Ouachita County ( ) is a county located in the south central part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,650.
The county seat is Camden. Ouachita County is part of the Camden, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area. Formed on November 29, 1842, the county is named for the Ouachita River.
History
Until the late 20th century, the county was a Democratic Party stronghold, aided by the state's having disenfranchised most African Americans at the turn of the century. As in much of the rest of the South, conservative whites, who constitute the majority of the population in the county, have shifted into the Republican Party. In 1972, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon became the first Republican presidential nominee in the 20th century to win a majority in Ouachita County. Much later, in the 2008 presidential election, U.S. Senator John McCain won the county by nearly ten percentage votes over Senator Barack Obama, following President George W. Bush's victory over Senator John F. Kerry in 2004.
The politically influential Pryor family is based here; they include two U.S. senators, David Pryor (serving 1978–1997) and his son Mark Pryor (elected 2002). The elder Pryor also served as a former governor of Arkansas and US Congressman. The county is served by a daily newspaper, The Camden News.
Geography
thumb|277px|Entrance to the [[Poison Springs Battleground State Park, a U.S. National Historic Landmark]]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.9%) is water.
Major highways
- 20px Future Interstate 69
- 20px U.S. Highway 79
- 25px U.S. Highway 278
- 20px Highway 4
- 20px Highway 7
- 20px Highway 9
- 20px Highway 24
Adjacent counties
- Dallas County (north)
- Calhoun County (east)
- Union County (south)
- Columbia County (southwest)
- Nevada County (west)
- Clark County (northwest)
Demographics
The county had its peak of population in 1950.
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 22,650. The median age was 44.5 years. 21.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.9 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 53.8% White, 39.3% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.0% from some other race, and 5.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.3% of the population.
There were 9,944 households in the county, of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 39.4% were married-couple households, 21.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 34.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. there were 28,790 people, 11,613 households, and 8,071 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 13,450 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 59.74% White, 38.64% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races. 0.73% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 11,613 households, out of which 30.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.00% were married couples living together, 15.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.50% were non-families. 28.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.90% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 25.60% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 16.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,341, and the median income for a family was $35,736. Males had a median income of $30,976 versus $18,800 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,118. About 16.10% of families and 19.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.20% of those under age 18 and 18.60% 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 Ouachita County Quorum Court has eleven 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.
{| class="wikitable"
|+Ouachita County, Arkansas Elected countywide officials
!Position
!Officeholder
!Party
|-style="background-color:#92C5DE;
|County Judge
|Robbie McAdoo
|Democratic
|-style="background-color:#999999;
|County Clerk
|Sherri Hunter
|Independent
|-style="background-color:#92C5DE;
|Circuit Clerk
|Gladys Nettles
|Democratic
|-style="background-color:#92C5DE;
|Sheriff/Collector
|David Norwood
|Democratic
|-style="background-color:#F48882;
|Treasurer
|Melinda Chambers
|Republican
|-style="background-color:#92C5DE;
|Assessor
|Tonya McKenzie
|Democratic
|-style="background-color:#F48882;
|Coroner
|Todd McAteer
|Republican
|}
The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 8 Republicans, 2 Democrats, and 1 Independent. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:
- District 1: Ware Russell (R)
- District 2: Dale Vaughan (R)
- District 3: Eddie Pickett (R)
- District 4: Jonathan Wolfe (R)
- District 5: Shannon Milam (R)
- District 6: Addie Moore-Edwards (R)
- District 7: Wayland Chambers (R)
- District 8: Willie R. Hardy (D)
- District 9: Fred Lilly Sr. (D)
- District 10: Helen Aregood (R)
- District 11: Jerry West (I)
Politics
Over the past few election cycles Ouachita County has trended towards the GOP. The last Democrat (as of 2024) to carry this county was Al Gore in 2000.
In 2020, the county saw an increase in third party votes compared to 2016, whereas the national trend was a significant drop of third party support.
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Communities
Cities
- Bearden
- Camden (county seat)
- Chidester
- East Camden
- Stephens
Town
- Louann
Census designated place
- Reader
Unincorporated community
- Cullendale
Townships
- Behestian
- Bradley (East Camden)
- Bragg
- Bridge Creek (Elliott)
- Carroll
- Cleveland
- Ecore Fabre (most of Camden)
- Freeo
- Jefferson
- Lafayette (small part of Camden)
- Liberty
- Marion (Buena Vista)
- Red Hill (Chidester, most of CDP Reader)
- River
- Smackover (Stephens)
- Union (Bearden)
- Valley
- Washington (Louann)
==Monuments and memorials== <!-- EDITORS NOTE: Please do not add monument and memorial images to this section. It would quickly become too unwieldy. Thank you. -->
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See also
- List of lakes in Ouachita County, Arkansas
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Ouachita County, Arkansas
- USS Ouachita County (LST-1071)
References
External links
- Ouachita County, Arkansas entry on the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture
- Ouachita County Sheriff's Office.