Van Buren County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,796. The county seat is Clinton. The county was formed on November 11, 1833, and named for Martin Van Buren, President of the United States, who was Vice President at the time of the county's formation. Van Buren County was a dry county until November 3, 2020, as the county residents voted to make it a wet county. Van Buren County, not be confused with the city of Van Buren, which is located approximately 100 miles to the west in Crawford County just north of Fort Smith.

Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (2.2%) is water.

Major highways

U.S. Highway 65 Arkansas Highway 9 Arkansas Highway 16 Arkansas Highway 27 Arkansas Highway 92 Arkansas Highway 95 Arkansas Highway 110 Arkansas Highway 124 Arkansas Highway 254 Arkansas Highway 285 Arkansas Highway 330 Arkansas Highway 336 Arkansas Highway 337 Arkansas Highway 356

Transit Jefferson Lines

Adjacent counties Searcy County (north) Stone County (northeast) Cleburne County (east) Faulkner County (southeast) Conway County (southwest) Pope County (west)

National protected area Ozark National Forest (part)

Demographics

2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 15,796. The median age was 50.2 years. 19.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 27.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.5 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 91.7% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.3% from some other race, and 5.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.2% of the population.

<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 7,012 households in the county, of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.2% were married-couple households, 19.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 9,668 housing units, of which 27.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 79.8% were owner-occupied and 20.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.6%.

2000 census As of the 2000 census, there were 16,192 people, 6,825 households, and 4,804 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 9,164 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 96.79% White, 0.31% Black or African American, 0.75% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 1.48% from two or more races. 1.33% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race, but the percentage could increased 3 or 4 times by seasonal migrant laborers in the county's shiitake mushroom harvest and hospitality jobs provided by the Fairfield Bay resort hotel.

There were 6,825 households, out of which 25.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.10% were married couples living together, 7.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.60% were non-families. 26.40% 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 2.33 and the average family size was 2.79.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.50% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 23.00% from 25 to 44, 25.50% from 45 to 64, and 23.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 96.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,004, and the median income for a family was $32,284. Males had a median income of $25,821 versus $18,862 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,603. About 11.60% of families and 15.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.90% of those under age 18 and 10.60% of those age 65 or over.

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 Van Buren 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. +Van Buren County, Arkansas Elected countywide officialsPositionOfficeholderPartyCounty JudgeDale JamesRepublicanCounty ClerkPam BradfordRepublicanCircuit ClerkDebbie GrayRepublicanSheriffEric KoonceRepublicanTreasurerMistie WilsonRepublicanCollectorLaura ShannonRepublicanAssessorEmma R. SmileyRepublicanCoronerJoe TsosieRepublican The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 7 Republicans and 2 Independents. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:

District 1: David Holcomb (R) District 2: Nickie Brown (Independent) District 3: Sarah Brown (R) District 4: Mary Philips (R) District 5: Michael Bradford (R) District 6: Bailee Fowler Roberson (R) District 7: Becky Page (R) District 8: Virgil Lemings (R) District 9: Ester Bass (I)

Additionally, the townships of Van Buren 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:

Archey Valley: Steven R. Bannick (R) Bradley: William Fosse (R) Culpepper: Scott Bramlett (R) East Griggs: William Fosko (R) Holly Mountain: Rance Dean (R) Red River: Devon Laubenthal (I) Union: Allen Dale Roberson (R) Washington: Thomas Bryan Turcol (Libertarian)

Politics Over the past few election cycles Van Buren County, like all of the traditionally secessionist and Democratic Upland South, has trended heavily towards the GOP. The last Democrat to carry this county was Bill Clinton in 1996.

Communities Cities Clinton (county seat) Fairfield Bay (partly in Cleburne County)

Towns Damascus (partly in Faulkner County) Shirley

Census-designated place Bee Branch Dennard

Other unincorporated communities

Alread Archey Valley Austin Botkinburg Chimes Choctaw Choctaw Pines Claude Copeland Crabtree Culpepper Dabney Eglantine Elba Fairbanks Formosa Gravesville Gravel Hill Green Tree Half Moon Morganton Old Botkinburg Palisades Pee Dee Plant Pleasant Grove Rabbit Ridge Rex Rocky Hill Rumley Rupert Scotland Southside Stumptoe Sulphur Springs Walnut Grove Whipple Woodlum Zion Hill

Townships

Township FIPS code ANSI code(GNIS ID) Populationcenter(s) Pop.(2010) Pop.density(/mi2) Pop.density(/km2) Total area(mi2) Total area(km2) Land area(mi2) Land area(km2) Water area(mi2) Water area(km2) Geographic coordinates Archey Valley 144 6.40 2.47 Barnett Damascus 786 32.49 12.54 Bradley 1,237 32.83 12.68 Cadron 160 8.92 3.44 Cargile 395 26.72 10.32 Choctaw Clinton (small part) 1,226 58.20 22.47 Craig 739 15.19 5.87 Culpepper 362 17.65 6.82 Davis 892 24.70 9.54 East Griggs Clinton 1,544 66.04 25.50 Formosa 675 33.13 12.79 Holly Mountain (fka Holley) 523 18.21 9.91 Indian Rock Fairfield Bay 2,227 160.85 62.10 Liberty 240 2.47 0.95 Linn Creek 655 19.35 7.47 Mountain 390 8.30 3.20 Red River 447 40.90 15.80 Union Shirley 1,497 33.68 13.01 Washington Dennard 850 13.82 5.34 West Griggs Clinton 1,970 67.78 26.17 Wheeler 336 6.16 2.38 Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Education School districts include: - Text list

Clinton School District Quitman School District Searcy County School District Shirley School District South Side-Bee Branch School District West Side School District

See also Arkansas Highway 336 (1965–2013), former state highway in Van Buren County List of lakes in Van Buren County, Arkansas National Register of Historic Places listings in Van Buren County, Arkansas

References

External links Map of Van Buren County from the U. S. Census Bureau Van Buren County official website Van Buren County, Arkansas entry on the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture