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Lafayette County, Arkansas

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Lafayette County
County
Lafayette County Courthouse, Lewisville
Lafayette County Courthouse, Lewisville
Map of Arkansas highlighting Lafayette County
Location within the U.S. state of Arkansas
Map of the United States highlighting Arkansas
Arkansas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 33°15′51″N 93°35′34″W / 33.264166666667°N 93.592777777778°W / 33.264166666667; -93.592777777778
Country United States
State Arkansas
FoundedOctober 15, 1827
Named afterMarquis de Lafayette
SeatLewisville
Largest townStamps
Area
 • Total
545 sq mi (1,410 km2)
 • Land528 sq mi (1,370 km2)
 • Water17 sq mi (40 km2)  3.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
6,308
 • Estimate 
(2023)
6,095 Decrease
 • Density12/sq mi (4.5/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes
71826, 71827, 71845, 71860, 71861
Area code870
Congressional district4th
Websitewww.lafayettecounty.arkansas.gov

Lafayette County /lɑːˈfeɪɛt/ is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,308,[1] making it the third-least populous county in Arkansas. The county seat is Lewisville.[2] Lafayette County was formed on October 15, 1827, and named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette,[3] a French military hero of the American Revolutionary War. It is a dry county; therefore, the sale of alcohol is prohibited.[4]

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 545 square miles (1,410 km2), of which 528 square miles (1,370 km2) is land and 17 square miles (44 km2) (3.1%) is water.[5] It is the smallest county in Arkansas by area. [6]

Major highways

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Adjacent counties

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1830748—
18402,200194.1%
18505,220137.3%
18608,46462.1%
18709,1398.0%
18805,730−37.3%
18907,70034.4%
190010,59437.6%
191013,74129.7%
192015,52213.0%
193016,9349.1%
194016,851−0.5%
195013,203−21.6%
196011,030−16.5%
197010,018−9.2%
198010,2131.9%
19909,643−5.6%
20008,559−11.2%
20107,645−10.7%
20206,308−17.5%
2023 (est.)6,095[7]−3.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10]
1990–2000[11] 2010[12]
Age pyramid Lafayette County[13]

2020 census

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Lafayette County racial composition[14]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 3,870 61.35%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 2,043 32.39%
Native American 29 0.46%
Asian 32 0.51%
Pacific Islander 5 0.08%
Other/Mixed 184 2.92%
Hispanic or Latino 145 2.3%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 6,308 people, 2,784 households, and 1,801 families residing in the county.

2000 census

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As of the 2000 United States census,[15] there were 8,559 people, 3,434 households, and 2,376 families residing in the county. The population density was 16 people per square mile (6.2 people/km2). There were 4,560 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile (3.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 62.08% White, 36.49% Black or African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. 1.03% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,434 households, out of which 27.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.60% were married couples living together, 14.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.80% were non-families. 28.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.40% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 24.40% from 25 to 44, 24.40% from 45 to 64, and 17.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $24,831, and the median income for a family was $30,720. Males had a median income of $26,492 versus $17,000 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,128. About 18.70% of families and 23.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.50% of those under age 18 and 19.30% of those age 65 or over.

Government

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Government

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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 Lafayette 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.[16][17]

Lafayette County, Arkansas Elected countywide officials[18][19]
Position Officeholder Party
County Judge Valarie Clark Republican
County Clerk Angela Brazell Republican
Circuit Clerk Dana Phillips Republican
Sheriff Jeff Black Republican
Treasurer/Collector Michelle Perkison Republican
Assessor Billie Jo Pierson Republican
Coroner William C. "Bill" Powell Republican

The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 5 Republicans, 3 Democrats, and 1 Independent. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:[18][19][20]

  • District 1: Jeremy Kitchens (R)
  • District 2: Linda D. Goodner (R)
  • District 3: Charles H. Goodwin (R)
  • District 4: Rex Lenard (R)
  • District 5: LeNora Jackson (D)
  • District 6: Catherine Ann Rone (D)
  • District 7: Horace M. Hight (R)
  • District 8: Stephanie Harris (D)
  • District 9: Jimmy Brackman (I)

Additionally, the townships of Lafayette 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.[21] The township constables as of the 2024 elections are:[20]

  • District 1: Braxton Ben Butler (I)

Politics

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Prior to 2000, Lafayette County was considered an "ancestral" Democratic county among white conservatives. Exceptions were the 1972 and 1984 landslides of Republicans Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, respectively.

Former Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas, considered a son of the South, won this county twice in his presidential runs: 1992 and 1996. Clinton's vice president, Al Gore of Tennessee, another son of the South, won the county in 2000, the most recent Democrat to do so. Most of the African-American voters have been affiliated with the national Democratic Party since the 1960s, even as conservative whites here shifted to the Republican Party.

United States presidential election results for Lafayette County, Arkansas[22]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 1,589 68.34% 698 30.02% 38 1.63%
2020 1,757 65.58% 839 31.32% 83 3.10%
2016 1,758 61.47% 1,032 36.08% 70 2.45%
2012 1,713 58.48% 1,173 40.05% 43 1.47%
2008 1,685 58.06% 1,133 39.04% 84 2.89%
2004 1,604 50.27% 1,567 49.11% 20 0.63%
2000 1,538 45.46% 1,806 53.38% 39 1.15%
1996 971 25.25% 2,466 64.14% 408 10.61%
1992 1,188 29.86% 2,273 57.12% 518 13.02%
1988 1,860 48.95% 1,915 50.39% 25 0.66%
1984 2,290 57.15% 1,695 42.30% 22 0.55%
1980 1,756 46.50% 1,947 51.56% 73 1.93%
1976 1,467 38.51% 2,342 61.49% 0 0.00%
1972 2,460 71.91% 952 27.83% 9 0.26%
1968 672 18.75% 1,208 33.71% 1,704 47.54%
1964 1,476 49.75% 1,484 50.02% 7 0.24%
1960 713 30.67% 1,286 55.31% 326 14.02%
1956 836 36.67% 1,348 59.12% 96 4.21%
1952 733 30.72% 1,637 68.61% 16 0.67%
1948 113 7.94% 700 49.16% 611 42.91%
1944 177 13.34% 1,150 86.66% 0 0.00%
1940 159 10.35% 1,352 88.02% 25 1.63%
1936 100 7.24% 1,279 92.55% 3 0.22%
1932 151 9.14% 1,495 90.50% 6 0.36%
1928 435 30.48% 991 69.45% 1 0.07%
1924 298 24.53% 788 64.86% 129 10.62%
1920 500 34.25% 954 65.34% 6 0.41%
1916 365 29.06% 891 70.94% 0 0.00%
1912 208 23.88% 498 57.18% 165 18.94%
1908 552 42.11% 739 56.37% 20 1.53%
1904 566 46.66% 614 50.62% 33 2.72%
1900 448 51.44% 422 48.45% 1 0.11%
1896 423 40.83% 608 58.69% 5 0.48%

Communities

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Towns

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Townships

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Townships in Arkansas are the divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas; some may have incorporated cities or towns within part of their boundaries. Arkansas townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, the United States census does list Arkansas population based on townships (sometimes referred to as "county subdivisions" or "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 and publications. The townships of Lafayette County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township. [23][24]

Source:[25]

Education

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There are two school districts in the county: Lafayette County School District and the Emerson-Taylor-Bradley School District.[26] Previously the Bradley School District was the second district;[27] it merged into Emerson-Taylor-Bradley in 2013.[28]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Lafayette County, Arkansas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Government Printing Office. p. 178.
  4. ^ "Wet/Dry Status of Arkansas Counties". Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  5. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  6. ^ "Arkansas Land area in square miles, 2010 by County". Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  7. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  8. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  9. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  10. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  11. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  12. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  13. ^ Based on 2000 census data
  14. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  15. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  16. ^ "Quorum Courts". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  17. ^ "Office of County Judge". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  18. ^ a b "Lafayette | Association of Arkansas Counties". www.arcounties.org. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  19. ^ a b https://www.arcounties.org/site/assets/files/6033/november_races.pdf
  20. ^ a b "Lafayette County, Arkansas, elections, 2024". Ballotpedia. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  21. ^ "What is a Constable?". What is a Constable?. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  22. ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  23. ^ 2011 Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS): Lafayette County, AR (PDF) (Map). U. S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  24. ^ "Arkansas: 2010 Census Block Maps - County Subdivision". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 28, 2014. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  25. ^ "Summary Population and Housing Characteristics, CPH-1-5, Arkansas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. September 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2014. 2010 Census of Population and Housing
  26. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Lafayette County, AR" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 21, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2022. - Text list
  27. ^ "SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Lafayette County, AR" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 25, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2022. - Text list
  28. ^ "State approves Bradley school annexation by Emerson-Taylor district". Magnolia Reporter. May 14, 2013. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
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33°15′51″N 93°35′34″W / 33.26417°N 93.59278°W / 33.26417; -93.59278

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