Cities in northwest Arkansas remain the fastest growing in the state, according to new population estimates.
On Thursday, the US Census Bureau released population estimates as of July 1, 2021, which show the fastest growing US cities are in the South and West. The agency also released housing unit estimates that show the country’s housing stock grew by 1% from 2020 to 2021.
Among cities with a population of at least 50,000, Leander, Texas, a suburb just north of Austin, was the fastest growing city, with a growth rate of 13.1% from April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021.
“While only 4% of all cities and towns had a population of 50,000 or more in 2021, they collectively contained 129.3 million people, or nearly 39% of the U.S. population,” said Crystal Delbe, statistician in the population division of the Census Bureau. . “On the other hand, of the 19,494 incorporated venues in the United States, more than 75% had fewer than 5,000 people.”
Of Arkansas cities with a population of at least 50,000, Bentonville has been the fastest growing in the state and the 28and fastest growing in the country, based on growth estimates from April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021. Its population grew 4.8% to 56,734 from 54,120.
Alison Wright, chief of the data center division at the Arkansas Institute of Economic Development, said seven of the top 10 cities ranked by number and percentage growth in the state are in Benton counties or from Washington.
“We saw this when we looked at population growth by county, so it’s no surprise that we see this happening in cities in those counties,” she said. “The data saves what happens there.”
She added that some of the smaller towns in the area are also growing rapidly, including Tontitown, which grew by 1,300 people. Its population increased by 30% to 5,633 on July 1, 2021, from 4,333 on April 1, 2020.
During the same period, the number of housing units in Arkansas rose 1.1% to 1.38 million from 1.36 million. Benton County has had the fastest growing housing units in the state and the 31st fastest in the country. The number of housing units in the county increased 4.6% to 118,234 as of July 1, 2021, from 113,087 as of April 1, 2020.
The following shows the population trends of the largest cities in Arkansas:
Bentonville (4.8%)
2020: 54,120
2021: 56,734
Conway (2.3%)
2020: 63,656
2021: 65,121
Fayetteville (1.8%)
2020: 93,582
2021: 95,230
Fort Smith (0.4%)
2020: 89,177
2021: 89,576
Jonesboro (1%)
2020: 78,524
2021: 79,324
Small Rock (-0.3%)
2020: 202,514
2021: 201,998
North Little Rock (-0.7%)
2020: 64,633
2021: 64,162
Rogers (1.9%)
2020: 69,753
2021: 71,112
Springdale (0.2%)
2020: 87,441
2021: 87,609
Here is the evolution of housing in the largest counties in Arkansas:
Benton (4.6%)
2020: 113,087
2021: 118,234
Craighead (2.4%)
2020: 46,739
2021: 47,884
Faulkner (2%)
2020: 51,685
2021: 52,709
Garland (0.3%)
2020: 52,326
2021: 52,471
Pulaski (0.8%)
2020: 190,510
2021: 191,962
Saline solution (1.1%)
2020: 51,878
2021: 52,437
Sebastian (0.7%)
2020: 56,749
2021: 57,150
Washington (2.6%)
2020: 100,508
2021: 103,116