The Town Files

Norphlet, Arkansas

City in Union County · population 766 (2020 Census)

Map: where Norphlet is in ArkansasNorphlet
Median home
$120,800
Household income
$51,705
Jan low / Jul high
32° / 93°
Snow a year
1 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
16
Median age
32.0

Norphlet is a city of 766 people in Union County, Arkansas. The median home is worth $120,800, below the typical Arkansas town ($128,600). It ranks quieter than 96% of Arkansas towns, easier by car than 89% of Arkansas towns.

Norphlet in our rankings:

How Norphlet 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.

Norphlet lifestyle rankings vs other Arkansas townsRetirement52nd pctFamilies61st pctQuiet96th pctWalkability66th pctFirst-time buyers50th pctYoung professionals17th pctVibrancy10th pctHip & trendy65th pctCollege town21st pctUpscale37th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving89th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Norphlet is worth $120,800, below the typical Arkansas town ($128,600). Homes cost about 2.3 times the median household income of $51,705, which is more affordable than 72% of Arkansas towns. Median rent is $597 a month. 73.6% of households own their home.

Norphlet vs Union County vs typical Arkansas townNorphletUnion CountyTypical Arkansas townHome value$120,800$120,900$128,600Household income$51,705$55,259$50,408Monthly rent$597$847$792
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Arkansas towns with 500+ people.
HousingNorphletTypical Arkansas town
Median home value$120,800$128,600
Median rent$597$792
Median household income$51,705$50,408
Home value ÷ income2.3×2.7×
Homeownership73.6%64.9%
Median year built19781980
Seasonal / vacation homes2.2%—

Who lives in Norphlet

PeopleNorphletTypical Arkansas town
Median age32.037.8
Age 65 and over11.4%17.2%
Under 1840.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher6.6%16.5%
Below the poverty line13.6%19.7%
Veterans0.8%—
Born outside the U.S.1.7%—
Work from home6.4%5.3%
Average commute18.2 min22.2 min
Homes with broadband90.4%84.4%

Weather in Norphlet

July highs average 92.5°F and January lows 32.4°F. About 50.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.9 inches of snow (typical Arkansas town: 2.6 in). Expect about 76 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 60 nights at or below freezing.

Norphlet monthly temperatures and precipitation30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32° freezing55°32°Jan59°35°Feb67°43°Mar75°50°Apr83°60°May89°68°Jun93°71°Jul93°70°Aug87°63°Sep77°51°Oct65°40°Nov57°35°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue4.30.44.30.35.10.15.54.64.13.23.53.13.83.75.5
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Calion L&D station (10.4 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

16 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Norphlet since 1950, compared with 24 for the typical Arkansas town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on April 13, 1991 about 8.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on January 18, 2023.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Norphlet by decade01950s21960s21970s11980s31990s42000s12010s32020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 46 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on March 13, 2016.

Severe weather in Union County since 1996

Storm events in Union County since 1996 by typeHail120Heat62Flood5Drought44Tornado27Ice Storm4Flash Flood64Winter Storm12
NOAA Storm Events Database, Union County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

Union County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, tornado.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
August 21, 2026FireFM-5673: Pine Tree Road Fire
January 24, 2026Winter StormEM-3636: Severe Winter Storm
April 5, 2025Severe StormEM-3627: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
August 27, 2020HurricaneEM-3541: Hurricane Laura
April 3, 2020BiologicalDR-4518: Covid-19 Pandemic

Jobs and pay in Union County

Union County had 16,449 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $61,648 a year. Unemployment was 4.6% in 2023; in Norphlet itself the ACS puts it at 11%.

Largest industries in Union CountyManufacturing2,792 jobs · $83,301Retail2,022 jobs · $32,103Health care & social assistan…1,992 jobs · $45,673Construction1,366 jobs · $73,285Hotels & restaurants1,189 jobs · $18,603Administrative & support1,060 jobs · $68,062
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Union County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Union 4.6%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Norphlet

1 public school with 337 students, about 12.5 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
NORPHLET MIDDLE SCHOOL5-833712.5

Towns near Norphlet

Norphlet questions

Is Norphlet, Arkansas a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Norphlet scores better for retirees than 52% of Arkansas towns and quieter than 96%. 11.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 32.0).

How much does a house cost in Norphlet?

The median owner-occupied home in Norphlet is valued at $120,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $51,705, so homes cost about 2.3 times income. Median rent is $597 a month.

What is the weather like in Norphlet?

July highs average 92.5°F and January lows 32.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 50.5 inches of precipitation a year and 0.9 inches of snow.

Does Norphlet get tornadoes?

16 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Norphlet since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on April 13, 1991. The typical Arkansas town has had 24.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Norphlet's Census boundary (GEOID 0550060). Comparisons use the median of Arkansas towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.