PlainZIP

Fort Smith, AR · standard

ZIP Code 72901

Sebastian County, Arkansas - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

21,591
952/sq mi
$42,851
Median income
$118,100
Median home value
19.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Fort Smith pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.

7th pct
household income, US ZIPs
16th pct
home value, US ZIPs
952
people per sq mi
43%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 72901 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 72901 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas, with 21,591 residents across 22.7 square miles, a density of 952 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 72901 reports a modest median household income of $42,851 (24% below the Arkansas average), while per-capita income is $26,107. Poverty here runs at 26.1%, with unemployment measured at 11.6%. The typical home here is valued at $118,100 (19% below the state average); renters pay a median of $854 monthly, and 43.3% of units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 19.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 35.6, and the average commute is 17 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 10 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 72901, plus 6 more within Sebastian County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 72901

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Fort Smith, AR

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 72901.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 72901, Fort Smith, AR · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

21,591

Population

22.7

Area (sq mi)

952

People / sq mi

Chicago

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 72901?

35.6

Median Age

50.1%

Male

49.9%

Female

9.6%

Foreign-Born

White 59.8%
African American 9.3%
Asian 3.1%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.9%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.2%
Two or More Ethnicities 16.0%
Hispanic or Latino 19.3%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$42,851

Median Household Income

-24% vs state

$26,107

Per Capita Income

26.1%

Poverty Rate

11.6%

Unemployment Rate

17.2 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 72901 ranks nationally

Fort Smith, AR household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$42,851 7th percentile higher than 7% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 56.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 19.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

10,266

Total Housing Units

8,789

Occupied Units

1,477

Vacant Units

2.22

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 43.3%
Renter 56.7%

$118,100

Median Home Value

-19% vs state

$854

Median Rent

1959

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+13.4%

YoY Change (2024)

223

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+123%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 72901 have increased 13.4% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +123% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 -3.0% 139
2021 +14.2% 159
2022 +12.4% 178
2023 +10.0% 196
2024 +13.4% 223

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 944 business establishments in ZIP 72901, employing approximately 18,066 people with a combined annual payroll of $937,175,000.

944

Businesses

18,066

Employees

$937.2M

Annual Payroll

18

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 142 15.0%
Health care and social assistance 121 12.8%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 105 11.1%
Accommodation and food services 99 10.5%
Other services (except public administration) 89 9.4%
Wholesale trade 62 6.6%
Manufacturing 61 6.5%
Finance and insurance 54 5.7%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 49 5.2%
Construction 47 5.0%
Real estate and rental and leasing 37 3.9%
Information 20 2.1%
Transportation and warehousing 17 1.8%
Educational services 11 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 10 1.1%
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction 9 0.9%
Management of companies and enterprises 7 0.7%
Utilities 3 0.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 72901 vs 74901 →

ZIP 72901 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 72901 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 72901 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 72901 ranks #9 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
74901 Arkoma, OK 1,992 2.7 mi
74946 Moffett, OK 137 2.7 mi
72908 Fort Smith, AR 13,378 4.2 mi
72903 Fort Smith, AR 26,148 3.3 mi
72904 Fort Smith, AR 21,893 3.7 mi
72916 Fort Smith, AR 7,131 7.2 mi
74954 Roland, OK 4,590 6.2 mi
72923 Barling, AR 4,735 7.0 mi
72956 Van Buren, AR 34,074 8.0 mi
74902 Pocola, OK 4,095 9.2 mi

More ZIP Codes in Sebastian County

72903 standard
Fort Smith, AR
Pop: 26,148
72904 standard
Fort Smith, AR
Pop: 21,893
72936 standard
Greenwood, AR
Pop: 14,527
72908 standard
Fort Smith, AR
Pop: 13,378
72916 standard
Fort Smith, AR
Pop: 7,131
72941 standard
Lavaca, AR
Pop: 5,251

Related Areas

Sebastian County Fort Smith, AR Arkansas

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 72901 in? ▼
ZIP code 72901 (Fort Smith) is located in Sebastian County, Arkansas. Sebastian County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/sebastian-ar.
What is the population of ZIP code 72901? ▼
ZIP code 72901 in Fort Smith, AR has a population of 21,591 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 72901? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 72901 is $42,851, which is 44% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 72901? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 72901 is $118,100, which is 58% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 72901? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 72901 is White at 59.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 19.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 72901? ▼
ZIP code 72901 has 944 business establishments employing approximately 18,066 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 72901? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 72901 are: Retail trade (142), Health care and social assistance (121), Professional, scientific, and technical services (105). There are 18 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 72901? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 72901 increased by 13.4% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 123%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 72901? ▼
In ZIP code 72901, 56.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 19.1% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 72901? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 72901 is 17.2 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 72901? ▼
In ZIP code 72901, approximately 43.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 56.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 72901? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 72901 is 26.1% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.