| Ouachita County, Arkansas | |
Location in the state of Arkansas |
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Arkansas's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | November 29, 1842 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Camden |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
739.63 sq mi (1,916 km²) 732.45 sq mi (1,897 km²) 7.18 sq mi (19 km²), 0.97% |
| Population - (2010) - Density |
26,120 36/sq mi (13.77/km²) |
Ouachita County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 26,120. The county seat is Camden.[1] The county was formed on November 29, 1842, and named for the Ouachita River. The county is part of the Camden Micropolitan Statistical Area.
The county is a Democratic Party stronghold and the home of the Pryor family, which includes two U.S. senators, David Pryor (1978–1997) and his son Mark Pryor (elected 2002). The elder Pryor is also a former Arkansas governor and congressman. In 1972, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon became the first Republican presidential nominee in the 20th Century to win a majority in Ouachita County. Much later, in the 2008 presidential election, U.S. Senator John S. McCain won the county by nearly ten percentage votes over Senator Barack Obama, following President George W. Bush's victory over Senator John F. Kerry in 2004. Prior to the closing of the International Paper Company mill in Camden, Ouachita County had considerable elements of organized labor, which traditionally favors state and national Democrats.
The county is served by a daily newspaper, The Camden News.
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According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 739.63 square miles (1,915.6 km2), of which 732.45 square miles (1,897.0 km2) (or 99.03%) is land and 7.18 square miles (18.6 km2) (or 0.97%) is water.[2]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 9,591 |
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| 1860 | 12,936 | 34.9% | |
| 1870 | 12,975 | 0.3% | |
| 1880 | 11,758 | −9.4% | |
| 1890 | 17,033 | 44.9% | |
| 1900 | 20,892 | 22.7% | |
| 1910 | 21,774 | 4.2% | |
| 1920 | 20,636 | −5.2% | |
| 1930 | 29,890 | 44.8% | |
| 1940 | 31,151 | 4.2% | |
| 1950 | 33,051 | 6.1% | |
| 1960 | 31,641 | −4.3% | |
| 1970 | 30,896 | −2.4% | |
| 1980 | 30,541 | −1.1% | |
| 1990 | 30,574 | 0.1% | |
| 2000 | 28,790 | −5.8% | |
| 2010 | 26,120 | −9.3% | |
| [3][4][5] | |||
As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 28,790 people, 11,613 households, and 8,071 families residing in the county. The population density was 39 people per square mile (15/km²). There were 13,450 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 59.74% White, 38.64% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races. 0.73% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 11,613 households out of which 30.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.00% were married couples living together, 15.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.50% were non-families. 28.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.90% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 25.60% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 16.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 89.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,341, and the median income for a family was $35,736. Males had a median income of $30,976 versus $18,800 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,118. About 16.10% of families and 19.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.20% of those under age 18 and 18.60% of those age 65 or over.
Townships in Arkansas are the divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas and some may have incorporated towns or cities within part of their space. Townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, the US Census does list Arkansas population based on townships (often referred to as "minor civil divisions"). Townships are also of value for historical purposes in terms of genealogical research. Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps. The townships of Ouachita County are listed below with the town(s) and/or city that are fully or partially inside them listed in parentheses. [8][9]
| Clark County | Dallas County | |||
| Nevada County | Calhoun County | |||
| Ouachita County, Arkansas | ||||
| Columbia County | Union County |
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