“Counties like it” are non-metro counties with a similar population and a median household income near Pope County's ($59,016). Ahead or behind means more than 15% better or worse than the typical one.
Ahead of similar counties on 5 measures:
Behind similar counties on 2 measures:
About the same on 5: life expectancy, adults under 65 without health insurance, households with severe housing problems, unemployment, households with broadband internet.
| Measure | Pope County | Typical similar county |
|---|---|---|
| Population change, 2020–2024 | 2.2% 63,407 → 64,829 | 0.9% |
| School spending per student (day-to-day costs) | $12,397 | $13,789 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 population estimates; Census Annual Survey of School System Finances (school year 2023), current spending divided by enrollment across the districts based in the county.
At the end of 2024, Pope County's general fund held $11,677,047 — enough to cover about 9.6 months of that year's spending. Five years earlier (2020) it held $5,957,131. Among the 75 Arkansas counties whose state audits include this five-year schedule, that ranks 43 of 75 for months covered; the typical county held about 10.6 months.
Source: each county's state audit, “Schedule of Selected Information for the Last Five Years — General Fund” (unaudited schedule). Latest years differ by county (2023, 2024). A larger reserve isn't automatically better or worse — it can be savings for a planned project, or money not yet spent. The year-by-year table.
“Counties like it” means other counties outside metro areas with a similar number of people and a similar median household income (about $59,016 here). Comparing with them, instead of the whole country, shows what similar places have managed. Pope County is furthest behind on food insecurity, jail population per 100,000 residents 15–64.
| Measure | Pope County | Typical similar county | Doing best among similar counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 ahead of similar counties | 14.0 | 27.1 | Bulloch County, GA 8.5 Val Verde County, TX 9.7 Navarro County, TX 10.1 |
| Life expectancy about the same | 75.1 years | 74.5 years | Watauga County, NC 79.4 years Madison County, ID 79.1 years Windham County, VT 78.6 years |
| Adults under 65 without health insurance about the same | 11.0% | 9.9% | Cortland County, NY 4.7% Steuben County, NY 4.7% Chenango County, NY 4.8% |
| Residents per primary care doctor ahead of similar counties | 1,556 | 1,973 | Otsego County, NY 727 Harrison County, WV 795 Lee County, MS 846 |
| Residents per mental health provider ahead of similar counties | 406 | 482 | Lee County, MS 117 Windham County, VT 119 Curry County, NM 145 |
| Children in poverty ahead of similar counties | 16.0% | 20.0% | Windham County, VT 11.1% Madison County, ID 11.5% Watauga County, NC 12.3% |
| Food insecurity behind similar counties | 19.2% | 15.8% | Grant County, WI 10.6% Monroe County, WI 11.4% Otsego County, NY 12.2% |
| Households with severe housing problems about the same | 12.3% | 12.8% | McDowell County, NC 9.3% Somerset County, PA 9.5% Huntingdon County, PA 9.5% |
| Unemployment about the same | 3.9% | 3.8% | Cullman County, AL 2.0% Madison County, ID 2.2% Windham County, VT 2.3% |
| Households with broadband internet about the same | 83.3% | 84.8% | Lincoln County, OR 90.8% Kerr County, TX 89.7% Coos County, OR 89.1% |
| Jail population per 100,000 residents 15–64 behind similar counties | 453 | 387 | Whitman County, WA 85 Madison County, ID 125 Coos County, OR 131 |
| Bridges rated poor ahead of similar counties | 1.0% | 5.4% | Curry County, NM 0.0% Val Verde County, TX 0.0% Dale County, AL 0.0% |
“Behind” or “ahead” means more than 15% worse or better than the typical (median) similar county; small differences can be noise. Sources: County Health Rankings 2025 (health, money and internet), Vera Institute (jail, latest year from 2015 on), FHWA National Bridge Inventory 2025, HUD (metro areas), Census 2024 population. What has worked elsewhere on each of these.
“Highest” and “lowest” are just order, not grades: a high rank for poverty or hazard losses means more of it. Each figure's source is in its section below.
Related: By the numbers · The money trail · Audits · What has worked. Spot an error? Report it.