Black Oak AR 001, 2011
Black Oak’s story
124 years in pictures
Census counts: 302 in 1930, 233 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 3 maps from 1941 on.
- 1902Black Oak is settled
Black OakAR
A town of 261, settled in 1902.
Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki ([email protected]) · CC BY 3.0
Population
261
2025 Census estimate · −3.7% since 2020
Median home value
$68K
Census ACS
Household income
$55K
median
Median age
40.8
years
Jobs based here
16
A commuter town
Is Black Oak a good place to live?
34% of residents are under 18 in Black Oak, above both the Arkansas town median (25%) and the median of U.S. towns (22%). Only 2 of the 124 Arkansas towns we compare have a higher share of households owning their home than Black Oak. Black Oak has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
261 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Black Oak: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Black Oak, and how to reach them.
PowerEntergy Arkansas13.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBlack Oak Waterworks1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Black Oak’s trash rules yet
Register to voteIn personArkansas has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCraighead County ClerkCraighead County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2015
ZIP code7241472414 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Black Oak.
Natural hazards
Compared with most of Arkansas and the rest of the country, the FEMA risk score in Black Oak is higher
At 88 of 100, Black Oak’s FEMA risk score is above both Arkansas’ towns (66 of 100) and U.S. towns (44 of 100).
88risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland floodingTornadoes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Most of Black Oak’s workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Black Oak for work: only 0% work in town. 23% of Black Oak residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Jonesboro (29%), Monette (5%) and Marion (5%).
0%work in town
| Black Oak | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 23% | 18% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Black Oak0%
Jonesboro29%
Monette5%
Marion5%
Gosnell4%
21 mi
median commute distance
16
jobs based in Black Oak
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Arkansas overall
Black Oak has lost 3.7% of its people since 2020, down to 261 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 26% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 26% across Arkansas. 31% never finished high school.
40.8median age · AR 38.5
Black OakArkansasUnited States
Ages · share of residents
22%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma31%
High school24%
Some college14%
Associate’s6%
Bachelor’s6%
Graduate20%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 35% and 55% women
The Census survey reached too few of Black Oak’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±10.1 points. Across Arkansas, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Black Oak | AR | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 17.3% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 16.2% | 10.8% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.3% | 9.4% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 4.5% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.5% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 22.3% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 3.9% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.1% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.9% | 7.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 31.1% | 11.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.6% | 34.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.2% | 20.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.7% | 8.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 5.7% | 16.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 19.8% | 9.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 300, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
In Black Oak, expect mild winters and hot summers
Black Oak has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Black Oak is 91°F.
3″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter32–49°
Spring50–71°
Summer70–89°
Fall51–72°
Nov 6
typical first frost
Mar 26
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Black Oak is
Black Oak beats the Arkansas average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 19% of adults smoke cigarettes in Black Oak.
| Black Oak | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 25% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 34% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Arkansas
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Black Oak | AR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 50.8% | 54.7% |
Baptist Memorial Hospital Jonesboro
15.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Black Oak
16pages on Black Oak
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Black Oak; the nearest are
Arkansas State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Jonesboro17.5 mi$8,090 in-state tuitionArkansas Northeastern CollegeCommunity college · Public · Blytheville25.4 mi$2,570 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Black Oak residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Arkansas.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Black Oak for work
Where Black Oak’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
16jobs based in Black Oak
0%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Black Oak
Town in Arkansas, United States
Black Oak is a town in Craighead County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 233 in the 2020 census. It is included in the Jonesboro, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 230 ft
- ZIP code
- 72414
- Area code
- 870
Questions about Black Oak
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Black Oak, AR a good place to live?
Black Oak has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.