Black Health Profile
Black health in Arkansas
460,091
Black residents (ACS)
15.20%
Of state population
Arkansas has about 460,000 Black residents, concentrated in the Delta region counties in the east of the state. The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) runs the state's Perinatal Quality Collaborative and one of the South's largest obstetric simulation training centers.
The largest Black health disparity tracked on these pages varies by metric. Use the ten topic pages below to see each one cited against the state's primary-source dataset.
On the positive side, every US state now has CDC-funded maternal mortality review committees, and most have at least one HRSA-designated federally qualified health center serving low-income Black residents. The ten facet pages below point to state-specific programs and providers.
Key takeaways
- Black residents: 460,091 (15.2% of the state).
- Medicaid expansion adopted.
- Medicaid does not cover doula services.
- Certified nurse-midwife scope-of-practice recognized by Medicaid.
- 12-month postpartum Medicaid extension active.
Health outcomes & coverage
Ten race-stratified indicators drawn from CDC, Census, KFF, and SAMHSA primary sources. Each page links the underlying dataset, compares to the national average, and frames the state-specific drivers and policy levers.
maternal mortality
Black women in Arkansas die from pregnancy-related causes at 51.8 per 100,000 live births — 2.7× the US national rate of 19.
Read the maternal mortality breakdown
infant mortality
Black infants in Arkansas die before age one at 13.2 per 1,000 live births — compared to the US all-race rate of 5.4.
Read the infant mortality breakdown
cardiovascular mortality
Age-adjusted cardiovascular mortality among Black residents of Arkansas: 382.7 deaths per 100,000 (CDC WONDER, ICD-10 I00-I99).
Read the cardiovascular mortality breakdown
diabetes prevalence
16.9% of Black adults in Arkansas have been diagnosed with diabetes — compared to the US all-race rate of 11.6%.
Read the diabetes prevalence breakdown
breast cancer mortality
Age-adjusted breast cancer mortality among Black women in Arkansas: 29.7 per 100,000 (CDC WONDER, ICD-10 C50).
Read the breast cancer mortality breakdown
prostate cancer mortality
Age-adjusted prostate cancer mortality among Black men in Arkansas: 43.6 per 100,000 (CDC WONDER, ICD-10 C61).
Read the prostate cancer mortality breakdown
life expectancy
Life expectancy at birth for Black residents of Arkansas: 72.3 years (US all-race: 77.5).
Read the life expectancy breakdown
uninsured rate
10.4% of Black residents of Arkansas have no health insurance coverage — vs. a US all-race uninsured rate of 8%.
Read the uninsured rate breakdown
Medicaid coverage
About 37% of Black residents of Arkansas receive Medicaid coverage. Arkansas is a Medicaid expansion state.
Read the Medicaid coverage breakdown
mental health access
60.2% of Black adults in Arkansas who experienced a past-year mental health need reported not receiving the treatment they needed (SAMHSA N…
Read the mental health access breakdown
Policy context in Arkansas
Arkansas has adopted Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Medicaid does not currently cover doula services. Postpartum Medicaid coverage extends for 12 months after delivery, the federal recommended standard.
Arkansas was the first non-expansion Southern state to adopt the private option ('Arkansas Works'/'ARHOME'), functionally extending Medicaid to low-income adults via marketplace plans. Doula Medicaid coverage is under active legislative review as of 2025.
Find Black health providers & resources in Arkansas
Counties in Arkansas
County-level Black Health profiles for the 1 Arkansas county with the fullest race-stratified data and editorial coverage.
Data sources & refresh cadence
- US Census ACS 5-year 2019–2023, Table B02001 (race) & S1903 (income).
- CDC WONDER Multiple Cause of Death (D69) & Underlying Cause of Death (D76), 2018–2022 release.
- KFF Medicaid expansion and state coverage trackers, Q1 2026.
- SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2022 state annual.
- HRSA NHSC workforce data, 2024.
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