Craighead County, AR
Get paid to care for your family member in Craighead County, Arkansas
About 16,700 people in Craighead County are 65 or older — 14% of everyone who lives here. Craighead County skews younger than Arkansas overall, but the families caring for an older parent here face the same bills. Roughly 1,670 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Agencies operate in Craighead County, though families still run into gaps: no weekend coverage, a new aide every few weeks, hours that don't match real life.
Who needs care in Craighead
- People 65 and older
- 16,700
- People 85 and older
- 1,670
- Median age
- 34.7
- Rank in Arkansas
- 8th
14% of Craighead residents
the age daily help usually starts
younger than the country as a whole
of 75 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Craighead County is a metro county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 3). Arkansas as a whole is 18% aged 65 or older.
What Arkansas pays family caregivers
Rates vary — check with the program.
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Arkansas Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Arkansas's programs at a glance
- IndependentChoices
- ARChoices in Homecare
- Spouse paid?
- Not right now
- Parent paid for a child?
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- Some programs have no waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Arkansas guide →
Towns and cities in Craighead County
Arkansas sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Jonesboro and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Craighead County:
- Jonesboro82,384
- Brookland4,607
- Bono2,834
- Lake City2,727
- Bay1,817
- Monette1,558
- Caraway1,095
- Cash283
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Craighead apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Craighead County start with Arkansas's program:
Apply online at Access Arkansas or at a local DHS county office with the Long-Term Services and Supports application, or call the Choices in Living Resource Center at 866-801-3435; then elect IndependentChoices.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Arkansas program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Craighead questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Craighead County?
Yes. Arkansas runs real Medicaid programs — like IndependentChoices — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Craighead County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Craighead County?
Arkansas doesn't publish one flat rate. The program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Craighead County apply?
Families in Craighead County start with the state, not the county. Apply online at Access Arkansas or at a local DHS county office with the Long-Term Services and Supports application, or call the Choices in Living Resource Center at 866-801-3435; then elect IndependentChoices.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Craighead County?
Not right now — but other family members often can be. The fine print for Arkansas: no — spouses and legal guardians are prohibited from being hired; other relatives including adult children can be paid
How many people in Craighead County might need this?
16,700 residents of Craighead County are 65 or older and about 1,670 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Arkansas's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Craighead do you cover?
All of Craighead County — including Jonesboro, Brookland, Bono, Lake City and Bay. Eligibility is set by Arkansas, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Arkansas's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
More Arkansas counties
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