Then & Now... A snapshot look at the growth of Northwest Arkansas

If you are familiar with Northwest Arkansas at all, you have probably heard it said that this area has grown... a LOT.  But you may not know why or how exactly.  Our team decided to take a deeper look at this growth over the past two decades, and wanted to share a few of our findings.  It's easy to see that this little corner of the state has really bloomed into a national hub for economic growth and development.

Ethnic Trends from 1990-2010:

2010 Census	Population	White	Latino	Asian	African American	Other
MSA	463,204	353,302	69,087	10,884	8,629	21,302
Rogers	55,964	34,718	17,619	1,400	716	1,511
Lowell	7,327	5,035	1,808	193	59	212
Springdale	69,797	36,798	24,692	1,336	1,160	5,811
Fayetteville	73,580	59,398	4,725	2,255	4,301	2,901
Bentonville	35,301	27,193	3,074	2,919	850	1,265
Bella Vista	26,461	24,881	688	122	169	601
2000 Census	Population	White	Latino	Asian	African American	Other
MSA	311121	266462	26401	4094	4168	9,996
Rogers	38829	33296	3660	556	184	1,133
Lowell	5013	4445	205	136	39	188
Springdale	45798	37380	5079	772	377	2,190
Fayetteville	58047	50212	2639	1484	2969	743
Bentonville	19730	17939	528	473	174	616
Bella Vista	16441	16050	168	45	30	148
1990 Census	Population	White	Latino	Asian	African American	Other
MSA	113409	107724	1526	1027	1656	1476
Rogers	24692	23811	460	190	15	216
Lowell	1224	1164	37	6	0	17
Springdale	29941	28853	446	277	28	337
Fayetteville	42099	38798	603	651	1566	481
Bentonville	11257	10872	161	98	27	99
Bella Vista	9083	9009	25	8	7	34

One of the most important trends that we see with ethnic growth is the increase of the Latino population over the past twenty years, growing from just 460 in Rogers in 1990 to over 17,000 in Rogers today.  35.3% of all Latino residents in Arkansas live in Benton or Washington County. 

This growth is remarkable, and has opened up our area to become a diverse marketplace in both small and large scale businesses for minority business leaders.  It has also allowed the rest of the growth to become international hub as we continue to grow our diverse population.

Household & Gender Trends from 1990-2010: 

2010 Census	Male	Female	Households
MSA	230,152	233052	173054
Rogers	27,437	28,527	19,675
Lowell	3,622	3,705	2,677
Springdale	34693	35104	22805
Fayetteville	36,993	36,587	30726
Bentonville	17282	18,019	13253
Bella Vista	12,706	13,755	11729
2000 Census	Male	Female	Households
MSA	154697	156424	118363
Rogers	18,947	19,882	14,061
Lowell	2,404	2,444	1,790
Springdale	22635	23425	16287
Fayetteville	29,376	28,407	23691
Bentonville	9533	10219	7468
Bella Vista	7,934	8,507	7854
1990 Census	Male	Female	Households
MSA	56060	57349	43372
Rogers	11,872	12,865	9,705
Lowell	614	610	477
Springdale	14353	15588	11432
Fayetteville	21,029	21,070	16894
Bentonville	5368	5889	4266
Bella Vista	4,332	4,751	4369

From 2000-2010, the U.S. census shows that we had rapid growth in the amount of individuals and families moving to Northwest Arkansas averaging 944 new residents per month transplanting here to live.  Benton County alone grew 44.3% with an increase of 67,933 people since 2000.

The population for Benton and Washington Counties has more than doubled since 1990.  The growth rate for the two county area was 101.2% for a total population growth of 213,496 since 1990.  Northwest Arkansas has four of the top ten largest cities in Arkansas. 

Nearly half of the entire growth of the state of Arkansas since 2000 has occurred in Benton and Washington County.

There is no question that corporations such as Walmart, Tyson, and JB Hunt that are headquartered in Northwest Arkansas have had a major impact. 

People from all over the United States and worldwide are moving to Northwest Arkansas to engage in business which is fostering a creative and economic movement that has propelled the Northwest Arkansas region to be one of the nation's best.

The quality of life found in Northwest Arkansas is what one expects from a major metropolis, to have things like world-class health care, fine dining, boutique shops, sports complexes, parks and trails, and the upcoming Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.  Not only do new residents find this to be a capitol for business, but there are several things to do for leisure as well.

I-540 & Pleasant Grove Road in 1990

I-540 & Pleasant Grove in 2010

The Nation Has Noticed:

Northwest Arkansas and its cities have recently been recognized by national organizations:

- In 2010 & 2011 CNN-MONEY ranked Rogers 10th on its "Best Places to Live" for Small Cities

- In 2011, Forbes ranked Northwest Arkansas 5th in the Nation for Mid-Sized Cities for Job-Growth

- The Milken Institute ranked Northwest Arkansas 43rd on its "Best Performing Cities" List for Large-Metros

- U.S. News and World Report ranked the Sam M. Walton College of Business 25th among public institutions on its annual "America's Best Graduate Schools List."  The part-time program was ranked 29th in the nation, and the UA Law School was listed in the Top 50.

- 2010 CNN-MONEY listed the top 25 counties in the United States that have experienced the most job growth since 2000.  Benton County ranked 15th, and Washington County came in at 22nd.

- Forbes.com ranked Northwest Arkansas #2 for its list "Best Place in the United States for Recession Recovery"

What Next: 

This is a vibrant economic area that is still growing.  Improvements such as the near opening of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the recent expansion of XNA Airport, the groundwork beginning for the Bella Vista Bypass, the announcement of Cabela's, and the continuing expansion of St. Mary's/Mercy Hospital show that we're not done.

This area will continue to be a driving force for the nation and great things will continue to come to Northwest Arkansas in the next few years and beyond.