Best Places72002, AR Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 72002, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Costs and crime both read low, and the nearest big city is a drive away. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
72002 ranks 8,984th of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on a strong job market by a wide margin, and air quality ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in 72002
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
72002's strengths and weaknesses
Where 72002 ranks high
- Local economyBetter than 94% of zip codes
- Housing crash safetyBetter than 88% of zip codes
- Low vacancyBetter than 86% of zip codes
- State fiscal healthBetter than 86% of zip codes
- Cheap childcare$671 a month, better than 78% of zip codes
Where 72002 ranks low
- Air qualityBetter than only 6% of zip codes
- Heat safetyBetter than only 22% of zip codes
- Big-city accessBetter than only 26% of zip codes
- Nice weatherabout 73 pleasant days a year, better than only 32% of zip codes
- Healthcare accessBetter than only 34% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 72002
A household needs to earn about $67,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 72002 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $89,428, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses 72002's effective rate of 0.62%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 8 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 72002
72002 runs younger than the country.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 72002.
Who works in 72002, and how
Work in 72002 centers on health care & social and retail trade. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 86%
- Work from home 12%
- Transit, walk, or bike 2%
Life in 72002
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 72002.
What the weather is like in 72002, month by month
72002 sees roughly 73 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 93 degrees. January highs sit near 53, with lows near 33. The comfortable stretch runs March through May and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 42° | 33° |
| April | 75° | 63° | 53° |
| July | 93° | 83° | 74° |
| October | 77° | 65° | 55° |
Flying in and out of 72002
The nearest airport, Bill and Hillary Clinton Ntl/Adams Field, is about 16 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Memphis International, about 145 miles away.
The best schools in and around 72002
Schools across 72002 average a B−, better than 62% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Springhill Elementary SchoolA− · 58% proficient
- Collegeville Elementary SchoolB · 48% proficient
- Salem Elementary SchoolB · 46% proficient
Top middle schools
- Bethel Middle SchoolA− · 58% proficient
- Joe T. Robinson Middle SchoolB · 45% proficient
- Bryant Middle SchoolB− · 42% proficient
Top high schools
- Bryant High SchoolC+ · 40% proficient
- Joe T. Robinson High SchoolC− · 30% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 72002 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
72002 measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare 72002 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Who 72002 suits
Remote workers
Cost of living against local pay beats 77% of zip codes, internet is fast and widely advertised, and 12% already work from home.
Retirees
Set weather, quiet, and health care weights on the map to test the fit.
Common questions about living in 72002
Is 72002 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 72002 ranks 8,984th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on a strong job market, a stable housing market, and few empty homes, and lowest on air quality and summer heat. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 72002 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $264,409. The overall cost of living runs about 12% below the national average. Set against a $89,428 median income, cost of living beats 77% of zip codes.
Is 72002 safe?
Yes, 72002 is safer than 76% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $357 per resident a year.
What is the weather like in 72002?
July highs average about 93 degrees, and January highs near 53 with lows near 33. That works out to about 73 pleasant days a year, more than 32% of zip codes.
Is 72002 good for families?
Schools beat 62% of zip codes, crime safety beats 76%, and childcare runs $671 a month.
Compare 72002 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 72002. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 72002 represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
72002 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 72002: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 72002: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 72002: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 72002: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
72002 detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.