The population of Morrilton City, Arkansas, is about 23,000, which is more than double the state average. Its population growth has been steady over the past few years, so the city may be well-positioned to benefit from continued growth. It is also close to Little Rock and Conway, which means it will likely need more road work and infrastructure in the near future. In addition, it may want to redesign its main thoroughfares using Complete Streets principles. Morrilton City has a part-time Main Street program, as well as a citizen-based initiative called Grow Morrilton, which is planning for future growth.
While the population of Morrilton, AR is not particularly diverse, there are some noteworthy aspects. The city is home to 6.5% of non-English speakers, including residents of Spanish and Italian. There are also 0.3% of Asian and Indo-European languages spoken in the city. In addition, the city has a low unemployment rate, at 7.5%, when looking at all residents sixteen years of age and over. At the same time, the city has 13.7% of government workers and employees.
One of the city's most prominent thoroughfares, Harding Street, has become a retail hotspot since 1968. In addition to two public schools, Harding Street features several automobile-oriented businesses, including a Walmart. Despite the lack of a full-time urban planner, Morrilton relies heavily on US Highway 64 and its central location. However, the downtown area is a compact and architecturally-rich area, with an important railroad depot that was built in 1915, a five-story First National Bank, and the Conway County Courthouse. The downtown area extends two blocks south of Broadway and four blocks north of it.