Jonesboro population, job numbers trending higher

William Jones had a plan. He was running for a seat in the Arkansas Senate in Poinsett County. If elected, he told his constituents he would propose that a new county be carved out of the northern section of the county.

At that time in 1857, the county was enormous and part of it was bifurcated by Crowley’s Ridge, a geographical formation that rises several hundred feet from the Arkansas Delta region and spans 200 miles from southern Missouri to Phillips County. The formation made travel from one side of the county to the county seat on the other side difficult.

Jones was elected and during the 1858 legislative session, he tried to get another local senator, Thomas Craighead, to support his push for a new county, to be named Crowley’s County. There was only one problem. Craighead didn’t want a new county created. While he was absent from the chamber, a vote was taken and a new county was formed — Craighead County, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.

Not to be outdone, Craighead proposed that the county seat be named Jonesboro. The largest city and county in Northeast Arkansas had been born.

Since its formation, Jonesboro’s population has ballooned to almost 83,000 making it the fifth largest city in the state, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. By land size, it’s the second largest in the state, trailing only Little Rock.

Jonesboro Mayor Harold Copenhaver told Talk Business & Politics that civic and business leaders have a goal to have the city’s population crest to more than 100,000 in the coming years.

“Jonesboro is absolutely tracking to be a city of 100,000 residents,” he said. “To prepare for that we announced our ‘Destination 100K’ initiative earlier this year. Our goal is to not only have 100,000 people living here but to be a city that thrives at that population. Jonesboro has grown so fast that we have not always kept up in all areas. We need more parks, pools, pedestrian infrastructure, and public safety assets. Last year, we completed a Master Parks Plan. This year we will begin a Master Growth Plan for the entire city. Growth is great but it’s a double-edged sword. I don’t want Jonesboro to just grow. I want it to improve. Growing in a smart way is key and we are developing a plan to identify, in depth, what we need to do to be ready when we reach 100,000.”

A sign of that growth other than the steady increase in population, has been housing unit growth. During the last half decade, the number of city housing units has risen 8.2% from 46,939 to 50,801, according to the Census Bureau.

Jonesboro’s diverse jobs base is one reason it’s had steady population and housing growth, according to Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mark Young.

“Our diverse economy in Jonesboro continues to be a driver, making us a great place for people to build careers and enjoy a great quality of life,” Young said. “As a community we must continue to invest in infrastructure that will support continued growth. This includes industrial infrastructure, housing, roads, utilities and quality of life amenities.”

Copenhaver agreed with Young that the city’s and county’s deep mix of jobs from many different sectors and no reliance on one such as an automobile plant have contributed to growth. The agriculture sector employs thousands either directly or indirectly in the region, and Jonesboro is the region’s healthcare hub with St. Bernards and NEA Baptist located in the city, the mayor said.

The largest individual employer directly or indirectly is Arkansas State University and many other government-related jobs fuel the local economy. The city has a growing retail and manufacturing base, he said. Decades ago, civic leaders leaned in on inexpensive water and electricity to lure food manufacturers to the city.

That diversity is laid out in the city’s jobs numbers. Jonesboro has a jobless rate of 3.1%, more than half a point below the state rate and 1.1% below the national rate of 4.2% The number of those employed in the Jonesboro metro was 65,608 in April, up 1.8% compared with 64,420 in April 2024.

“Our industrial offerings have been selected wisely for their longevity, insulated from wild market trends,” Copenhaver said. “Decades ago, Jonesboro made the decision to invest in acreage for industrial development and rail access providing not only space but also incentives for industry. Having a work-ready population is key for industries to choose Jonesboro.”

Throughout NEA there have been chronic housing shortages, but Copenhaver said he doesn’t believe the city has one.

“I don’t know if I would call it a housing shortage, but there is certainly high demand and a lot of new construction underway, as well as planned construction,” he said. “We’re seeing a notable amount of internal redevelopment within the city. We are excited with the thousands of homes in process around the edges of the city, though that growth comes with a service cost — more roads, etc. Seeing more dense development in the core of Jonesboro is also a welcome trend.”

Two relatively recent events will drive future growth in the city, and both have ties to A-State. The first was the medical school established on the campus almost a decade ago by NYITCOM, and the newly proposed veterinarian school.

“Now ASU has added a medical school, NYIT, and recently broke ground on what will be the first and only public veterinarian school in the state,” Copenhaver said. “Both are game changers for Jonesboro.”