Scott County, Arkansas

Scott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,836. The county seat is Waldron. Scott County is Arkansas' 28th county, formed on November 5, 1833, and named for Andrew Scott, a justice of the Supreme Court of the Arkansas Territory. It is an alcohol-prohibited or dry county.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.6%) is water.

Major highways

* Future Interstate 49
* U.S. Highway 71
* U.S. Highway 270
* Highway 23
* Highway 28
* Highway 80
* Highway 250

Adjacent counties

* Sebastian County (northwest)
*Logan County (northeast)
* Yell County (east)
* Montgomery County (southeast)
* Polk County (south)
* Le Flore County, Oklahoma (west)

National protected area

* Ouachita National Forest (part)

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 9,836 people, 3,944 households, and 2,569 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 10,996 people, 4,323 households, and 3,121 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 4,924 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 93.53% White, 0.23% Black or African American, 1.40% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.56% from other races, and 1.32% from two or more races. 5.71% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,323 households, out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.5% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 101.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,412, and the median income for a family was $30,311. Males had a median income of $23,118 versus $17,127 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,609. About 15.3% of families and 18.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.2% of those under age 18 and 14.1% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2010, Scott County had a population of 11,233. The racial makeup was 85.35% white, 0.47% black, 1.85% Native American, 3.42% Asian, 2.12% Non-Hispanics reporting more than one race and 6.96% Hispanics or Latinos.

Government

Government

The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the Constitution of Arkansas and the Arkansas Code. The quorum court is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are called ''justices of the peace'' and are elected from county districts every even-numbered year. The number of districts in a county vary from nine to fifteen, and district boundaries are drawn by the county election commission. The Scott County Quorum Court has nine members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is the ''county judge'', who serves as the chief operating officer of the county. The county judge is elected at-large and does not vote in quorum court business, although capable of vetoing quorum court decisions.

The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is at least 4 Republicans and 4 Independents, with one party affiliation unknown. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:

* District 1: Bobby Hattabaugh (R)
* District 2: Melvin Parker (R)
* District 3: Leonard Russell (I)
* District 4: Linda L. Vaughn (I)
* District 5: Jamie Lynn Goff (I)
* District 6: Tommy Roberson (I)
* District 7: John Luttrell (R)
* District 8: Lance Stinson
* District 9: Tara Brackett (R)

Politics

Scott County is represented the Arkansas House of Representatives by the Republicans Marcus Richmond, a businessman from Harvey, and Jon Eubanks, a farmer and Certified Public Accountant from Paris.
Over the past few election cycles Scott County has trended heavily towards the GOP. The last Democrat (as of 2024) to carry this county was Bill Clinton in 1996. By margin, it was the most Republican county in Arkansas in the 2020 United States Presidential Election.

Communities

Cities

*Mansfield
* Waldron (county seat)

Census-designated places

* Boles

Townships

* Black Fork
* Blansett
* Brawley
* Cauthron
* Cedar
* Coal
* Denton
* Hickman ( Waldron)
* Hon
* Hunt
* James
* Jones
* Keener
* La Faye
* Lafayette
* Lamb
* Lewis (Mansfield)
* Little Texas
* Mill Creek
* Mountain
* Mount Pleasant
* Oliver
* Parks
* Tate
* Tomlinson

See also

* List of lakes in Scott County, Arkansas
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Scott County, Arkansas

References

External links

Scott County, Arkansas
entry on the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture

Scott County official website

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1833 establishments in Arkansas Territory
Populated places established in 1833