“Counties like it” are metro-area counties with a similar population and a median household income near Pulaski County's ($61,344). Ahead or behind means more than 15% better or worse than the typical one.
Ahead of similar counties on 4 measures:
Behind similar counties on 1 measure:
About the same on 7: life expectancy, adults under 65 without health insurance, children in poverty, food insecurity, households with severe housing problems, unemployment, households with broadband internet.
| Measure | Pulaski County | Typical similar county |
|---|---|---|
| Population change, 2020–2024 | 0.5% 399,286 → 401,209 | 1.9% |
| School spending per student (day-to-day costs) | $14,436 | $14,151 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 population estimates; Census Annual Survey of School System Finances (school year 2023), current spending divided by enrollment across the districts based in the county.
At the end of 2024, Pulaski County's general fund held $71,016,151 — enough to cover about 7.8 months of that year's spending. Five years earlier (2020) it held $25,994,692. Among the 75 Arkansas counties whose state audits include this five-year schedule, that ranks 53 of 75 for months covered; the typical county held about 10.6 months.
Source: each county's state audit, “Schedule of Selected Information for the Last Five Years — General Fund” (unaudited schedule). Latest years differ by county (2023, 2024). A larger reserve isn't automatically better or worse — it can be savings for a planned project, or money not yet spent. The year-by-year table.
“Counties like it” means other counties in a metro area with a similar number of people and a similar median household income (about $61,344 here). Comparing with them, instead of the whole country, shows what similar places have managed. Pulaski County is furthest behind on jail population per 100,000 residents 15–64.
| Measure | Pulaski County | Typical similar county | Doing best among similar counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 ahead of similar counties | 32.3 | 39.1 | McLennan County, TX 11.9 Lubbock County, TX 13.8 Leon County, FL 15.6 |
| Life expectancy about the same | 73.8 years | 75.0 years | St. Lucie County, FL 78.2 years Alachua County, FL 77.7 years Leon County, FL 77.1 years |
| Adults under 65 without health insurance about the same | 9.0% | 9.9% | Hampden County, MA 3.3% Genesee County, MI 5.2% Ingham County, MI 5.8% |
| Residents per primary care doctor ahead of similar counties | 848 | 1,236 | Alachua County, FL 643 Fayette County, KY 832 Baltimore city, MD 863 |
| Residents per mental health provider ahead of similar counties | 190 | 321 | Hampden County, MA 86 Alachua County, FL 144 Baltimore city, MD 150 |
| Children in poverty about the same | 23.7% | 21.1% | St. Lucie County, FL 12.2% Greene County, MO 16.0% Ingham County, MI 16.7% |
| Food insecurity about the same | 16.3% | 14.5% | Richland County, SC 11.6% Clayton County, GA 11.9% St. Lucie County, FL 12.3% |
| Households with severe housing problems about the same | 16.4% | 16.2% | Stark County, OH 10.7% Allen County, IN 11.0% St. Joseph County, IN 12.9% |
| Unemployment about the same | 3.2% | 3.7% | Greene County, MO 2.6% Spartanburg County, SC 2.9% Baltimore city, MD 2.9% |
| Households with broadband internet about the same | 87.6% | 87.9% | St. Lucie County, FL 91.3% Fayette County, KY 91.0% Allen County, IN 90.8% |
| Jail population per 100,000 residents 15–64 behind similar counties | 497 | 315 | Lucas County, OH 130 Ingham County, MI 150 Montgomery County, OH 172 |
| Bridges rated poor ahead of similar counties | 2.6% | 4.7% | Lubbock County, TX 0.0% Nueces County, TX 0.6% Cumberland County, NC 0.9% |
“Behind” or “ahead” means more than 15% worse or better than the typical (median) similar county; small differences can be noise. Sources: County Health Rankings 2025 (health, money and internet), Vera Institute (jail, latest year from 2015 on), FHWA National Bridge Inventory 2025, HUD (metro areas), Census 2024 population. What has worked elsewhere on each of these.
“Highest” and “lowest” are just order, not grades: a high rank for poverty or hazard losses means more of it. Each figure's source is in its section below.
Related: By the numbers · The money trail · Audits · What has worked. Spot an error? Report it.