PlainZIP

Fort Smith, AR · standard

ZIP Code 72903

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

26,148
603/sq mi
$61,434
Median income
$235,900
Median home value
30.3%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Fort Smith pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.

32th pct
household income, US ZIPs
Top 46%
home value, US ZIPs
603
people per sq mi
53%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 72903 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 72903 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas, with 26,148 residents across 43.4 square miles, a density of 603 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 72903 reports a modest median household income of $61,434 (9% above the Arkansas average), while per-capita income is $36,424. Local economic indicators show a 10.3% poverty rate alongside 4.9% unemployment. On housing, the median home value is $235,900 (62% above the state average) with median rent at $827 per month, and 52.8% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 30.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.3, and the average commute is 17 minutes. To put 72903 in local context, 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Sebastian County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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 72903

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Fort Smith, AR

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 72903.

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 72903, 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

26,148

Population

43.4

Area (sq mi)

603

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 72903?

38.3

Median Age

51.0%

Male

49.0%

Female

5.5%

Foreign-Born

White 72.5%
African American 8.3%
Asian 2.5%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 10.1%
Hispanic or Latino 11.0%

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?

$61,434

Median Household Income

+9% vs state

$36,424

Per Capita Income

10.3%

Poverty Rate

4.9%

Unemployment Rate

16.5 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 72903 ranks nationally

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

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

$61,434 32nd percentile higher than 32% 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%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $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 56.2%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 30.3%

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

What does housing look like?

12,170

Total Housing Units

11,464

Occupied Units

706

Vacant Units

2.31

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 52.8%
Renter 47.2%

$235,900

Median Home Value

+62% vs state

$827

Median Rent

1980

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

+1.9%

YoY Change (2024)

217

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+117%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 72903 have increased 1.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +117% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +2.6% 152
2021 +11.1% 168
2022 +15.0% 193
2023 +9.9% 213
2024 +1.9% 217

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 1,043 business establishments in ZIP 72903, employing approximately 17,571 people with a combined annual payroll of $829,756,000.

1,043

Businesses

17,571

Employees

$829.8M

Annual Payroll

17

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Health care and social assistance 213 20.4%
Retail trade 189 18.1%
Accommodation and food services 129 12.4%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 86 8.3%
Other services (except public administration) 81 7.8%
Finance and insurance 72 6.9%
Real estate and rental and leasing 63 6.0%
Construction 37 3.5%
Wholesale trade 36 3.5%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 36 3.5%
Transportation and warehousing 25 2.4%
Information 22 2.1%
Manufacturing 15 1.4%
Educational services 11 1.1%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 11 1.1%
Management of companies and enterprises 10 1.0%
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction 6 0.6%

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 72903 vs 72901 →

ZIP 72903 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 72903 ranks #2 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 72903 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 72903 ranks #4 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
72901 Fort Smith, AR 21,591 3.3 mi
72904 Fort Smith, AR 21,893 4.5 mi
72923 Barling, AR 4,735 3.8 mi
72908 Fort Smith, AR 13,378 4.1 mi
72916 Fort Smith, AR 7,131 5.8 mi
74901 Arkoma, OK 1,992 5.5 mi
72956 Van Buren, AR 34,074 8.1 mi
74946 Moffett, OK 137 5.9 mi
74954 Roland, OK 4,590 9.3 mi
74902 Pocola, OK 4,095 10.0 mi

More ZIP Codes in Sebastian County

72904 standard
Fort Smith, AR
Pop: 21,893
72901 standard
Fort Smith, AR
Pop: 21,591
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 72903 in? ▼
ZIP code 72903 (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 72903? ▼
ZIP code 72903 in Fort Smith, AR has a population of 26,148 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 72903? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 72903 is $61,434, which is 19% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 72903? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 72903 is $235,900, which is 15% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 72903? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 72903 is White at 72.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 11.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 72903? ▼
ZIP code 72903 has 1,043 business establishments employing approximately 17,571 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 72903? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 72903 are: Health care and social assistance (213), Retail trade (189), Accommodation and food services (129). There are 17 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 72903? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 72903 increased by 1.9% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 117%. 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 72903? ▼
In ZIP code 72903, 56.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 30.3% 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 72903? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 72903 is 16.5 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 72903? ▼
In ZIP code 72903, approximately 52.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 47.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 72903? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 72903 is 10.3% 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.