Arkansans’ ability to obtain health care should not depend on their ZIP code, but there is a clear divide between rural and urban parts of the state when it comes to healthcare access. Rural Arkansas counties have far fewer primary care physicians and dentists per capita than urban counties, and rural hospitals struggle to provide services to populations that tend to be older and sicker than urban populations. In fact, Arkansas leads the nation in the percentage of rural hospitals vulnerable to closure. We spotlight these issues in this updated infographic.
For more on Arkansas’ shifting rural-urban divide, see our Rural Health Insights topic page.
References
- Arkansas Department of Health. (2025, February). Arkansas health professions manpower statistics 2023. https://healthy.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/Manpower-Report-2023-FINAL.pdf
- U.S. Census Bureau. County population by characteristics: 2020-2023. Retrieved May 8, 2025, from https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-detail.html
- CHARTIS. (2025, February 10). 2025 rural health state of the state: Reduced reimbursements, dwindling access to care, and deteriorating population health status. https://www.chartis.com/insights/2025-rural-health-state-state
