Moving to Camden: Pros, Cons & What to Know
Moving to Camden means joining a real, genuinely distinctive Ouachita County seat whose economy spans a historic timber and kraft-paper heritage and a current defense-manufacturing arsenal at the Highland Industrial Park.
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Learn moreA real, two-act industrial history
Camden's historic timber and kraft-paper economy (Anthony Timberlands, founded 1907; International Paper's kraft mill, built 1928, closed 2001) gave way to a real, current defense-manufacturing base at the Highland Industrial Park -- Lockheed Martin, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Raytheon Technologies, and General Dynamics (base record).
A real, genuine defense-manufacturing arsenal
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control has produced HIMARS launchers and MLRS rockets for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps at its Camden Operations since the early 1980s; Aerojet Rocketdyne employs 1,100+ people producing 75,000+ solid rocket motors a year (base record).
Genuinely affordable housing
Zillow's cited average home value ran approximately $112,201, producing a low $292 median annual property tax bill (base record).
Honestly disclosed: a declining population
World Population Review cites Camden's population declining at approximately 1.01% per year, consistent with the broader decline of Ouachita County overall (base record).
Key takeaways
- The Highland Industrial Park's real defense-manufacturing employers (Lockheed Martin, Aerojet Rocketdyne) anchor a genuinely distinctive economy.
- Housing runs genuinely affordable (Zillow average $112,201), producing a low $292 median property tax bill.
- Camden's population is real, disclosed as declining (~1.01%/year), consistent with Ouachita County's broader trend.
- Arkansas's real 3.7% top income tax rate (2026) and the $600 Amendment 79 homestead credit apply statewide.
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