The Town FilesCotton Plant, Arkansas
City in Woodruff County · population 529 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $41,100
- Household income
- $11,790
- Jan low / Jul high
- 31° / 90°
- Snow a year
- 3 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 20
- Median age
- 57.8
Cotton Plant is a city of 529 people in Woodruff County, Arkansas. The median home is worth $41,100, below the typical Arkansas town ($128,600). It ranks better for retirees than 91% of Arkansas towns, better for cycling than 83% of Arkansas towns, quieter than 81% of Arkansas towns.
How Cotton Plant ranks
Percentile among Arkansas towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Arkansas towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Cotton Plant is worth $41,100, below the typical Arkansas town ($128,600). Homes cost about 3.5 times the median household income of $11,790, which is more affordable than 21% of Arkansas towns. Median rent is $569 a month. 33.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Cotton Plant | Typical Arkansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $41,100 | $128,600 |
| Median rent | $569 | $792 |
| Median household income | $11,790 | $50,408 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.5× | 2.7× |
| Homeownership | 33.7% | 64.9% |
| Median year built | 1975 | 1980 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Cotton Plant
| People | Cotton Plant | Typical Arkansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 57.8 | 37.8 |
| Age 65 and over | 37.8% | 17.2% |
| Under 18 | 15.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.8% | 16.5% |
| Below the poverty line | 57.7% | 19.7% |
| Veterans | 2.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 2.1% | 5.3% |
| Average commute | 21.6 min | 22.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 42.8% | 84.4% |
Weather in Cotton Plant
July highs average 90.1°F and January lows 30.6°F. About 51.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 2.7 inches of snow (typical Arkansas town: 2.6 in). Expect about 55 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 60 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cotton Plant since 1950, compared with 24 for the typical Arkansas town. 9 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on March 21, 1952 about 0.4 miles from the town center and killed 29. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 29 deaths and 184 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 13, 2018.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 24 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on January 22, 2012.
Severe weather in Woodruff County since 1996
Woodruff County has been included in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3636: Severe Winter Storm |
| May 21, 2025 | Flood | DR-4873: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| April 5, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3627: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| December 23, 2021 | Tornado | DR-4633: Severe Storms And Tornadoes |
| August 27, 2020 | Hurricane | EM-3541: Hurricane Laura |
Jobs and pay in Woodruff County
Woodruff County had 1,981 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $45,809 a year. Unemployment was 3.6% in 2023; in Cotton Plant itself the ACS puts it at 18.1%.
Towns near Cotton Plant
- Brinkley, AR8.8 mi · 2,700 people · home $94,000
- Des Arc, AR14.5 mi · 1,905 people · home $90,700
- McCrory, AR17.6 mi · 1,583 people · home $89,400
- De Valls Bluff, AR19.3 mi · 520 people · home —
- Palestine, AR19.6 mi · 506 people · home $67,900
- Augusta, AR20.3 mi · 1,998 people · home $117,000
- Clarendon, AR21.8 mi · 1,526 people · home $65,900
- Hazen, AR23.3 mi · 1,481 people · home $134,400
Cotton Plant questions
Is Cotton Plant, Arkansas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Cotton Plant scores better for retirees than 91% of Arkansas towns and quieter than 81%. 37.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 57.8).
How much does a house cost in Cotton Plant?
The median owner-occupied home in Cotton Plant is valued at $41,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $11,790, so homes cost about 3.5 times income. Median rent is $569 a month.
What is the weather like in Cotton Plant?
July highs average 90.1°F and January lows 30.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 51.2 inches of precipitation a year and 2.7 inches of snow.
Does Cotton Plant get tornadoes?
20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cotton Plant since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on March 21, 1952. The typical Arkansas town has had 24.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)