (D)

Politics

Prior to 2004, this county was considered an "ancestral" Democratic county, where Democrats won every presidential race with exceptions for the 1968 campaign of George Wallace and the 1972 and 1984 landslides of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, respectively. Former Governor Bill Clinton won this county twice in his presidential runs: 1992 and 1996. Al Gore won this county in 2000, the most recent Democrat to do so.