This story originally appeared on Spokeo and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
Most socially connected counties in Arkansas
In today's digital age, social media platforms enable people to bridge geographic distances and connect with their friends, family, and community, no matter where they are. According to a 2022 Gallup and Meta study, at least 1 in 3 people across seven countries, including the U.S., said they used social media to interact with others at least once a day in the past week.
While social media has its drawbacks—such as pulling attention away from other tasks or fostering a problematic comparison culture—it remains a vital tool for helping people stay connected.
A majority of students in grades 3 to 12 said social media helped them develop relationships, learn social skills, and make a positive impact in their community, according to a 2024 report from The Social Institute.
Spokeo compiled a ranking of the most socially connected counties in Arkansas using 2021 data from Facebook, based on a national analysis. County pairs were ranked by their social connectedness index, which measures the relative probability that two individuals across two locations are friends with each other on Facebook. The social connectedness index is a scaled value up to a billion. Larger indexes indicate a greater share of Facebook friends between county pairs.
#20. Baxter County and Marion County
- Baxter County population: 42,875
- Marion County population: 17,514
- Social connectedness index: 5,280,849
#19. Ouachita County and Union County
- Ouachita County population: 21,793
- Union County population: 37,397
- Social connectedness index: 5,377,968
#18. Searcy County and Van Buren County
- Searcy County population: 7,806
- Van Buren County population: 16,142
- Social connectedness index: 5,714,996
#17. Pope County and Yell County
- Pope County population: 64,593
- Yell County population: 20,044
- Social connectedness index: 5,818,007
#16. Logan County and Franklin County
- Logan County population: 21,400
- Franklin County population: 17,468
- Social connectedness index: 6,517,808
#15. Conway County and Perry County
- Conway County population: 21,077
- Perry County population: 10,184
- Social connectedness index: 8,190,795
#14. Monroe County and Woodruff County
- Monroe County population: 6,512
- Woodruff County population: 5,964
- Social connectedness index: 8,315,295
#13. Sharp County and Fulton County
- Sharp County population: 17,968
- Fulton County population: 12,421
- Social connectedness index: 8,888,330
#12. Sevier County and Howard County
- Sevier County population: 15,632
- Howard County population: 12,533
- Social connectedness index: 8,955,869
#11. Arkansas County and Prairie County
- Arkansas County population: 16,307
- Prairie County population: 8,036
- Social connectedness index: 10,122,699
#10. Desha County and Chicot County
- Desha County population: 10,479
- Chicot County population: 9,538
- Social connectedness index: 10,453,947
#9. Lawrence County and Randolph County
- Lawrence County population: 16,318
- Randolph County population: 18,907
- Social connectedness index: 11,380,973
#8. Boone County and Newton County
- Boone County population: 38,530
- Newton County population: 7,071
- Social connectedness index: 11,695,968
#7. Drew County and Bradley County
- Drew County population: 16,945
- Bradley County population: 10,104
- Social connectedness index: 13,796,671
#6. Lincoln County and Cleveland County
- Lincoln County population: 12,898
- Cleveland County population: 7,378
- Social connectedness index: 15,469,201
#5. Pike County and Montgomery County
- Pike County population: 10,208
- Montgomery County population: 8,620
- Social connectedness index: 16,043,663
#4. Columbia County and Lafayette County
- Columbia County population: 22,150
- Lafayette County population: 6,095
- Social connectedness index: 16,407,045
#3. Lee County and St. Francis County
- Lee County population: 8,201
- St. Francis County population: 22,101
- Social connectedness index: 17,245,043
#2. Hempstead County and Nevada County
- Hempstead County population: 19,343
- Nevada County population: 8,120
- Social connectedness index: 19,962,635
#1. Calhoun County and Dallas County
- Calhoun County population: 4,641
- Dallas County population: 6,185
- Social connectedness index: 26,573,241
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Kayla Zhu, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 46 states.