When analyzing the statistics of the city of Bald Knob, Arkansas, one important factor that should be taken into account is its poverty rate. In the city of 3,000 people, the median household income is only $45,726. That's over $15,000 below the national average. In Bald Knob, the typical household earns only $30,810 per year, or about half of what the typical American household makes. These low income levels lead to increased reliance on government aid programs, and one quarter of the households in the city and the surrounding area receive SNAP benefits.
The city's history can be traced to the Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto. The town is named after a large outcropping of layered stone, which was once considered a natural landmark. In addition to being named after this historic figure, the town was also the site of prehistoric salt extraction, and its settlement was mentioned in the Hernando de Soto expedition.
Public works programs came to Bald Knob after the Great Depression, and the National Youth Administration and Works Progress Administration both worked to improve the area's roads and schools. The Works Progress Administration constructed a new schoolhouse in 1951 for School District No. 45, northwest of the town. Now, it stands on the National Register of Historic Places, and represents Prairie-style architecture. The Hopewell Community Church occupies the schoolhouse.