Jobs, pay and daily life in Jonesboro, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Jonesboro is a city in Arkansas with 80,137 residents. The median household earns $55,424 a year and the median rent is $956 a month, which is 20.7% of the median household income. It is part of the Jonesboro, AR metropolitan area, where BLS counts 60,620 jobs.
How Jonesboro compares. Among the 60 largest places in Arkansas, Jonesboro is #5 by population, #15 for college degrees (#1 = most), #20 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #36 for rent (#1 = cheapest). Its county, Craighead County, is #11 of 75 counties for average pay ($51,690).
Jonesboro has 80,137 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 2.6% of the population of Arkansas. It covers 80 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,000 people per square mile. The median age is 33.9, 12% younger than the state median (33.9 against 38.5).
The median gross rent is $956 a month (rent plus utilities), about the same as the state median ($956 against $947). Over a year that is 20.7% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $223,200, which is 4.0 times the median household income ($55,424). 54.3% of households own their home, 18% below the state average (54.3% against 66.4%).
The Jonesboro, AR metropolitan area has 60,620 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $42,240 a year, 17% below the national median ($42,240 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (6,810 jobs, median $38,560); healthcare practitioners and technical (6,160 jobs, median $77,510); transportation and material moving (6,000 jobs, median $37,660). The area is most specialised in healthcare practitioners and technical (1.6 times) and production (1.5 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are healthcare practitioners and technical ($77,510) and production ($46,380). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Craighead County was 3.6%. 61.9% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Craighead County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 80.1% drive alone, 0.1% use public transit, 1.7% walk, 7.7% work from home. 6.4% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 43% below the state average (6.4% against 11.4%).
31.8% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 24% above the state share (31.8% against 25.7%). 4.5% of residents were born outside the United States, 16% below the state share (4.5% against 5.4%). The poverty rate is 22.8%, 43% above the state rate (22.8% against 16.0%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 80°F (26.8°C), and the coolest is Jan at 37°F (2.7°C). About 1,248 mm (49 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (139 mm) and Sep the driest (79 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Trumann (13 miles, rent 39% lower); Paragould (19 miles, rent 3% lower); Newport (34 miles, rent 38% lower); Pocahontas (35 miles, rent 20% lower). Rent differences are against Jonesboro; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Arkansas (245) →State guide: ArkansasCountry guideCraighead CountyArkansas rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 245 federal postings open in Arkansas (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Arkansas →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 1,990 | 1.51 | $78,940 | $64,520 | $100,250 | -19% |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,940 | 1.28 | $28,960 | $24,210 | $40,120 | -18% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,900 | 1.26 | $26,260 | $23,200 | $33,630 | -16% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,470 | 1.08 | $69,370 | $37,730 | $155,380 | -34% |
| Cashiers | 1,340 | 1.11 | $28,090 | $23,590 | $35,090 | -15% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,280 | 1.11 | $37,500 | $28,820 | $51,210 | -7% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,260 | 1.32 | $36,400 | $23,890 | $54,410 | -19% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,220 | 1.52 | $47,670 | $34,400 | $72,590 | -19% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,180 | 1.37 | $27,890 | $25,700 | $36,830 | -24% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,170 | 1.06 | $31,330 | $29,040 | $44,390 | -16% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,110 | 0.66 | $27,430 | $24,600 | $31,180 | -23% |
| Nursing Assistants | 1,050 | 1.87 | $35,210 | $29,510 | $39,020 | -17% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 920 | 1.04 | $24,680 | $23,050 | $43,960 | -30% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 730 | 0.73 | $36,770 | $28,550 | $55,290 | -18% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 720 | 1.31 | $44,050 | $31,570 | $56,890 | -1% |
| Receptionists and Information Clerks | 670 | 1.89 | $32,540 | $27,880 | $39,420 | -14% |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | 630 | 2.49 | $50,980 | $40,400 | $61,910 | -21% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | 620 | 2.37 | $60,450 | $46,820 | $80,120 | -19% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 610 | 1.47 | $60,920 | $51,050 | $70,260 | -15% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 590 | 1.23 | $60,910 | $30,640 | $141,520 | -15% |
These figures are for the whole Jonesboro, AR metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $42,240 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.6% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 30.2% |
| Retail trade | 12.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 10.4% |
| Manufacturing | 10.3% |
| Construction | 7.1% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 7.1% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.5% |
| Other services | 5.1% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 3.3% |
| Public administration | 3.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.0% |
| Information | 1.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.1% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Jonesboro lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craighead County | 113,249 | $7,259 million | $64,098 | 55,053 | 3,006 | $51,690 | +1.9% | 3.6% | 58,207 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 12,454 | 26.3% | $61,911 | 1.58 |
| Manufacturing | 7,497 | 15.8% | $59,822 | 1.66 |
| Retail trade | 6,534 | 13.8% | $36,378 | 1.19 |
| Accommodation and food services | 5,715 | 12.1% | $22,460 | 1.14 |
| Administrative and waste services | 2,746 | 5.8% | $31,509 | 0.85 |
| Construction | 2,617 | 5.5% | $63,086 | 0.91 |
| Wholesale trade | 2,106 | 4.4% | $70,045 | 0.97 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,918 | 4.0% | $56,008 | 0.82 |
| Professional and technical services | 1,282 | 2.7% | $69,517 | 0.33 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,175 | 2.5% | $80,184 | 0.53 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 976 | 2.1% | $42,024 | 0.59 |
| Real estate and rental | 702 | 1.5% | $47,178 | 0.82 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 468 | 1.0% | $22,802 | 0.51 |
| Information | 443 | 0.9% | $66,215 | 0.43 |
| Management of companies | 330 | 0.7% | $85,663 | 0.36 |
| Educational services | 312 | 0.7% | $41,103 | 0.27 |
| Utilities | 140 | 0.3% | $101,370 | 0.67 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 80.1% |
| Public transit | 0.1% |
| Walk | 1.7% |
| Work from home | 7.7% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 6.4% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,424 |
| Income per person | $33,544 |
| Median gross rent per month | $956 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 20.7% |
| Median home value | $223,200 |
| Homeowners | 54.3% |
| Poverty rate | 22.8% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 85.9 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $42,240 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 3.90%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 33.9 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 90.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 31.8% |
| Born abroad | 4.5% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 61.9% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.7 | 37 | 81 |
| Feb | 4.6 | 40 | 103 |
| Mar | 10.1 | 50 | 123 |
| Apr | 15.7 | 60 | 129 |
| May | 20.5 | 69 | 139 |
| Jun | 25.1 | 77 | 82 |
| Jul | 26.8 | 80 | 95 |
| Aug | 26.5 | 80 | 92 |
| Sep | 22.8 | 73 | 79 |
| Oct | 16.1 | 61 | 102 |
| Nov | 9.4 | 49 | 105 |
| Dec | 4.4 | 40 | 118 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trumann | AR | 13 mi | 7,410 | $38,881 | $586 |
| Paragould | AR | 19 mi | 30,215 | $56,980 | $925 |
| Newport | AR | 34 mi | 8,024 | $34,764 | $597 |
| Pocahontas | AR | 35 mi | 7,538 | $44,216 | $768 |
| Osceola | AR | 40 mi | 6,688 | $46,202 | $846 |
| Wynne | AR | 41 mi | 8,120 | $43,250 | $760 |
| Blytheville | AR | 44 mi | 12,790 | $47,865 | $855 |
| Marion | AR | 50 mi | 13,623 | $78,330 | $1,148 |
| Batesville | AR | 53 mi | 11,445 | $51,856 | $882 |
| West Memphis | AR | 54 mi | 23,929 | $42,674 | $870 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
80,137 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$956 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 20.7% of the median household income.
$55,424 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.6% (BLS county, Craighead County (latest month 2026M09)).
Arkansas. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.