Schools, health, disaster risk, bridges and federal grants for Desha County, from national public records — each with its source. The same page for every U.S. county is at countycommons.us/us.
How Desha County compares — against the other counties in Arkansas
10,321 — people: 58th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$14,901 — spending per student in its school districts: 9th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
70.6 years — life expectancy: 60th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
10.5% — share of adults under 65 without health insurance: 22nd highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
35.6% — child poverty: 6th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
74.3% — households with broadband internet: 64th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$43,469 — median household income: 68th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
3.6% — share of bridges rated poor: 45th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$956 — federal grant dollars per resident: 14th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$6.5 million — expected yearly losses from natural hazards: 66th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
“Highest” and “lowest” are just order, not grades: a high rank for poverty or hazard losses means more of it. Each figure's source is in its section below.
Public schools — district budgets, fiscal 2023
2 school districts have their office in Desha County. School taxes are usually the largest part of a property tax bill.
MCGEHEE SCH DIST1,098 students
Spent $18.7 million — $14.6 million to run schools, about $13,341 per student, plus $3.5 million on buildings and equipment. Money in: $2.2 million local (mostly property tax), $11.3 million state, $5.6 million federal. Long-term debt: $11.6 million.
DUMAS SCHOOL DISTRICT1,001 students
Spent $17.7 million — $16.6 million to run schools, about $16,612 per student, plus $745,000 on buildings and equipment. Money in: $1.7 million local (mostly property tax), $10.8 million state, $4.3 million federal. Long-term debt: $12.8 million.
Overall risk: Very Low compared with other U.S. counties. FEMA estimates natural hazards cost Desha County about $6.5 million a year on average in buildings, crops and lives. Ability to bounce back (community resilience): Relatively Moderate; social vulnerability: Very High.
The costliest hazards here
River and inland flooding$2.4 million a year · Very Low
Earthquake$1.5 million a year · Relatively Low
Tornado$929,677 a year · Relatively Low
Heat wave$434,549 a year · Relatively Low
Drought$337,306 a year · Relatively Moderate
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), expected annual loss. Ratings compare counties nationwide; they're estimates, not predictions.
Bridges — condition of every public bridge, 2025
83 bridges in Desha County: 50 in good condition, 30 fair, and 3 poor (3.6%). “Poor” means a main part — the deck, the beams, or the supports — is rated 4 or lower on the federal 0–9 scale. It doesn't mean unsafe to drive; unsafe bridges are closed.
Busiest bridges rated poor
SH 278-16 LM 4.38 over Union Pacific R/R · built 1969
6,600 vehicles a day
US 278-16 LM 0.38 over Bayou Bartholomew · built 1956
Federal grants — the money that came in, and what's open now
Federal grants paid for $10.9 million of work in Desha County in fiscal 2025, about $956 per resident — to the county, cities, schools, hospitals, nonprofits and others.
Source: USAspending.gov, grants by place of performance, fiscal 2025 (Oct. 2024 to Sept. 2025). Search it by county to see each award.
Open now: federal grants county governments can apply for
From Grants.gov: posted grants listing county governments as eligible, soonest deadline first; research-only and overseas programs left out; list updated 2026-10-13, refreshed weekly. 62 are open in all. Cities, towns, school districts and nonprofits have their own lists there.