(The Center Square) - Arkansas is home to one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation but is also home to the county with one of the most significant decreases in housing units, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Centerton is the sixth fastest-growing city in the U.S., with a total population of 23,953, according to Census Bureau data. The city’s population grew by 11.2% last year. The fastest-growing city in the country was Celina, Texas, at 26.6%.
Most of Arkansas’ large cities experienced population growth from 2020 to 2023.
Fayetteville crossed the 100,000-population mark in 2023, growing to a population of 101,680 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Benton grew its population by 7.3%, adding 2,542 more residents from 2020 to 2023.
Van Buren City grew by 4% with an increase of 928 residents. Searcy City added 873 residents, representing a 3.8% increase. Paragould experienced a 3.3% increase in its population with an addition of 974 residents.
Jonesboro crossed the 80,000 population threshold, growing by 2,071 residents, or 2.6%. Cabot City grew by 2.3%, adding 623 people. Russellville added 401 residents, a 1.4% increase.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Sherwood grew by 1.1%, with 356 more residents than in 2020. Fort Smith added 629 residents, a 0.7% increase. Little Rock has 1,278 more residents than it did in 2020, a 0.6% increase. Hot Springs added 59 residents, a 0.2% increase.
A few large Arkansas cities saw population declines.
North Little Rock lost 71 residents, a decrease of 0.1%. Texarkana lost 164 residents, a decrease of 0.6%. West Memphis saw a 2.8% decline, with the loss of 690 residents. Pine Bluff’s population went down by 5.2%, a loss of 2,138 people.
This growth comes as Cross County saw the third-largest percentage decrease in housing units from 2022 to 2023, the Census Bureau said. Nationally, the housing stock grew by 1.6 million units last year, which represents a 1.1% increase. California received the largest number of new housing units, while Alaska had the fewest, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Nearly all states saw modest housing unit growth. The only places with a more significant decrease in housing units than Cross County are Sharkey County, Mississippi with a reduction of 10% and Breathitt County, Kentucky with a decline of 1.9%.
