Searcy County ( ) is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,828. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Marshall Marshall may refer to: Places Australia *Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria ** Marshall railway station Canada * Marshall, Saskatchewan * The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia Liberia * Marshall, Liberia Marshall Is ...

. The county was formed December 13, 1838, from a portion of Marion County and named for Richard Searcy, the first clerk and judge in the

Arkansas Territory The Arkansas Territory was a organized incorporated territory of the United States, territory of the United States from July 4, 1819, to June 15, 1836, when the final extent of Arkansas Territory was admitted to the United States, Union as the ...

. The city of

Searcy, Arkansas Searcy ( ) is the largest city in and the county seat of White County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2019 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 23,767. It is the principal city of the Searcy, AR Micropolitan Statisti ...

, some 70 miles away, shares the name despite having never been part of Searcy County. The county is an alcohol prohibition or

dry county In the United States, a dry county is a county whose local government forbids the sale of any kind of alcoholic beverages. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. The vast majority of counties n ...

History

During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, Searcy County, Arkansas had strong, pro-Union leanings, forming an organization known as the " Arkansas Peace Society".

Chocolate Roll Capital of the World

The Chocolate Roll is a dessert endemic to Searcy but little known outside the near region. A typical Chocolate Roll is made from

pie dough Shortcrust is a type of pastry often used for the base of a tart, quiche, pie, or (in the British English sense) flan. Shortcrust pastry can be used to make both sweet and savory pies such as apple pie, quiche, lemon meringue or chicken pie. A ...

spread with a mixture of

cocoa powder Dry cocoa solids are the components of cocoa beans remaining after cocoa butter, the fatty component of the bean, is extracted from chocolate liquor, roasted cocoa beans that have been ground into a liquid state. Cocoa butter is 46% to 57% of the ...

, shortening, and sugar, then rolled up and baked. In 2012 The Greater Searcy County Chamber of Commerce declared Searcy County the "Chocolate Roll Capital of the World™", and asserted

trademarks A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a form of intellectual property that consists of a word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination that identifies a product or service from a particular source and distinguishes it from ot ...

. Since 2012 Marshall High School has hosted an annual Chocolate Roll Festival that includes the World Champion Chocolate Roll Contest. The 6th was held on March 18, 2017.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.4%) is water.

Major highways

U.S. Highway 65 U.S. Route 65 (US 65) is a north–south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 425 in Clayton, Louisiana. The northern terminus is at Interstate 35 just south of I ...

Arkansas Highway 14 Arkansas Highway 14 (AR 14) is a designation for two List of state highways in Arkansas, state highways in the U.S. state of Arkansas. One segment of begins east of Table Rock Lake and runs east to Interstate 555 (I-555) at Payneway, Arkansas, ...

Arkansas Highway 16 Arkansas Highway 16 (AR 16) is a designation for three List of state highways in Arkansas, state highways in Arkansas. One segment of runs from U.S. Route 412 in Arkansas, U.S. Route 412 (US 412) in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, Siloam Springs eas ...

Arkansas Highway 27 Arkansas Highway 27 (AR 27) is a designation for four state highways in Arkansas. One segment of runs from US 59/ US 71 west of Ben Lomond north to US 270 in Mount Ida. A second segment of runs from US 270 west of Mount Ida north to Hig ...

Arkansas Highway 66 Arkansas Highway 66 (AR 66 and Hwy. 66) is an east–west state highway in north central Arkansas. The route of runs from US Route 65 in Leslie east to AR 9 in Mountain View. Route description AR 66 begins in Leslie at US 65 near the Ame ...

Arkansas Highway 74 Arkansas Highway 74 (AR 74 and Hwy. 74) is a series of state highways of total in Northwest and north central Arkansas and is divided into eight separate sections. Route description The westernmost section route begins in Devil's Den State ...

Arkansas Highway 235 Arkansas Highway 235 (AR 235 and Hwy. 235) is a north–south state highway in north central Arkansas. The route of runs from US 65 in Pindall north through to Highway 14 in south Yellville. __TOC__ Route description The route begins a ...

Arkansas Highway 333 Highway 333 (AR 333, Ark. 333, and Hwy. 333) is a designation of three north–south state highways in Arkansas. One route begins at US Highway 64 (US 64) and runs north to Highway 7. A second highway begins at Searcy Cou ...

* Arkansas Highway 374 *

Arkansas Highway 377 Arkansas Highway 377 (AR 377, Hwy. 377) is a north–south state highway in Searcy County, Arkansas. The route of runs from Highway 16 near Witts Spring north to Highway 74 at Snowball. Route description The route begins at AR 16 near Wit ...

Adjacent counties

* Marion County (north) * Baxter County (northeast) * Stone County (east) * Van Buren County (south) * Pope County (southwest) * Newton County (west) * Boone County (northwest)

National protected areas

Buffalo National River The Buffalo National River, in Northern Arkansas, was the first National River to be designated in the United States. The Buffalo River is long. The lower flow within the boundaries of an area managed by the National Park Service, where the s ...

(part) *

Ozark National Forest The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, as well as a small area in the southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover ...

(part)

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 7,828 people, 3,327 households, and 2,333 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 8,261 people, 3,523 households, and 2,466 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 4,292 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.26%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.04%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.75% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.45% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. 1.04% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. There were 3,523 households, out of which 27.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.50% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 7.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.00% were non-families. 28.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.83. In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.70% under the age of 18, 6.90% from 18 to 24, 24.50% from 25 to 44, 26.70% from 45 to 64, and 19.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 98.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.80 males. The median income for a household in the county was $21,397, and the median income for a family was $27,580. Males had a median income of $21,768 versus $16,276 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $12,536. About 17.80% of families and 23.80% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 31.00% of those under age 18 and 26.60% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Government

The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the

Constitution of Arkansas The Constitution of Arkansas is the Constitution, primary organizing law for the U.S. state of Arkansas delineating the duties, powers, structures, and functions of the Politics and government of Arkansas, state government. Arkansas' original ...

and the

Arkansas Code Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma to the ...

. 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 Searcy County Quorum Court has nine members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is the ''county judge'', who serves as the

chief operating officer A chief operating officer (COO), also called chief operations officer, is an executive in charge of the daily operations of an organization (i.e. personnel, resources, and logistics). COOs are usually second-in-command immediately after the C ...

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 9 Republicans. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are: * District 1: Rob Woods (R) * District 2: Kim D. Loftin (R) * District 3: James Matt Smith (R) * District 4: Danny Loggins (R) * District 5: Wayne Witcher (R) * District 6: Joel Brian Ragland (R) * District 7: Jason Ragland (R) * District 8: Cindi Silor (R) * District 9: Jerry Loggins (R) Additionally, the townships of Stone County are entitled to elect their own respective constables, as set forth by the

. Constables are largely of historical significance as they were used to keep the peace in rural areas when travel was more difficult. The township constables as of the 2024 elections are: * District 1: Bill Sellers (R) * District 2: Troy Dye (R)

Politics

Along with adjacent Newton County, Searcy is unique among Arkansas counties in being traditionally Republican in political leanings even during the overwhelmingly Democratic "

Solid South The Solid South was the electoral voting bloc for the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in the Southern United States between the end of the Reconstruction era in 1877 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In the aftermath of the Co ...

" era. This Republicanism resulted from their historical paucity of

slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

, in turn created by infertile soils unsuitable for intensive cotton farming, and produced support for the Union during the Civil War. These were the only two counties in Arkansas to be won by

Alf Landon Alfred Mossman Landon (September 9, 1887October 12, 1987) was an American oilman and politician who served as the 26th governor of Kansas from 1933 to 1937. A member of the Republican Party, he was the party's nominee in the 1936 presidential ...

in 1936,

Wendell Willkie Wendell Lewis Willkie (born Lewis Wendell Willkie; February 18, 1892 – October 8, 1944) was an American lawyer, corporate executive and the 1940 History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican nominee for president. Willkie appeale ...

in 1940,

Charles Evans Hughes Charles Evans Hughes (April 11, 1862 – August 27, 1948) was an American politician, academic, and jurist who served as the 11th chief justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

in 1916, and even

Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States, serving from 1923 to 1929. A Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer from Massachusetts, he previously ...

in 1924. In Presidential elections post-

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...

and

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...

are the only Democrats to carry the county. In the 1992 election

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...

won his second-highest margin in the state, despite former Arkansas governor Bill Clinton being the Democratic nominee. In fact, Republican nominee Bob Dole also carried the county 4 years later despite Clinton's success almost everywhere else in the state. Republicans have received over 60 percent of the vote in the county in every election since 2000. In

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

received more than 79 percent of the vote in the county, while former Arkansas First Lady

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

received just 16 percent. In

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

, Trump received more than 83 percent of the vote, and in 2024 he received over 85%. Trump's performances in each of these elections are the best of any candidate in the county's history. The county is in

Arkansas's 1st congressional district Arkansas's 1st congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in eastern Arkansas that elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives. It is currently represented by Republican Rick Crawford. With a Cook Parti ...

, which from

Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *''Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Union ...

until 2010 sent only Democrats to the U.S. House. That year, it elected Republican Rick Crawford, who currently holds the seat as of 2023. In the

Arkansas House of Representatives The Arkansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly, the state legislature of the US state of Arkansas. The House has 100 members elected from an equal number of constituencies across the state. Each distr ...

Searcy County is represented by first-term Republican Steven Walker from the 27th district. The state senator, Missy Thomas Irvin, is also a Republican, serving her fourth term from the 24th district. Since 1980, in gubernatorial races, the county has tended to favor Republicans in all but one contest. It voted for

Frank White Frank White may refer to: Politics * Frank White (Australian politician) (1830–1875), member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly * Frank White (Alabama politician) (1847–1922), U.S. Senator from Alabama * Frank White (North Dakota p ...

in his successful run against freshman Democratic incumbent

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

in 1980. It supported White again in 1982 and 1986 in rematches with Clinton. It also voted for

Woody Freeman The 1984 Arkansas gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1984. Incumbent Governor Bill Clinton won reelection with a 25% margin of victory over Jonesboro businessman Woody Freeman. This was the last gubernatorial election in Arkansas ...

over Clinton in 1984. It was the only county in Arkansas where Republican

Sheffield Nelson Edward Sheffield Nelson (born April 23, 1941) is an American attorney, businessman and politician from the capital city of Little Rock, Arkansas. Originally a Democrat, Nelson in 1990 ran for governor of Arkansas as a Republican against then g ...

won in both 1990 and 1994. In 1990, it was Nelson's best county in the entire state, winning 64 percent to then-Governor

's 36 percent in Searcy County. In 1994, Searcy County was among the two counties to vote for Nelson over incumbent Democrat

Jim Guy Tucker James Guy Tucker Jr. (June 13, 1943 – February 13, 2025) was an American politician, businessman and attorney who served as the 43rd governor of Arkansas from 1992 until his resignation in 1996 after his conviction for fraud during the White ...

, Benton County being the other (which actually voted for Clinton over Nelson in 1990). In 1998, Searcy County voted for Republican

Mike Huckabee Michael Dale Huckabee (, born August 24, 1955) is an American diplomat, political commentator, Baptist minister, and politician serving as the 29th United States Ambassador to Israel, United States ambassador to Israel since 2025. A member of ...

with just under 70 percent, and again in 2002, albeit with a reduced margin of 57 percent. In 2006, it voted 52 percent for Republican ex-Congressman

Asa Hutchinson William Asa Hutchinson II (, ''Help:Pronunciation respelling key, AY-sə''; born December 3, 1950) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who served as the 46th governor of Arkansas from 2015 to 2023. A member of the Republican Part ...

, who lost to Democrat

Mike Beebe Mickey Dale Beebe (; born December 28, 1946) is an American politician and attorney who served as the List of governors of Arkansas, 45th governor of Arkansas from 2007 to 2015. He is to date the last Democrat to hold that office. Born in Amagon ...

. In 2010, however, it did vote for incumbent Democrat

with a margin of 57 percent to 40 percent over former state Senator

Jim Keet James Holland Keet (born May 12, 1949), is an American restaurateur and politician in Little Rock, Arkansas, and a former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives and Arkansas Senate. Keet was the Republican nominee for governor of Arkan ...

, the first time it had done so since 1978. Keet was regarded as a weak candidate, as he failed to carry a single county.

Education

Public education is provided for early childhood, elementary and secondary education from multiple school districts including: * Searcy County School District, which includes Marshall High School *

Ozark Mountain School District Ozark Mountain School District (OMSD) is a public school district that provides comprehensive education to its students from prekindergarten to grade 12 and is situated in the Ozark Mountains (hence the name of the district) and covers in nor ...

, which includes Searcy County-based St. Joe Elementary School (also it formerly had

St. Joe High School St. Joe High School was a comprehensive public high school serving students in grades seven through twelve in the remote, rural community of St. Joe, Arkansas, United States. It was the one of three high schools administered by the Ozark Mounta ...

) *

Hector School District Hector School District 59 is a public school district in Hector, Pope County, Arkansas. Most of the district is in Pope County, where it includes Hector and Appleton. A portion of the district extends into Searcy County. Text list/ref> Af ...

* Mountain View School District * Yellville-Summit School District

Communities

Cities

Leslie Leslie may refer to: * Leslie (name), a name and list of people with the given name or surname, including fictional characters Families * Clan Leslie, a Scottish clan with the motto "grip fast" * Leslie (Russian nobility), a Russian noble family ...

(county seat)

Towns

* Big Flat (mostly in Baxter County) * Gilbert * Pindall * St. Joe

Census-designated places

* Witts Springs

Unincorporated Communities

* Cozahome *

Harriet Harriet(t) may refer to: * Harriet (name), a female name ''(includes list of people with the name)'' Places *Harriet, Queensland, rural locality in Australia * Harriet, Arkansas, unincorporated community in the United States * Harriett, Texas, ...

Townships

Searcy County Arkansas 2010 Township Map large

References

External links

Searcy County Arkansas Chamber of Commerce

Searcy County Library (extensive local genealogy records and fulltime genealogy staff)

Searcy County entry in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas

Searcy County Map from Encyclopedia of Arkansas

Searcy County Map from U. S. Census Bureau
{{coord, 35, 55, 32, N, 92, 42, 00, W, region:US-AR_type:adm2nd_source:dewiki, display=title 1838 establishments in Arkansas Populated places established in 1838