The Town Files

Wilson, Arkansas

City in Mississippi County · population 766 (2020 Census)

Map: where Wilson is in ArkansasWilson
Median home
$145,300
Household income
$78,646
Jan low / Jul high
31° / 91°
Snow a year
2 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
25
Median age
33.3

Wilson is a city of 766 people in Mississippi County, Arkansas. The median home is worth $145,300, above the typical Arkansas town ($128,600). It ranks better for young professionals than 84% of Arkansas towns, more upscale than 74% of Arkansas towns.

Wilson in our rankings:

How Wilson 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.

Wilson lifestyle rankings vs other Arkansas townsRetirement69th pctFamilies42nd pctQuiet39th pctWalkability5th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals84th pctVibrancy21st pctHip & trendy49th pctCollege town63rd pctUpscale74th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving64th 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 Wilson is worth $145,300, above the typical Arkansas town ($128,600). Homes cost about 1.8 times the median household income of $78,646, which is more affordable than 92% of Arkansas towns. Median rent is $1,000 a month. 72.6% of households own their home.

Wilson vs Mississippi County vs typical Arkansas townWilsonMississippi CountyTypical Arkansas townHome value$145,300$122,500$128,600Household income$78,646$52,548$50,408Monthly rent$1,000$830$792
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Arkansas towns with 500+ people.
HousingWilsonTypical Arkansas town
Median home value$145,300$128,600
Median rent$1,000$792
Median household income$78,646$50,408
Home value ÷ income1.8×2.7×
Homeownership72.6%64.9%
Median year built19791980
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Wilson

PeopleWilsonTypical Arkansas town
Median age33.337.8
Age 65 and over11.1%17.2%
Under 1825.3%—
Bachelor's degree or higher26.7%16.5%
Below the poverty line6.4%19.7%
Veterans5.6%—
Born outside the U.S.0.5%—
Work from home4.0%5.3%
Average commute23.7 min22.2 min
Homes with broadband92.5%84.4%

Weather in Wilson

July highs average 91.1°F and January lows 30.7°F. About 52.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 1.8 inches of snow (typical Arkansas town: 2.6 in). Expect about 71 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 64 nights at or below freezing.

Wilson monthly temperatures and precipitation30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32° freezing47°31°Jan52°34°Feb61°42°Mar72°52°Apr81°62°May89°70°Jun91°73°Jul90°71°Aug85°63°Sep75°51°Oct61°41°Nov51°34°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue4.10.64.50.95.00.35.55.54.03.93.03.34.04.34.9
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Keiser station (8.9 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

25 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wilson since 1950, compared with 24 for the typical Arkansas town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF3, struck on March 31, 2023 about 9.0 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 3 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on April 5, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Wilson by decade11950s11960s41970s11980s11990s52000s52010s72020s
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 19 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on April 2, 2006.

Severe weather in Mississippi County since 1996

Storm events in Mississippi County since 1996 by typeHail114Heat86Flood13Drought29Tornado31High Wind12Flash Flood26Winter Storm33
NOAA Storm Events Database, Mississippi County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 15 deaths recorded.

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

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
January 24, 2026Winter StormEM-3636: Severe Winter Storm
May 21, 2025FloodDR-4873: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
April 5, 2025Severe StormEM-3627: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
December 23, 2021TornadoDR-4633: Severe Storms And Tornadoes
August 27, 2020HurricaneEM-3541: Hurricane Laura

Jobs and pay in Mississippi County

Mississippi County had 20,139 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $72,605 a year. Unemployment was 4.9% in 2023; in Wilson itself the ACS puts it at 4.6%.

Largest industries in Mississippi CountyManufacturing6,885 jobs · $103,965Construction2,300 jobs · $83,367Administrative & support1,680 jobs · $69,068Retail1,562 jobs · $28,812Hotels & restaurants1,019 jobs · $19,516Transportation & warehousing719 jobs · $61,721
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Mississippi County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023Mississippi 4.9%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Wilson

3 public schools with 1,170 students, about 9.8 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
RIVERCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOLPK-663917.3
ACADEMIES AT RIVERCREST HIGH SCHOOL (charter)9-123464.9
RIVERCREST JR HIGH PREP ACADEMY (charter)7-818514.2

Towns near Wilson

Wilson questions

Is Wilson, Arkansas a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Wilson scores better for retirees than 69% of Arkansas towns and quieter than 39%. 11.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 33.3).

How much does a house cost in Wilson?

The median owner-occupied home in Wilson is valued at $145,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $78,646, so homes cost about 1.8 times income. Median rent is $1,000 a month.

What is the weather like in Wilson?

July highs average 91.1°F and January lows 30.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 52.2 inches of precipitation a year and 1.8 inches of snow.

Does Wilson get tornadoes?

25 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wilson since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF3 on March 31, 2023. The typical Arkansas town has had 24.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Wilson's Census boundary (GEOID 0575920). 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.