Parkin, Arkansas


Parkin is a city in Cross County, Arkansas, United States, along the St. Francis River. The population was 1,105 at the 2010 census, down from 1,602 in 2000. Due to the recent population loss, a large segment of the downtown area has many abandoned and boarded-up buildings.

Geography

Parkin is located in eastern Cross County at , on the east bank of the St. Francis River just south of the mouth of the Tyronza River. U.S. Route 64 passes through the community, leading east to Earle and west to Wynne, the Cross County seat.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, all land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,602 people, 603 households, and 404 families residing in the city. The population density was 627.2 people per square mile. There were 657 housing units at an average density of 257.2/sq mi. The racial makeup of the city was 10.40% White, 88.54% Black or African American, 0.44% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.31% from two or more races. 0.69% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 603 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.6% were married couples living together, 22.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the city, the population was spread out with 31.7% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $18,669, and the median income for a family was $25,893. Males had a median income of $22,667 versus $16,413 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,050. About 27.7% of families and 36.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 48.7% of those under age 18 and 26.8% of those age 65 or over.

Parkin Archeological State Park

, also known as Parkin Indian Mound, is an archaeological site and state park in the north part of Parkin.

Churches

Churches in Parkin include:
First United Methodist Church - notable for the chimes that ring and play hymns throughout the day.
First Baptist
Gladden Baptist Church

Education

The Wynne School District serves Parkin; it operates Wynne High School.
The former Parkin School District merged into the Wynne district on September 7, 2005.

Notable people