Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,511, settled in 1833.
Clinton gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $172K, 3.4 years of the county’s $50K median household income. It grades C− overall, ranked 70th of 123 in Arkansas. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $43K, and 20% of residents live below the poverty line, and CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 96% of the country. On the plus side, its public schools beat 80% of Arkansas towns on state tests and graduation. 34% of working residents work locally in Clinton, against 21% in Arkansas’ towns and 8% across U.S. towns. On history, just 9 of Arkansas’ 201 towns do better. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 78% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top.
Where Clinton beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Clinton Elementary School | PK–5 | 553 |
| Clinton Jr. High School | 6–8 | 317 |
| Clinton High School | 9–12 | 390 |
Census counts: 166 in 1880, 2,509 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and 3 maps from 1892 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arkansas), ordered by how far Clinton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Clinton, 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 Clinton.
Clinton pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices, trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and draws workers from Fairfield Bay and beyond.
40% of adults get no exercise outside work in Clinton. Clinton beats the Arkansas average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 47% of adults have high blood pressure in Clinton.
| Clinton | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 34% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 41% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 25% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 12% |
| What stands out | Clinton | AR |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81% | 76.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 13.7% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its A− for schools comes with a B+ for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $172K.
Its public schools are run by the Clinton School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Clinton High School, with 390 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 553 | A− |
| Clinton High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 390 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AR on state tests and graduation
1,874 jobs are based in Clinton, 2.8 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
About one in 3 of Clinton’s working residents works in town. Clinton’s average trip to work is 26 minutes. Since 2013, Clinton has lost 158 jobs, to 1,874 in 2023.
| Clinton | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $43,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
3.9 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Archey Fork Park, at 31 acres with 1.5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Archey Fork Park | 1.5 mi | 31 |
| 2. Main Street Park | 0.2 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Since 1982, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Clinton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Homes are within reach (about $172K for the typical one, B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 24 miles. 63.7% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 44.8% across Arkansas.
The median rent in Clinton is $712 a month. The typical Clinton home is worth about $172,000, up 1.2% in a year, 23% below the Arkansas typical home.
| Clinton | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $712 a month | $880 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 62% | 60% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
January nights average 28°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 78% of Arkansas places with climate records; July afternoons average 91.1°.
Clinton has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. About 3 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Clinton | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 91°F | 92°F | 85°F |
| January low | 28°F | 30°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Clinton's reported crime rate is close to Arkansas's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 5 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Clinton | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 16.8 per 1,000 residents | 13.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2 per 1,000 residents | 3.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Arkansas average. 20% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 26% across Arkansas.
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.8 points. Across Arkansas, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Clinton | AR | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.6% | 10.8% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.6% | 9.4% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.6% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.4% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.6% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.2% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.3% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.8% | 7.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 14.6% | 11.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 43.5% | 34.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.9% | 20.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 4.8% | 8.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 13.9% | 16.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.3% | 9.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,500, single groups can be off by several points
None within 15 miles of Clinton; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Clinton residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Arkansas.
Where Clinton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
5 places in Clinton on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Clinton.
City in Arkansas, United States
Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Van Buren County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,509 at the 2020 census, making it the most populous city in the county.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Clinton grades C− overall, better than 20% of U.S. towns and #70 of 123 in Arkansas. It grades D− for health and A− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
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 B+.
3 notable people were born here, including John Hargis and Bobby Burnett.
