Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
40% of residents live below the poverty line in Oil Trough, against 18% in Arkansas’ towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Thida Grove School and Cedar Creek Bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places. Oil Trough has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Oil Trough beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 237 in 1960, a peak of 524 in 1970, 226 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1936 and 4 maps from 1935 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Oil Trough, 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 Oil Trough.
For Oil Trough, that is above both the Arkansas town median (16%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). Children under 18 are 44% of residents (23% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 7% of residents (22% statewide). 17% of Oil Trough adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
| Oil Trough | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 16% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 17% | 20% | 29% |
47% women, 53% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.8 points. Across Arkansas, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Oil Trough | AR | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 18.5% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 25.1% | 10.8% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 1.9% | 9.4% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.7% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.3% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.4% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12% | 7.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 17.7% | 11.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 39% | 34.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.8% | 20.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 1.4% | 8.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 12.1% | 16.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5% | 9.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 79% of U.S. communities. Since 1990, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Oil Trough.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Oil Trough for work: only 0% work in town. The average trip to work in Oil Trough is 27 minutes. The top destinations are Batesville (24%), Searcy (14%) and Southside (8%).
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Oil Trough has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Oil Trough’s July high is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Oil Trough beats the Arkansas average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 35% of adults get no exercise outside work in Oil Trough.
| Oil Trough | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 34% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 41% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 39% | 35% |
| What stands out | Oil Trough | AR |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 26.5% | 18.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10% | 8.2% |
| More adults with arthritis | 32.4% | 28.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
2 within 15 miles of the center of Oil Trough
About 2 of every 100 Oil Trough residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Arkansas.
Where Oil Trough’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in Arkansas, United States
Oil Trough is a town in Independence County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, Oil Trough had a population of 226. The post office opened here in 1832 under the name Pleasant Island, with a switch to the Oil Trough name in 1849. The town is believed to have acquired its name from a trough used to render bear fat, which was then sold to customers in New Orleans.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Oil Trough has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
