Sharp County, Arkansas

Sharp County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,271. The county seat is Ash Flat. The county was formed on July 18, 1868, and named for Ephraim Sharp, a state legislator from the area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.3%) is water.

Major highways

* U.S. Highway 62
* U.S. Highway 63
* U.S. Highway 167
* U.S. Highway 412
* Highway 56
* Highway 58
* Highway 175

Adjacent counties

* Oregon County, Missouri (north)
* Randolph County (northeast)
* Lawrence County (southeast)
* Independence County (south)
* Izard County (southwest)
* Fulton County (northwest)

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 17,271 people, 7,447 households, and 4,420 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 17,119 people, 7,211 households, and 5,141 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 9,342 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.14% White, 0.49% Black or African American, 0.68% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.16% from other races, and 1.39% from two or more races. 0.98% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 7,211 households, out of which 25.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.90% were married couples living together, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 25.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.79.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.90% under the age of 18, 6.30% from 18 to 24, 22.80% from 25 to 44, 25.50% from 45 to 64, and 23.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 92.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $25,152, and the median income for a family was $29,691. Males had a median income of $23,329 versus $16,884 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,143. About 13.20% of families and 18.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.40% of those under age 18 and 13.20% of those age 65 or over.

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 Sharp County Quorum Court has nine members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is the county judge, who serves as the chief executive 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 after the 2024 elections is 9 Republicans. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:

* District 1: Kevin C. Dienst (R)
* District 2: Briana M. Dilorio (R)
* District 3: Joey Barnes (R)
* District 4: Roy Murphy (R)
* District 5: Tommy Estes (R)
* District 6: Jackie Pickett (R)
* District 7: Buell Wilkes (R)
* District 8: Jeral Hastings (R)
* District 9: Zack Baxter (R)

Additionally, the townships of Sharp County are entitled to elect their own respective constables, as set forth by the Constitution of Arkansas. 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: Ashton Hester (R)
* District 2: George Jackson (R)
* District 3: David L. Gruger (R)
* District 4: Phillip Pickett (R)
* District 5: Kelly Newcom (R)
* District 6: Luke Vander Vort (R)

Politics

In recent years, Sharp County has trended heavily towards the Republican Party. The last Democrat to carry the county was Arkansas-native Bill Clinton in 1996. Since then, Democratic vote shares have plummeted, with Joe Biden in 2020 losing the county by a 4-to-1 margin to Republican Donald Trump, despite winning the national election.

Communities

Cities

* Ash Flat (county seat)
* Cave City
* Cherokee Village
*Hardy
*Highland
* Horseshoe Bend

Towns

*Evening Shade
* Sidney
* Williford

Unincorporated communities

* Ben-Gay
* Ozark Acres
*Poughkeepsie

Townships

* Big Creek
* Cave ( Cave City)
* Cherokee (most of Cherokee Village, small part of Highland)
* Davidson
* East Sullivan
* Hardy (most of Hardy)
* Highland (most of Highland)
* Jackson ( Williford)
* Lave Creek
* Lower North
* Morgan
* North Big Rock
* North Lebanon
* Ozark
* Piney Fork (Evening Shade)
* Richwoods (part of Ash Flat, small part of Horseshoe Bend)
* Scott
* South Big Rock
* South Union
* Strawberry
* Upper North
* Washington
* West Sullivan (most of Sideny)

Sharp County was featured on the PBS program ''Independent Lens'' for its 1906 "banishment" of all of its Black residents."

See also

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

References

External links

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

Sharp County official website

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1868 establishments in Arkansas
Populated places established in 1868