Schools, health, disaster risk, bridges and federal grants for Ashley County, from national public records — each with its source. The same page for every U.S. county is at countycommons.us/us.
How Ashley County compares — against the other counties in Arkansas
17,984 — people: 39th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$11,472 — spending per student in its school districts: 66th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
70.9 years — life expectancy: 58th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
10.2% — share of adults under 65 without health insurance: 28th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
25.2% — child poverty: 34th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
79.7% — households with broadband internet: 33rd highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$49,560 — median household income: 45th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
1.0% — share of bridges rated poor: 72nd highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$364 — federal grant dollars per resident: 42nd highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$11.7 million — expected yearly losses from natural hazards: 40th 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
2 school districts have their office in Ashley County. School taxes are usually the largest part of a property tax bill.
HAMBURG SCH DIST1,691 students
Spent $21.5 million — $19.5 million to run schools, about $11,526 per student, plus $1.2 million on buildings and equipment. Money in: $2.4 million local (mostly property tax), $15.5 million state, $4.7 million federal. Long-term debt: $19.2 million.
CROSSETT SCH DIST1,654 students
Spent $25.1 million — $18.9 million to run schools, about $11,417 per student, plus $4.9 million on buildings and equipment. Money in: $3.4 million local (mostly property tax), $14.8 million state, $7.2 million federal. Long-term debt: $32.2 million.
Overall risk: Relatively Low compared with other U.S. counties. FEMA estimates natural hazards cost Ashley County about $11.7 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
River and inland flooding$4.9 million a year · Relatively Low
Tornado$1.8 million a year · Relatively Moderate
Earthquake$1.5 million a year · Relatively Low
Heat wave$929,476 a year · Relatively Low
Drought$650,834 a year · Relatively Moderate
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
105 bridges in Ashley County: 66 in good condition, 38 fair, and 1 poor (1.0%). “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 $6.9 million of work in Ashley County in fiscal 2025, about $364 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.