# Nevada County, Arkansas

Nevada County (/nəˈveɪ.də/ nə-VAY-də) is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 8,310, less than half of its peak in 1920. The county seat is Prescott. Nevada County is Arkansas's 63rd county, formed during the Reconstruction era on March 20, 1871, from portions of Hempstead, Ouachita and Columbia counties. It was named after the state of Nevada because of the perceived similarity between their physical shapes; the Arkansas county's shape, inverted, roughly follows the same outline as the state's boundary. It is an alcohol prohibition or dry county.

## History

This area was historically occupied by members of the Caddoan Confederacy, whose territory extended into present-day Texas and Louisiana. They settled along the waterways, using them for transportation and fishing. Colonial French and later European-American settlers also took over lands along the waterways, which formed their basic transportation routes well into the 19th century. After the Congress repealed Prohibition in the early 20th century, Nevada County voted to retain it and the county is still "dry."

## Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 621 square miles (1,610 km$^2$), of which 618 square miles (1,600 km$^2$) is land and 2.8 square miles (7.3 km$^2$) (0.5%) is water. The county is bounded on the north by the Little Missouri River, a branch of the Ouachita River, and drained by several tributaries of that stream and of Red River. Nevada County is alternately considered as part of the greater regions of South Arkansas or Southwest Arkansas.

### Major highways

* Interstate 30
* U.S. Highway 67
* U.S. Highway 278
* U.S. Highway 371
* Highway 19
* Highway 24
* Highway 32
* Highway 51
* Highway 53

### Adjacent counties

* Clark County (northeast)
* Ouachita County (east)
* Columbia County (south)
* Lafayette County (southwest)
* Hempstead County (west)
* Pike County (northwest)

## Demographics

The population declined by more than half from 1920 to 1970, due to mechanization of agriculture and the decline of the lumber industry causing loss of jobs. In addition, blacks left in the Great Migration to midwestern and western industrial cities, where they found better work and less social oppression.

### 2020 census

Nevada County racial composition :
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 5,145 | 61.91% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 2,433 | 29.28% |
| Native American | 37 | 0.45% |
| Asian | 41 | 0.49% |
| Other/Mixed | 300 | 3.61% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 354 | 4.26% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,310 people, 3,397 households, and 2,263 families residing in the county.

### 2000 census

As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 9,955 people, 3,893 households, and 2,721 families residing in the county. The population density was 16 people per square mile (6.2 people/km$^2$). There were 4,751 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile (3.1/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the county was 66.90% White, 31.18% Black or African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.85% from other races, and 0.62% from two or more races. 1.52% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 3,893 households, out of which 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.90% were married couples living together, 14.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.10% were non-families. 27.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.20% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 26.10% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 16.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $26,962, and the median income for a family was $33,095. Males had a median income of $27,888 versus $17,920 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,184. About 18.30% of families and 22.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.00% of those under age 18 and 27.10% of those age 65 or over.

## Government

Prior to 2000, Nevada County was considered an "ancestral" Democratic-voting county, with exceptions for the 1968 George Wallace campaign and the 1972 and 1984 landslides of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, respectively.
Historically, the county was a stronghold of the Greenback Party, controlling county offices from 1880 to 1884, and later a stronghold for the Populist Party in the 1890s.
United States presidential election results for Nevada County, Arkansas :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 2,002 | 68.87% | 849 | 29.21% | 56 | 1.93% |
| 2020 | 2,133 | 63.52% | 1,076 | 32.04% | 149 | 4.44% |
| 2016 | 2,000 | 61.61% | 1,157 | 35.64% | 89 | 2.74% |
| 2012 | 1,996 | 58.98% | 1,314 | 38.83% | 74 | 2.19% |
| 2008 | 2,062 | 56.73% | 1,474 | 40.55% | 99 | 2.72% |
| 2004 | 1,752 | 50.39% | 1,694 | 48.72% | 31 | 0.89% |
| 2000 | 1,796 | 48.05% | 1,867 | 49.95% | 75 | 2.01% |
| 1996 | 976 | 26.74% | 2,279 | 62.44% | 395 | 10.82% |
| 1992 | 1,217 | 30.83% | 2,242 | 56.79% | 489 | 12.39% |
| 1988 | 1,714 | 49.55% | 1,732 | 50.07% | 13 | 0.38% |
| 1984 | 2,352 | 56.65% | 1,783 | 42.94% | 17 | 0.41% |
| 1980 | 1,697 | 38.22% | 2,631 | 59.26% | 112 | 2.52% |
| 1976 | 1,163 | 27.24% | 3,101 | 72.64% | 5 | 0.12% |
| 1972 | 2,513 | 68.07% | 1,179 | 31.93% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 840 | 21.42% | 1,308 | 33.36% | 1,773 | 45.22% |
| 1964 | 1,406 | 38.79% | 2,190 | 60.41% | 29 | 0.80% |
| 1960 | 937 | 34.06% | 1,605 | 58.34% | 209 | 7.60% |
| 1956 | 1,039 | 35.30% | 1,871 | 63.57% | 33 | 1.12% |
| 1952 | 1,037 | 34.41% | 1,972 | 65.43% | 5 | 0.17% |
| 1948 | 202 | 11.40% | 1,140 | 64.33% | 430 | 24.27% |
| 1944 | 415 | 23.43% | 1,353 | 76.40% | 3 | 0.17% |
| 1940 | 224 | 13.74% | 1,399 | 85.83% | 7 | 0.43% |
| 1936 | 204 | 13.96% | 1,252 | 85.69% | 5 | 0.34% |
| 1932 | 197 | 7.68% | 2,358 | 91.97% | 9 | 0.35% |
| 1928 | 946 | 43.16% | 1,242 | 56.66% | 4 | 0.18% |
| 1924 | 386 | 29.90% | 719 | 55.69% | 186 | 14.41% |
| 1920 | 1,292 | 50.65% | 1,220 | 47.82% | 39 | 1.53% |
| 1916 | 657 | 32.32% | 1,376 | 67.68% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1912 | 322 | 24.96% | 607 | 47.05% | 361 | 27.98% |
| 1908 | 784 | 39.92% | 890 | 45.32% | 290 | 14.77% |
| 1904 | 556 | 36.48% | 585 | 38.39% | 383 | 25.13% |
| 1900 | 744 | 47.42% | 732 | 46.65% | 93 | 5.93% |
| 1896 | 469 | 21.82% | 1,669 | 77.66% | 11 | 0.51% |

## Communities
### Cities

* Emmet
* Prescott (county seat)

### Towns

* Bluff City
* Bodcaw
* Cale
* Rosston
* Willisville
* Falcon

### Census-designated place

* Reader

### Townships

Townships in Arkansas are the divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas; some may have incorporated cities or towns within part of their boundaries. Arkansas townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, the United States census does list Arkansas population based on townships (sometimes referred to as "county subdivisions" or "minor civil divisions"). Townships are also of value for historical purposes in terms of genealogical research. Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps and publications. The townships of Nevada County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.
* Alabama
* Albany
* Boughton
* Caney (Cale, Rosston)
* Emmet (Emmet)
* Georgia
* Jackson
* Leake
* Missouri (Prescott)
* Parker (Bodcaw)
* Redland
* Taylor (Willisville)
* Union (Bluff City, Reader)