Our Region    

2018 Census Population and income data from Discover Arkansas 

crittenden County

Population:
49,013
Personal Income:
$1,787,576,000
Per Capita Income:
$36,978
Median Household Income:
$39,002

st. francis
County

Population:
26,294
Personal Income:
$710,962,000
Per Capita Income:
$27,948
Median Household
Income:
$35,356

Eastern Arkansas is an area of lush farms, rich heritage and diverse population. It’s a region of contrasts: areas of economic growth versus severe decline; fertile land versus extreme poverty; and a variety of educational options versus low educational attainment.

The counties and communities in the Eastern Arkansas region share many commonalities. While each town has its individual traits, there are collective themes that have made growth and progress possible. The Eastern Arkansas Workforce Development Area has a population of 120,737 which makes up 4.0 percent of Arkansas’ population.

The workforce in our region has a diverse set of people with adaptable skills.  With three community colleges (Arkansas State University Mid-South, East Arkansas Community College and Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas); selected Bachelor’s degrees from University Centers on each Community College campus, individuals have an opportunity to receive various degrees and certifications to create career pathways.

With five major highways, the Eastern Arkansas region offers a range of transportation advantages including two Class-I rail carriers (UP and BNSF). Major employers in the region include Schneider National Carriers, Hino Motors LTD, Family Dollar Distribution, Bosch Power Tools, Southland Gaming & Casino, Boar’s Head, Core Mark, NMF Inc., BPS, Doughboy Pools – with a host of successful local upstarts, including Enviro Tech.  

Eastern Arkansas is also the birthplace of the Arkansas Delta Training and Education Consortium (ADTEC) -- an award winning, nationally recognized workforce training model in the U.S. ADTEC is comprised of the Arkansas Northeastern College, Arkansas State University-Newport, Eastern Arkansas Community College, Arkansas State University Mid-South and Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas. ADTEC offers state-of-the-art training in Advanced Manufacturing, Transportation, Logistics and Renewable Energy Technology and has developed pathways in Allied Health and Aviation Maintenance Technology as well.

The Workforce development Board of Eastern Arkansas is a partner with the Greater Memphis Alliance for a Competitive Workforce. GMACW was created in 2015, out of the Memphis and Shelby County Regional Economic Development Plan and the Greater Memphis Chamber's Chairman's Circle, in collaboration with the Brookings Institution Policy Program.  Managed by Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE) for Memphis and Shelby County, GMACW is a strategic consortium of educational institutions, workforce and community agencies, economic development entities, and employers working together to help solve Greater Memphis' skills gap.   The ultimate vision is to drive better alignment of training and education programs with employers’ skill requirements so that jobseekers in the region have training opportunities available close to home and have access to employers and jobs throughout the region.