Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Ashdown grades D overall, ranked 86th of 123 in Arkansas, mostly because of health and incomes. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 94% of the country. The median household income is $56K, and 21% of residents live below the poverty line. In its favor, homes are within reach, about $161K for a typical one, or 2.9 years of the Texarkana metro’s $56K median household income. Ashdown’s average trip to work is 35 minutes, where Arkansas’ towns sit at 21 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Ashdown has 7 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Little River County Courthouse and Judge Jefferson Thomas Cowling House. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 84% of U.S. towns.
Where Ashdown beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arkansas), ordered by how far Ashdown is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 400 in 1900, 4,261 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1930 and 2 maps from 1950 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ashdown, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Ashdown.
Ashdown sends many workers across the state line to Texarkana, but it has little public open land.
48% of Ashdown adults have high blood pressure. Ashdown beats the Arkansas average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 17% of Ashdown adults have diabetes.
| Ashdown | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 41% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 34% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 16% |
| What stands out | Ashdown | AR |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.6% | 76.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 14.1% | 10.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Ashdown School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Ashdown High School, with 382 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashdown Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 621 | C+ |
| Ashdown High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 382 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AR on state tests and graduation
Ashdown’s property crime rate is 23.5 per 1,000 residents. Within Arkansas, it does better than 38% of towns. Ashdown’s violent crime rate is 3 per 1,000 residents.
| Ashdown | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 23.5 per 1,000 residents | 13.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3 per 1,000 residents | 3.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The median rent in Ashdown is $683 a month. Typical home values rose 13% in the year to September 2026.
| Ashdown | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $683 a month | $880 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 60% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Just 0 of its 4,572 acres are conserved, so there is little public open land in Ashdown itself; its outdoors grade is C−.
1.5 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Ashdown City Park, at 45 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ashdown City Park | 0.2 mi | 45 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Ashdown has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 93°, January nights drop to 33° and about 2 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 67% of U.S. communities. Since 2001, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Ashdown.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
35% of working residents cross a state line to work, Texarkana among the top destinations. Jobs based here fell from 1,700 in 2013 to 1,323.
About one in 5 of Ashdown’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Ashdown has lost 377 jobs, to 1,323 in 2023. The top destinations are Texarkana (13%), Texarkana (11%) and De Queen (4%).
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Adults 35 to 64 are 32% of residents (37% statewide). 26% of residents are under 18 in Ashdown. Ashdown has lost 2.9% of its people since 2020, down to 4,135 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Ashdown | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 26% | 25% | 22% |
| Median age | 35.6 years | 36.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 16% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 24% | 20% | 29% |
59% women, 41% men
About 70 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.4 points). Across Arkansas, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Ashdown | AR | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.2% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.7% | 10.8% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.4% | 9.4% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.8% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.4% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.1% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.5% | 7.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.7% | 11.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 39.6% | 34.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 23% | 20.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.8% | 8.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.2% | 16.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.7% | 9.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,100, single groups can be off by several points
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ashdown. Close and well known come first.
36 mi State parkCrater of Diamonds State Park
31 mi National Historic SitePresident William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site7K visitors a year
26 mi MuseumHistoric Washington State Park
18 mi MuseumAce of Clubs House
18 mi MuseumFour States Auto Museum
18 mi MuseumMuseum of Regional HistoryCrater of Diamonds State Park: Doug Wertman from Rogers, AR, USA, CC BY 2.0 · President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Historic Washington State Park: The original uploader was Billy Hathorn at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ace of Clubs House: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Four States Auto Museum: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Museum of Regional History: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Ashdown
About 4 of every 100 Ashdown residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Arkansas.
7 places in Ashdown on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Ashdown.
City in Arkansas, United States
Ashdown (formerly Turkey Flats and Keller) is a city in Little River County, Arkansas, United States. The community was incorporated in 1892 and has been the county seat since 1906. Located within the Arkansas Timberlands between the Little River and the Red River, Ashdown's economy and development have historically been tied to the timber industry. Timber is still a major industry here. Ashdown's population at the 2020 census was 4,261. The city's well-preserved history and proximity to outdoor recreation, such as Millwood State Park, draws tourists.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Ashdown grades D overall, better than 9% of U.S. towns and #86 of 123 in Arkansas. It grades D for health, C− for safety and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Within Arkansas, it does better than 38% of towns.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
4 notable people were born here, including DeAnn Vaught and Jaden Hill.
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