Phillips
6.6
High score (8-10)
Helena-West Helena hosts the King Biscuit Blues Festival each October — one of the most important outdoor blues festivals in the country, held on the actual Mississippi Delta where much of American blues music was created. The city's connection to KFFA radio, the King Biscuit Time broadcast, and the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale proximity makes this ground zero for a specific music culture that matters globally. For one week a year, 100,000 people are in a city of 10,000.
Mid score (6-8) · Your profile
Phillips County and Helena-West Helena have deep blues music heritage — the King Biscuit Blues Festival, KFFA radio, and the genuine Delta cultural history create something that's nationally recognized in music circles. But that recognition doesn't translate into year-round economic activity. The city is economically distressed the other 51 weeks of the year. The heritage is real; the infrastructure to support it is thin.
Lower score (below 6)
Helena-West Helena is one of the most economically distressed cities in the Mississippi Delta, with poverty rates and unemployment that rank among the worst in Arkansas. The King Biscuit Blues Festival is genuine and matters, but it's one week a year. The hospital has been in financial difficulty, the school district has struggled, and the population has been declining for decades. Beautiful bluff location on the Mississippi, brutal economic reality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the median income in Phillips, Arkansas?
$63k median
What's the typical marriage age for women in Phillips, Arkansas?
Women marry at 28
How common is a college degree in Phillips, Arkansas?
29% men have degree
What's the average male height in Phillips, Arkansas?
178 cm local avg
What's the average BMI for women in Phillips, Arkansas?
Local women avg 29.6