Schools, health, disaster risk, bridges and federal grants for Little River County, from national public records — each with its source. The same page for every U.S. county is at countycommons.us/us.
How Little River County compares — against the other counties in Arkansas
11,626 — people: 57th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$12,882 — spending per student in its school districts: 31st highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
71.8 years — life expectancy: 48th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
7.9% — share of adults under 65 without health insurance: 70th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
25.3% — child poverty: 32nd highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
78.7% — households with broadband internet: 43rd highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$48,837 — median household income: 49th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
7.2% — share of bridges rated poor: 23rd highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$138 — federal grant dollars per resident: 62nd highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$9.3 million — expected yearly losses from natural hazards: 53rd highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
“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.
Public schools — district budgets, fiscal 2023
2 school districts have their office in Little River County. School taxes are usually the largest part of a property tax bill.
ASHDOWN SCH DIST 311,308 students
Spent $17.3 million — $16.6 million to run schools, about $12,661 per student, plus $377,000 on buildings and equipment. Money in: $3.3 million local (mostly property tax), $12 million state, $3.9 million federal. Long-term debt: $15.9 million.
FOREMAN SCH DIST490 students
Spent $7.9 million — $6.6 million to run schools, about $13,471 per student, plus $965,000 on buildings and equipment. Money in: $2.3 million local (mostly property tax), $4.3 million state, $852,000 federal. Long-term debt: $8.6 million.
Overall risk: Relatively Low compared with other U.S. counties. FEMA estimates natural hazards cost Little River County about $9.3 million a year on average in buildings, crops and lives. Ability to bounce back (community resilience): Very Low; social vulnerability: Very High.
The costliest hazards here
River and inland flooding$3.7 million a year · Relatively Low
Ice storm$1.8 million a year · Very High
Tornado$982,009 a year · Relatively Low
Drought$591,491 a year · Relatively Moderate
Hail$563,778 a year · Relatively Moderate
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), expected annual loss. Ratings compare counties nationwide; they're estimates, not predictions.
Bridges — condition of every public bridge, 2025
83 bridges in Little River County: 39 in good condition, 38 fair, and 6 poor (7.2%). “Poor” means a main part — the deck, the beams, or the supports — is rated 4 or lower on the federal 0–9 scale. It doesn't mean unsafe to drive; unsafe bridges are closed.
Busiest bridges rated poor
US 71 SEC.04-16.80 over LICK CREEK · built 1965
5,700 vehicles a day
US 71 SEC.04-18.35 over LITTLE RIVER · built 1965
5,700 vehicles a day
ARKANSAS HWY 32 over MILLWOOD DAM SPILLWAY · built 1966
Federal grants — the money that came in, and what's open now
Federal grants paid for $1.7 million of work in Little River County in fiscal 2025, about $138 per resident — to the county, cities, schools, hospitals, nonprofits and others.
Source: USAspending.gov, grants by place of performance, fiscal 2025 (Oct. 2024 to Sept. 2025). Search it by county to see each award.
Open now: federal grants county governments can apply for
From Grants.gov: posted grants listing county governments as eligible, soonest deadline first; research-only and overseas programs left out; list updated 2026-10-13, refreshed weekly. 62 are open in all. Cities, towns, school districts and nonprofits have their own lists there.