“Counties like it” are metro-area counties with a similar population and a median household income near Garland County's ($53,849). Ahead or behind means more than 15% better or worse than the typical one.
Ahead of similar counties on 2 measures:
Behind similar counties on 3 measures:
About the same on 7: drug overdose deaths per 100,000, life expectancy, adults under 65 without health insurance, residents per mental health provider, households with severe housing problems, unemployment, households with broadband internet.
| Measure | Garland County | Typical similar county |
|---|---|---|
| Population change, 2020–2024 | -0.4% 100,266 → 99,902 | 0.2% |
| School spending per student (day-to-day costs) | $13,087 | $13,115 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 population estimates; Census Annual Survey of School System Finances (school year 2023), current spending divided by enrollment across the districts based in the county.
At the end of 2024, Garland County's general fund held $45,126,450 — enough to cover about 30.8 months of that year's spending. Five years earlier (2020) it held $20,771,592. Among the 75 Arkansas counties whose state audits include this five-year schedule, that ranks 1 of 75 for months covered; the typical county held about 10.6 months.
Source: each county's state audit, “Schedule of Selected Information for the Last Five Years — General Fund” (unaudited schedule). Latest years differ by county (2023, 2024). A larger reserve isn't automatically better or worse — it can be savings for a planned project, or money not yet spent. The year-by-year table.
“Counties like it” means other counties in a metro area with a similar number of people and a similar median household income (about $53,849 here). Comparing with them, instead of the whole country, shows what similar places have managed. Garland County is furthest behind on jail population per 100,000 residents 15–64, children in poverty, food insecurity.
| Measure | Garland County | Typical similar county | Doing best among similar counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 about the same | 35.3 | 41.3 | Lowndes County, GA 9.0 Bowie County, TX 12.2 Clarke County, GA 21.0 |
| Life expectancy about the same | 72.1 years | 72.6 years | Clarke County, GA 77.3 years Cochise County, AZ 76.1 years Highlands County, FL 75.0 years |
| Adults under 65 without health insurance about the same | 10.0% | 11.3% | Cambria County, PA 5.1% Calhoun County, MI 6.2% Blair County, PA 6.3% |
| Residents per primary care doctor ahead of similar counties | 1,209 | 1,695 | Cabell County, WV 595 Sebastian County, AR 764 Lynchburg city, VA 790 |
| Residents per mental health provider about the same | 334 | 371 | Lynchburg city, VA 132 Rapides Parish, LA 170 Christian County, KY 186 |
| Children in poverty behind similar counties | 29.4% | 22.5% | Cambria County, PA 17.6% Pickens County, SC 17.6% Sebastian County, AR 17.7% |
| Food insecurity behind similar counties | 19.6% | 16.0% | Portsmouth city, VA 12.2% Sumter County, SC 12.3% Florence County, SC 12.3% |
| Households with severe housing problems about the same | 14.3% | 14.6% | Wood County, WV 9.5% Cambria County, PA 10.4% Walker County, GA 10.8% |
| Unemployment about the same | 3.7% | 3.7% | Etowah County, AL 2.8% Calhoun County, AL 2.8% Pickens County, SC 2.9% |
| Households with broadband internet about the same | 83.2% | 85.2% | Liberty County, GA 93.1% Lynchburg city, VA 92.2% Clarke County, GA 91.5% |
| Jail population per 100,000 residents 15–64 behind similar counties | 597 | 395 | Comanche County, OK 29 Ashtabula County, OH 204 Burke County, NC 208 |
| Bridges rated poor ahead of similar counties | 0.9% | 4.7% | Clarke County, GA 0.0% Clark County, OH 0.3% Bowie County, TX 0.6% |
“Behind” or “ahead” means more than 15% worse or better than the typical (median) similar county; small differences can be noise. Sources: County Health Rankings 2025 (health, money and internet), Vera Institute (jail, latest year from 2015 on), FHWA National Bridge Inventory 2025, HUD (metro areas), Census 2024 population. What has worked elsewhere on each of these.
“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.
Related: By the numbers · The money trail · Audits · What has worked. Spot an error? Report it.