Phillips County, Arkansas

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Phillips County, Arkansas
Phillips County courthouse in Helena-West Helena
Location in the state of Arkansas
Arkansas's location in the U.S.
Founded	May 1, 1820
Seat	Helena-West Helena
Largest city	Helena-West Helena
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	727 sq mi (1,883 km²) 696 sq mi (1,803 km²) 32 sq mi (83 km²), 4.4%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	21,757 31/sq mi (12/km²)
Congressional district	1st
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5

Phillips County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 21,757. The county seat is Helena-West Helena. Phillips County is Arkansas's seventh county, formed on May 1, 1820, and named for Sylvanus Phillips, the area's first-known white settler and representative to the first Territorial Legislature of the Arkansas Territory. 237 people were lynched there in 1919 during the Elaine race riot, making Phillips County the site of the largest number of lynchings in U.S. history.

The Helena-West Helena, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Phillips County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 727 square miles (1,880 km²), of which 696 square miles (1,800 km²) is land and 32 square miles (83 km²) (4.4%) is water.

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 49
• Highway 1
• Highway 39
• Highway 85

Adjacent counties

• Lee County (north)
• Tunica County, Mississippi (northeast)
• Coahoma County, Mississippi (east)
• Bolivar County, Mississippi (southeast)
• Desha County (south)
• Arkansas County (southwest)
• Monroe County (northwest)

National protected areas

• St. Francis National Forest (part)
• White River National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1830	1,152		—
1840	3,547		207.9%
1850	6,935		95.5%
1860	14,877		114.5%
1870	15,372		3.3%
1880	21,262		38.3%
1890	25,341		19.2%
1900	26,561		4.8%
1910	33,535		26.3%
1920	44,530		32.8%
1930	40,683		−8.6%
1940	45,970		13.0%
1950	46,254		0.6%
1960	43,997		−4.9%
1970	40,046		−9.0%
1980	34,772		−13.2%
1990	28,838		−17.1%
2000	26,445		−8.3%
2010	21,757		−17.7%
Est. 2013	20,399		−22.9%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

Age pyramid Phillips County

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 21,757 people residing in the county. 63.1% were Black or African American, 35.0% White, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% Native American, 0.4% of some other race and 0.9% of two or more races. 1.3% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 26,445 people, 9,711 households, and 6,768 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile (15/km²). There were 10,859 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 59.04% Black or African American, 39.25% White, 0.43% from other races, 0.32% Asian, 0.17% Native American, 0.01% Pacific Islander, and 0.78% from two or more races. 1.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 9,711 households out of which 34.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.30% were married couples living together, 25.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.30% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.29.

In the county the population was spread out with 32.20% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 23.20% from 25 to 44, 21.20% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 84.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $22,231, and the median income for a family was $26,570. Males had a median income of $24,675 versus $17,520 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,288. About 28.70% of families and 32.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 45.50% of those under age 18 and 26.20% of those age 65 or over.

The Helena-West Helena statistical area had the largest drop in population, at −20.89%, of any statistical area in the country for the period 2000-2009.

Education

School districts serving Phillips County include the Helena-West Helena School District, the Marvell–Elaine School District, and the Barton–Lexa School District.

Previously the Lake View School District served a portion of the county. On July 1, 2004, the Lake View district merged into the Barton–Lexa district. Previously the Elaine School District served another portion of the county. On July 1, 2006, the Elaine district merged into the Marvell district.

Marvell Academy, a private school founded in 1966 as a segregation academy., is in unincorporated Phillips County, near Marvell.

Communities

Cities

• Elaine
• Helena-West Helena
• Lake View
• Marvell

Town

• Lexa

Unincorporated places

• Modoc
• Poplar Grove

Townships

Townships in Phillips County, Arkansas as of 2010

Townships in Arkansas are the divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas and some may have incorporated towns or cities within part of their space. Townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, the US Census does list Arkansas population based on townships (often referred to as "minor civil divisions"). Townships are also of value for historical purposes in terms of genealogical research. Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps. The townships of Phillips County are listed below with the town(s) and/or city that are fully or partially inside them listed in parentheses.

Township	FIPS code	ANSI code (GNIS ID)	Population center(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
Big Creek	05-90273	00068945		425	11.05	4.26	38.474	99.65	38.474	99.65	0	0.000	34.484468, -90.893231
Cleburne	05-90849	00068946		660	29.12	11.24	22.692	58.77	22.665	58.70	0.027	0.06993	34.608847, -90.690904
Cleveland	05-90870	00068947		198	8.01	3.09	24.731	64.05	24.722	64.03	0.009	0.02331	34.479487, -90.971919
Cypress	05-91005	00068948		152	9.54	3.68	15.938	41.28	15.938	41.28	0	0.000	34.476511, -91.0189
Hickory Ridge	05-91704	00068949	Marvell	1,550	49.89	19.26	31.10	80.55	31.066	80.46	0.034	0.08806	34.586411, -90.936268
Hicksville	05-91707	00068950		231	6.99	2.70	33.046	85.59	33.046	85.59	0	0.000	34.586511, -91.016744
Hornor	05-91767	00068951	part of Helena-West Helena	9,697	265.48	102.51	36.526	94.60	36.526	94.60	0	0.000	34.53998, -90.679052
Lake	05-92094	00068953		41	0.91	0.35	50.741	131.4	44.870	116.2	5.871	15.21	34.410535, -90.676788
Marion	05-92391	00068955		589	14.42	5.57	40.865	105.8	40.846	105.8	0.019	0.04921	34.597488, -90.870256
Mooney	05-92547	00078865		179	1.70	0.66	115.059	298.0	105.231	272.5	9.828	25.45	34.191547, -90.969308
St. Francis	05-93276	00068956	most of Helena-West Helena	4,746	103.10	39.82	53.971	139.8	46.034	119.2	7.937	20.56	34.539209, -90.603521
Spring Creek	05-93462	00068958	Lexa, small part of Lake View	1,789	22.46	8.67	79.694	206.4	79.648	206.3	0.046	0.1191	34.527768, -90.765687
Tappan	05-93573	00068959	Elaine, most of Lake View	1,500	8.49	3.28	184.506	477.9	176.595	457.4	7.911	20.49	34.343723, -90.880168
Source: "Census 2010 U.S. Gazetteer Files: County Subdivisions in Arkansas". U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division. http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/county_sub_list_05.txt.  Source: "Census 2010 U.S. Gazetteer Files". U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division. http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/gazetteer2010.html.

Notable people

• Bruce Bennett, Arkansas Attorney General
• Barry Williamson, attorney and member of the Texas Railroad Commission
• Blanche Lincoln, U.S. Senator
• Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm, drummer and singer for The Band

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Phillips County, Arkansas
• Phillips County - Largest number of lynchings of any US County