You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in Arkansas.
The median household income in Benton County, the richest county in Arkansas is $93,506, significantly higher than the US median of $74,580, which means based purely on math most people never make enough to live there.
And that’s okay because it’s still fun to look at the people living in the lap of luxury.
So we used Saturday Night Science and the most recent Census to rank home prices and incomes for all 75 counties in the Natural State. Let’s star gaze together.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | Summary
The 10 Richest Counties In Arkansas For 2026
What is the richest county in Arkansas? The richest county in Arkansas is Benton County. In contrast, the poorest county in state is Phillips County, according to the Census data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Arkansas. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Arkansas and the cheapest places to live in Arkansas.
The Richest Counties In Arkansas For 2026
1. Benton County
Biggest Place: Springdale
Population: 303,632
Median Income: $93,506 (highest)
Median Home Price: $385,660 (highest)
More on Benton County: Data
2. Washington County
Biggest Place: Fayetteville
Population: 256,765
Median Income: $70,639 (5th highest)
Median Home Price: $350,006 (2nd highest)
More on Washington County: Data
3. Saline County
Biggest Place: Benton
Population: 127,479
Median Income: $79,046 (2nd highest)
Median Home Price: $253,064 (6th highest)
More on Saline County: Data
4. Lonoke County
Biggest Place: Cabot
Population: 75,272
Median Income: $72,828 (3rd highest)
Median Home Price: $229,578 (9th highest)
More on Lonoke County: Data
5. Faulkner County
Biggest Place: Conway
Population: 127,717
Median Income: $67,289 (6th highest)
Median Home Price: $250,363 (7th highest)
More on Faulkner County: Data
6. Madison County
Biggest Place: Huntsville
Population: 17,329
Median Income: $56,798 (16th highest)
Median Home Price: $271,361 (3rd highest)
More on Madison County: Data
7. Grant County
Biggest Place: Sheridan
Population: 18,242
Median Income: $71,549 (4th highest)
Median Home Price: $210,726 (17th highest)
More on Grant County: Data
8. Crawford County
Biggest Place: Van Buren
Population: 61,139
Median Income: $64,132 (8th highest)
Median Home Price: $216,287 (14th highest)
More on Crawford County: Data
9. Garland County
Biggest Place: Hot Springs
Population: 100,035
Median Income: $57,181 (15th highest)
Median Home Price: $244,727 (8th highest)
More on Garland County: Data
10. Cleburne County
Biggest Place: Heber Springs
Population: 25,226
Median Income: $55,798 (20th highest)
Median Home Price: $254,451 (5th highest)
More on Cleburne County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Arkansas county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in Arkansas, we have to look at a handful of metrics that correlate with how rich people are. To do that, we made assumptions about what makes a county rich. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to the American Community Survey data and Zillow for the most recent reporting period for data on the following:
- Average Home Price
- Median Income
We then ranked each county in Arkansas for each of the criteria from one to 75, with one being the richest.
Taking the average rank across the two criteria, we created a Rich Score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Richest County In Arkansas.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Natural State.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in Arkansas. We have also ranked the richest states and richest cities in the United States.
Summary: The Richest Counties In Arkansas For 2026
Living in Arkansas can vary from one part of the state to the next, with pretty extreme variance in home prices and incomes across counties.
The richest counties in Arkansas are Benton County, Washington County, Saline County, Lonoke County, Faulkner County, Madison County, Grant County, Crawford County, Garland County, and Cleburne County.
Now you know the parts of the state where Goodwill will have the best goodies, and that’s what you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the poorest counties in Arkansas according to the data:
- Phillips County
- Desha County
- Lee County
For more Arkansas reading, check out:
- Safest Places In Arkansas
- Richest Cities In Arkansas
- Best Counties To Live In Arkansas
- Cheapest Places To Live In Arkansas
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In Arkansas
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benton County | 303,632 | $93,506 | $385,660 |
| 2 | Washington County | 256,765 | $70,639 | $350,006 |
| 3 | Saline County | 127,479 | $79,046 | $253,064 |
| 4 | Lonoke County | 75,272 | $72,828 | $229,578 |
| 5 | Faulkner County | 127,717 | $67,289 | $250,363 |
| 6 | Madison County | 17,329 | $56,798 | $271,361 |
| 7 | Grant County | 18,242 | $71,549 | $210,726 |
| 8 | Crawford County | 61,139 | $64,132 | $216,287 |
| 9 | Garland County | 100,035 | $57,181 | $244,727 |
| 10 | Cleburne County | 25,226 | $55,798 | $254,451 |
| 11 | Craighead County | 113,249 | $59,548 | $214,721 |
| 12 | Pulaski County | 399,818 | $62,873 | $207,636 |
| 13 | Pope County | 64,131 | $57,344 | $208,275 |
| 14 | Carroll County | 28,626 | $54,230 | $266,461 |
| 15 | Sebastian County | 128,900 | $57,790 | $202,236 |
| 16 | Greene County | 46,432 | $57,839 | $190,016 |
| 17 | Boone County | 38,138 | $55,143 | $226,496 |
| 18 | White County | 77,838 | $55,249 | $203,387 |
| 19 | Independence County | 38,175 | $56,609 | $174,511 |
| 20 | Perry County | 10,101 | $55,764 | $178,832 |
| 21 | Franklin County | 17,326 | $55,886 | $174,058 |
| 22 | Logan County | 21,277 | $58,555 | $160,525 |
| 23 | Yell County | 20,134 | $55,934 | $162,192 |
| 24 | Calhoun County | 4,704 | $66,809 | $135,955 |
| 25 | Newton County | 7,112 | $48,986 | $226,025 |
| 26 | Crittenden County | 47,266 | $55,358 | $164,981 |
| 27 | Hot Spring County | 33,180 | $55,405 | $161,661 |
| 28 | Baxter County | 42,407 | $48,452 | $229,075 |
| 29 | Montgomery County | 8,553 | $48,906 | $216,048 |
| 30 | Marion County | 17,228 | $48,619 | $216,707 |
| 31 | Conway County | 21,054 | $54,187 | $167,505 |
| 32 | Sevier County | 15,712 | $53,527 | $168,693 |
| 33 | Cleveland County | 7,453 | $54,794 | $156,930 |
| 34 | Polk County | 19,361 | $49,191 | $186,264 |
| 35 | Pike County | 10,115 | $49,269 | $176,792 |
| 36 | Columbia County | 22,349 | $55,334 | $136,070 |
| 37 | Clark County | 21,125 | $52,034 | $163,297 |
| 38 | Izard County | 14,009 | $49,405 | $174,048 |
| 39 | Van Buren County | 15,998 | $50,354 | $169,726 |
| 40 | Little River County | 11,821 | $53,344 | $150,019 |
| 41 | Union County | 37,900 | $55,259 | $125,864 |
| 42 | Johnson County | 26,003 | $45,995 | $184,396 |
| 43 | Prairie County | 8,064 | $51,646 | $150,730 |
| 44 | Miller County | 42,360 | $48,836 | $169,883 |
| 45 | Searcy County | 7,859 | $44,426 | $183,761 |
| 46 | Randolph County | 18,838 | $50,911 | $139,859 |
| 47 | Lincoln County | 12,950 | $51,778 | $127,671 |
| 48 | Fulton County | 12,302 | $42,241 | $187,024 |
| 49 | Arkansas County | 16,515 | $53,164 | $119,177 |
| 50 | Stone County | 12,568 | $40,943 | $201,828 |
| 51 | Cross County | 16,543 | $50,863 | $135,621 |
| 52 | Mississippi County | 39,126 | $52,548 | $110,694 |
| 53 | Nevada County | 8,159 | $53,886 | $98,387 |
| 54 | Clay County | 14,280 | $51,481 | $115,634 |
| 55 | Howard County | 12,583 | $45,603 | $156,006 |
| 56 | Sharp County | 17,773 | $44,637 | $149,314 |
| 57 | Poinsett County | 22,543 | $46,707 | $128,400 |
| 58 | Drew County | 17,046 | $42,824 | $156,682 |
| 59 | Scott County | 9,816 | $43,270 | $149,974 |
| 60 | Hempstead County | 19,508 | $46,787 | $119,192 |
| 61 | Jefferson County | 64,802 | $51,096 | $86,903 |
| 62 | Ouachita County | 22,085 | $49,268 | $97,481 |
| 63 | Lawrence County | 16,238 | $44,882 | $125,437 |
| 64 | St. Francis County | 22,400 | $42,574 | $107,363 |
| 65 | Woodruff County | 6,026 | $48,158 | $81,170 |
| 66 | Dallas County | 6,242 | $42,500 | $103,786 |
| 67 | Jackson County | 16,712 | $44,218 | $90,291 |
| 68 | Bradley County | 10,208 | $41,476 | $103,457 |
| 69 | Ashley County | 18,429 | $44,266 | $83,337 |
| 70 | Monroe County | 6,589 | $43,214 | $84,697 |
| 71 | Chicot County | 9,765 | $39,045 | $99,829 |
| 72 | Lafayette County | 6,136 | $41,278 | $95,392 |
| 73 | Lee County | 8,359 | $34,375 | $100,712 |
| 74 | Desha County | 10,786 | $37,662 | $94,488 |
| 75 | Phillips County | 15,450 | $40,134 | $50,141 |