Population | Retail Sales & Service | Banking & Finance
Economic Climate & Labor Force | Recruitment | Training
Employment | Transportation
Population
Because of its pristine natural surroundings and low cost of living, Baxter County has experienced steady, positive growth over the last decade.
Total Population for Baxter County 2010: 41,513
Total Population from April, 2000: 38,382
Percentage of Population Growth 2000 – 2010: +8.1 % (AR average +9.1%)
Population estimates for counties in market area:
Baxter = 41,513
Boone = 36,903
Fulton = 12,245
Izard = 13,696
Marion = 16,653
Searcy = 8,195
Stone = 12,394
Howell (MO) = 40,400
Ozark (MO) = 9,723
Taney (MO) = 51,675
Total Market Area Population: 243,397
Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2010 U.S. Census Data
Retail Sales & Service
Baxter County serves as the main trade center for North Central Arkansas. Residents from 10 counties - Baxter, Marion, Boone, Fulton, Izard, Searcy, and Stone in Arkansas, and Howell,
Ozark, and Taney in Missouri - work, shop, and play in the Mountain Home area. Over 240,000
(as of the 2010 census) live in these ten counties.
One measure of growth in the area is the history of retail sales. Baxter County’s total retail
sales grew 61% from 1992 to 2002. The annual growth in Retail Sales from 1995-2008 averaged 6.4% per year. (Source: Baxter County Profile 2006,
Cooperative Extension Service and UALR Arkansas State and County Economic Data 2010.)
Since 2002, there has been a tremendous growth of retailers, both large and small,
within Baxter County. Some of the largest have been:
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| Other franchises located in Mountain Home include: McDonalds, Sonic, Burger King, GameStop, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Arby’s, Domino’s, Wendy’s, KFC, Subway and Dairy Queen. Mountain Home also supports many oriental, Mexican and local family owned restaurants. |
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But perhaps more importantly, the area has seen many new
"owner operated" small boutiques and specialty retailers crop
up to accommodate the needs of ever-more affluent
"urban-minded" residents looking for more unique product
offerings and more personalized service.
The bottom line is that the individuals and companies opening
these retail businesses would not be investing in Mountain
Home or Baxter County if they had not done research to
assure them that this area is worth their investment!
Banking & Finance
Economic Climate & Labor Force
Baxter County enjoys a well-balanced economy.
- A diverse manufacturing base
- A strong and rapidly growing retail market attracting customers and workers
from nine surrounding counties
- A nationally recognized tourism destination
- A stable, relatively affluent, active retiree population, recently “discovered” by
“baby boomers” from all across the U.S.
- A regional health care provider – Baxter Regional Medical Center – employs
more than 1,300 people, and has more than 100 physicians/specialists on staff
- A progressive network of telecommunications services geared for business use
on a national and international level
- A business, industry, and work force development network of resources
including the local branch of Arkansas State University (ASUMH),
U of A Cooperative Extension, technical training, and Arkansas Department of
Economic Development (ADED)
- Rail, truck and air transportation services
While different businesses require many different environmental and technical elements for success, Baxter County offers the one resource critical to the success of any business endeavor - an efficient and loyal work force.
Recruitment
Our area's work force resides within ten counties; in Arkansas these counties are Baxter,
Boone, Fulton, Izard, Marion, Searcy and Stone, and the Missouri counties are Howell,
Ozark and Taney. Commuting to work is made easy with North Arkansas Transportation
Service (NATS) for those commuting to Mountain Home from select surrounding counties.
Training
There are many training resources available to businesses and industries.
Among them are:
- Arkansas Industry Training Program (AITP)
- Existing Workforce Training Program (EWTP)
- ASUMH online certificates offered through ASUMH Continuing Education
Department business grants
- Arkansas Customized Training through ADED
See additional information on the Education page of this website.
Employment
A larger proportion of jobs in Baxter County are in the service and trade sectors as compared to the state average.
Overall, new jobs in Baxter County seem to be occurring in the following categories:
- Services
- Financial
- Health care and education in all age groups
- Recreation and tourism
- Boats and boat-related products
- Epoxy resin and plastic products
Transportation
Whether by highway, rail, or air - freight and personal transportation services are available
to meet the needs of businesses, residents, and travelers to the Twin Lakes area.
Roadways
Baxter (and Marion) County is directly linked to a national system of highways. Mountain
Home is located on US Hwy. 412/62, a busy east-west highway stretching from western
Oklahoma to mid-Tennessee, where it joins I-40. If your destination is north or south, US
Highway 65 (Louisiana to northern Iowa) is less than an hour’s drive west, connecting to
east-west I-44 in southern Missouri. Mountain Home’s location on US Hwy. 412/62 assures
continuing highway improvement as it has a high-priority four-lane designation, receiving
passing lanes, widening, and bypasses recently.
Airport
Ozark Regional Airport (BPK) is four miles northwest of Mountain Home on Arkansas
Hwy. 126 N., across from the Baxter County Industrial Park. Ozark Regional airfield
provides a 5000 x 75 foot runway with ILS, Localizer/DME, GPS, and VOR
approaches. It accommodates aircraft as large as a Gulfstream V.
A 6,800 square-foot terminal building, built in 1993, has airport offices, a restaurant,
Civil Air Patrol squadron, and commuter terminal. Travelers will find car rentals, hotel
shuttles, and taxi service. Airport services include fuel, parking, hangars, aircraft
maintenance, rental, air charters, flight training, and pilot services. Forty-six hangers
can house single and light twin engine aircraft.
Bus/Taxi/NATS Commuter Service
Mountain Home Bus Agency offers service to and from Chicago and points
en route. It also offers frequent public and private chartered tours. Mountain Home Taxi
Service is available to locations inside and outside the city. North Arkansas Transportation
System - NATS - offers a commuter service to industry and workplaces on a continuous,
scheduled basis for eight or more riders. Area residents may also pre-arrange with NATS
for rides to medical offices, libraries, senior centers, grocery stores, and shopping areas.
Freight
Numerous long distance motor freight carriers serve Baxter County, as well as moving
companies. There is daily pickup and delivery service in Baxter County by local
Airborne, Federal Express, US Xpress, and United Parcel Service trucks. UPS has a
distribution center in the Baxter County Industrial Park and serves the area with
overnight parcel service and hundred-weight service for businesses and manufacturers.
Rail
Rail shipping is provided by the Missouri and Northern Arkansas Railroad with depots at
Cotter and Batesville. Shipping can be arranged by calling the M&NA at 1-800-228-
3580, ext. 230. The M&NA interchanges with Union Pacific, Burlington Northern, and
Kansas City Southern. Representative transit times are: one day to Memphis, Kansas
City or Dallas; two days to Chicago or Houston; four days to Los Angeles or New York.
AMTRAK
Passenger train service is available daily between San Antonio and Chicago,
and numerous points in between, from the Walnut Ridge AMTRAK station, 100 miles from
Mountain Home.
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