West Helena, Arkansas

Geography West Helena is located at 34°32'45" North, 90°38'40" West (34.545702, -90.644346)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.5 km² (4.4 mi²). 11.5 km² (4.4 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.

Demographics As of the census of 2000, there are 8,689 people, 3,204 households, and 2,223 families residing in the city. The population density is 755.6/km² (1,956.6/mi²). There are 3,518 housing units at an average density of 305.9/km² (792.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 32.77% White, 65.69% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. 1.01% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 3,204 households out of which 36.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% are married couples living together, 29.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% are non-families. 27.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.71 and the average family size is 3.32.

In the city the population is spread out with 34.1% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 30 years. For every 100 females there are 80.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 71.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $21,130, and the median income for a family is $25,014. Males have a median income of $22,971 versus $17,225 for females. The per capita income for the city is $11,234. 35.4% of the population and 30.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 49.5% are under the age of 18 and 27.2% are 65 or older.