2019 Rural Profile of Arkansas Shows the Need for Infrastructure Improvements Statewide

by Tyler Knapp - March 13, 2019

RURAL PROFILE OF ARKANSAS — The 2019 Rural Profile of Arkansas compares and contrasts the social, demographic and economic conditions in rural and urban areas of Arkansas.

Infrastructure is critically important to Arkansas communities.  Limited availability and poor quality of infrastructure can negatively impact economic development and community welfare.  As such, identifying areas where your county provides adequate infrastructure, as well as areas where it does not, is crucial when making policy or creating an economic development plan.

In the 2019 Rural Profile of Arkansas we analyze 3 types of infrastructure: broadband, bridges and wastewater treatment. Statewide, most counties need improvements in at least one of these areas.

The Rural Profile of Arkansas - 2019 is the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s ongoing contribution to greater understanding of the differences in the social, demographic and economic conditions between rural and urban areas of the state.  Download the Rural Profile of Arkansas at www.uaex.uada.edu/ruralprofile.

While most households in Arkansas have access to internet through at least one provider, less than half have access to internet of 10 Mbps or faster download speeds.

Deficiencies in bridges and wastewater treatment tend to manifest similarly.  Large urban counties generally need  extensive and costly improvements that can total more than $100 million dollars.  Rural regions generally have considerably lower overall costs, but higher per capita costs, burdening rural populations that must pay higher taxes to build and maintain infrastructure or go without the infrastructure all together.

Find out how your county's infrastructure compares to other counties, regions and the state by downloading the Rural Profile of Arkansas at www.uaex.uada.edu/ruralprofile.