Paragould, Arkansas

Paragould is a city in Greene County, Arkansas, United States. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city is 26,113. Paragould was incorporated in 1883.

The city's name is a blend combining the last names of competing railroad magnates J.W. Paramore and Jay Gould. Paramore’s Texas & Saint Louis Railway (later the Cotton Belt) and Gould’s St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway (later the Missouri Pacific) intersected here in 1882. A group of citizens chose the name, and it is believed to be the only city in the world with this name. Gould objected to his name’s being second and refused to list the new town on his schedules.

Paragould is designated a micropolitan area and is also a part of the Jonesboro-Paragould Combined Statistical Area. The Paragould micropolitan area's population is approximately 42,090 and the Jonesboro-Paragould Combined Statistical Area's population is estimated at 138,533.

Geography
Paragould is located at 36.05694°N, -90.50306°W (36.057075, -90.502938).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.0 sqmi, of which 30.8 sqmi is land and 0.2 sqmi (0.52%) is water.

Paragould is located in northeast Arkansas, approximately 88 miles northwest of Memphis, Tennessee. The community is located at the intersection of U.S. Routes 412 and 49.

List Of Highways:


 * [[Image:US 49.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 49
 * [[Image:US 49B.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 49 Business
 * [[Image:US 412.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 412
 * [[Image:Arkansas 1.svg|20px]] Highway 1
 * [[Image:Arkansas 69.svg|20px]] Highway 69
 * [[Image:Arkansas 135.svg|20px]] Highway 135
 * [[Image:Arkansas 358.svg|20px]] Highway 358

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 26,113 people, 8,941 households, and 6,133 families residing in the city. The population density was 714.6 people per square mile (275.9/km²). There were 9,789 housing units at an average density of 317.7 per square mile (122.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.87% White, 0.04% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.56% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. 1.33% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 8,941 households out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,815, and the median income for a family was $39,431. Males had a median income of $28,103 versus $20,623 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,076. About 8.4% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.

Climate
Paragould has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa).

Health & Education
Paragould is home to Arkansas State University Paragould, Arkansas Northeastern College, Black River Technical College, and Crowley's Ridge College. Paragould has two public school districts, the Greene County Technical School District and the Paragould School District, as well as Crowley's Ridge Academy and St. Mary's Catholic School private school systems.

Arkansas Methodist Medical Center is Paragould's only hospital. The 127-bed acute-care hospital's campus includes a professional office building with community wellness center and a building with campus offices for Arkansas Northeastern College's nursing programs.

Notable residents

 * Two Major League Baseball players were born in Paragould: Marlin Stuart (1918) and Weldon Bowlin (1940).
 * Famed bank robber and Kansas City Massacre figure Frank "Jelly" Nash lived in Paragould and is entombed in Linwood Cemetery.
 * Paragould's Capitol Theatre (now known as the Collins Theatre) hosted the 1941 world premiere of The Man Who Came to Dinner starring Bette Davis and Paragould's own Bill Justice, known as Richard Travis in Hollywood. Travis came back to Paragould for the premiere at the Capitol where he had been employed when he lived there as well as serving as the editor of the theater's coming-attractions magazine.
 * Home of legislative veteran and current Arkansas Association of Public Universities Executive Director Tim Wooldridge.
 * Home of long time Arkansas State Treasurer Jimmie Lou Fisher. Fisher was the 2002 Democratic Nominee for Arkansas Governor.
 * Singer and folk/country song writer, Iris DeMent was born and lived her first 3 years in Paragould.
 * B-Movie actress, 50's glamour girl and famed trick-shot golfer Jeanne Carmen was born in Paragould.