Schools, health, disaster risk, bridges and federal grants for Lafayette County, from national public records — each with its source. The same page for every U.S. county is at countycommons.us/us.
How Lafayette County compares — against the other counties in Arkansas
6,015 — people: 73rd highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$17,107 — spending per student in its school districts: 2nd highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
71.7 years — life expectancy: 49th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
11.8% — share of adults under 65 without health insurance: 7th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
30.6% — child poverty: 12th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
67.0% — households with broadband internet: 73rd highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$43,824 — median household income: 66th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
2.8% — share of bridges rated poor: 54th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$20,892 — federal grant dollars per resident: the highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$6.9 million — expected yearly losses from natural hazards: 63rd highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
“Highest” and “lowest” are just order, not grades: a high rank for poverty or hazard losses means more of it. Each figure's source is in its section below.
Public schools — district budgets, fiscal 2023
1 school district has its office in Lafayette County. School taxes are usually the largest part of a property tax bill.
LAFAYETTE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT516 students
Spent $9.4 million — $8.8 million to run schools, about $17,107 per student, plus $407,000 on buildings and equipment. Money in: $1 million local (mostly property tax), $5.4 million state, $2.5 million federal. Long-term debt: $3.7 million.
Overall risk: Very Low compared with other U.S. counties. FEMA estimates natural hazards cost Lafayette County about $6.9 million a year on average in buildings, crops and lives. Ability to bounce back (community resilience): Very Low; social vulnerability: Very High.
The costliest hazards here
Ice storm$2.6 million a year · Very High
River and inland flooding$1.3 million a year · Very Low
Drought$869,397 a year · Relatively Moderate
Tornado$622,680 a year · Relatively Low
Hail$403,337 a year · Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), expected annual loss. Ratings compare counties nationwide; they're estimates, not predictions.
Bridges — condition of every public bridge, 2025
72 bridges in Lafayette County: 41 in good condition, 29 fair, and 2 poor (2.8%). “Poor” means a main part — the deck, the beams, or the supports — is rated 4 or lower on the federal 0–9 scale. It doesn't mean unsafe to drive; unsafe bridges are closed.
Federal grants — the money that came in, and what's open now
Federal grants paid for $131.8 million of work in Lafayette County in fiscal 2025, about $20,892 per resident — to the county, cities, schools, hospitals, nonprofits and others.
Source: USAspending.gov, grants by place of performance, fiscal 2025 (Oct. 2024 to Sept. 2025). Search it by county to see each award.
Open now: federal grants county governments can apply for
From Grants.gov: posted grants listing county governments as eligible, soonest deadline first; research-only and overseas programs left out; list updated 2026-10-13, refreshed weekly. 62 are open in all. Cities, towns, school districts and nonprofits have their own lists there.