Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,100, settled in 1884.
The best of Waldo’s subject grades is an A+ for cost of living; the weakest is a D− for incomes. On the outdoors, just 7 of Arkansas’ 201 towns do worse. Frog Level and Waldo Water Tower is on the National Register of Historic Places. Waldo has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
1,372 counted in 2010 and 1,151 in 2020; an estimated 1,100 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arkansas), ordered by how far Waldo is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 709 in 1890, a peak of 1,722 in 1960, 1,151 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1968 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Waldo, 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 Waldo.
18% of Waldo adults smoke cigarettes. This Arkansas town does better than the Arkansas average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 14. Among 124 Arkansas towns, just 9 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Waldo. In Waldo, 47% of adults sleep under 7 hours, and 51% have high blood pressure.
| Waldo | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 12% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 39% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 51% | 41% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 16% |
| What stands out | Waldo | AR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.8% | 14.6% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.3% | 8.2% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 18.6% | 10.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearly a quarter of Waldo residents live below the poverty line, against 18% in Arkansas’ towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Only 6 of the 124 Arkansas towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Waldo. Its typical household income comes in at $41,000. It had 96 jobs in 2023, down 26 from 2013.
| Waldo | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 40 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 24% | 18% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.1% | 22% | 8% |
| Median household income | $41,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The peak summer temperature for Waldo comes to 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Waldo’s natural-hazard score from FEMA is 57 of 100. Expected losses in Waldo break down as 24% from inland flooding and 19% from ice storms. Also worth knowing: households locally have drawn federal disaster aid in 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2003.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Waldo
About 3 of every 100 Waldo residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Arkansas.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
4 notable people were born in Waldo.
City in Arkansas, United States
Waldo is a city in Columbia County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, Waldo had a population of 1,151.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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 Travis Jackson and Mujahid Abdul-Karim.
