Schools, health, disaster risk, bridges and federal grants for Prairie County, from national public records — each with its source. The same page for every U.S. county is at countycommons.us/us.
How Prairie County compares — against the other counties in Arkansas
7,935 — people: 67th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$12,159 — spending per student in its school districts: 46th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
72.8 years — life expectancy: 33rd highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
9.0% — share of adults under 65 without health insurance: 54th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
22.4% — child poverty: 51st highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
72.4% — households with broadband internet: 66th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$54,962 — median household income: 19th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
9.1% — share of bridges rated poor: 15th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$1,040 — federal grant dollars per resident: 12th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$9.0 million — expected yearly losses from natural hazards: 54th 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 Prairie County. School taxes are usually the largest part of a property tax bill.
DES ARC SCH DIST #5636 students
Spent $7.9 million — $7.2 million to run schools, about $11,303 per student, plus $498,000 on buildings and equipment. Money in: $1.1 million local (mostly property tax), $5.8 million state, $1.5 million federal. Long-term debt: $5.9 million.
HAZEN SCH DIST556 students
Spent $7.8 million — $7.3 million to run schools, about $13,137 per student, plus $287,000 on buildings and equipment. Money in: $1.3 million local (mostly property tax), $5.3 million state, $1.8 million federal. Long-term debt: $6.4 million.
Overall risk: Very Low compared with other U.S. counties. FEMA estimates natural hazards cost Prairie County about $9 million a year on average in buildings, crops and lives. Ability to bounce back (community resilience): Relatively Low; social vulnerability: Very High.
The costliest hazards here
River and inland flooding$3.7 million a year · Relatively Low
Earthquake$2.3 million a year · Relatively Low
Tornado$1.5 million a year · Relatively Moderate
Ice storm$316,713 a year · Relatively Moderate
Heat wave$276,580 a year · Relatively Low
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
88 bridges in Prairie County: 32 in good condition, 48 fair, and 8 poor (9.1%). “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 63 Log 10.70 over WOLF BAYOU · built 1934
3,700 vehicles a day
US 63 Log 8.69 over LAGRUE CREEK RELIEF · built 1934
Federal grants — the money that came in, and what's open now
Federal grants paid for $8.6 million of work in Prairie County in fiscal 2025, about $1,040 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.