“Counties like it” are non-metro counties with a similar population and a median household income near Independence County's ($59,695). Ahead or behind means more than 15% better or worse than the typical one.
Ahead of similar counties on 3 measures:
Behind similar counties on 2 measures:
About the same on 7: life expectancy, adults under 65 without health insurance, residents per mental health provider, children in poverty, households with severe housing problems, unemployment, households with broadband internet.
| Measure | Independence County | Typical similar county |
|---|---|---|
| Population change, 2020–2024 | 1.1% 37,945 → 38,345 | 0.9% |
| School spending per student (day-to-day costs) | $11,092 | $13,863 |
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, Independence County's general fund held $10,166,987 — enough to cover about 18.9 months of that year's spending. Five years earlier (2020) it held $2,796,887. Among the 75 Arkansas counties whose state audits include this five-year schedule, that ranks 14 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 outside metro areas with a similar number of people and a similar median household income (about $59,695 here). Comparing with them, instead of the whole country, shows what similar places have managed. Independence County is furthest behind on bridges rated poor, food insecurity.
| Measure | Independence County | Typical similar county | Doing best among similar counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 ahead of similar counties | 14.1 | 24.6 | Brown County, TX 9.6 Val Verde County, TX 9.7 Navarro County, TX 10.1 |
| Life expectancy about the same | 73.4 years | 74.4 years | Todd County, MN 80.9 years Latah County, ID 80.8 years Watauga County, NC 79.4 years |
| Adults under 65 without health insurance about the same | 9.8% | 9.0% | Cortland County, NY 4.7% Lee County, IA 4.8% Chenango County, NY 4.8% |
| Residents per primary care doctor ahead of similar counties | 1,301 | 2,210 | Adair County, MO 572 Cerro Gordo County, IA 700 Coos County, NH 894 |
| Residents per mental health provider about the same | 540 | 572 | Pike County, OH 74 Taos County, NM 115 Windham County, VT 119 |
| Children in poverty about the same | 18.1% | 19.5% | Latah County, ID 9.1% Windham County, VT 11.1% Ellis County, KS 11.5% |
| Food insecurity behind similar counties | 20.2% | 15.7% | Grant County, WI 10.6% Cerro Gordo County, IA 10.8% Todd County, MN 10.9% |
| Households with severe housing problems about the same | 13.4% | 12.5% | McNairy County, TN 7.3% Williams County, OH 7.5% Mineral County, WV 7.6% |
| Unemployment about the same | 3.4% | 3.8% | Ellis County, KS 1.9% Caroline County, MD 2.1% Lincoln County, NE 2.2% |
| Households with broadband internet about the same | 74.7% | 84.6% | Ellis County, KS 92.3% Elmore County, ID 91.1% Clatsop County, OR 91.0% |
| Jail population per 100,000 residents 15–64 ahead of similar counties | 139 | 392 | Houghton County, MI 73 Whitman County, WA 85 Todd County, MN 95 |
| Bridges rated poor behind similar counties | 7.7% | 5.2% | Cherokee County, AL 0.0% Van Wert County, OH 0.0% Bee County, TX 0.0% |
“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.