Best Places72802, AR Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 72802, 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.
72802 ranks 16,233rd of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on affordable childcare by a wide margin, and distance from a big city ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in 72802
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.
72802's strengths and weaknesses
Where 72802 ranks high
- Cheap childcare$481 a month, better than 95% of zip codes
- State fiscal healthBetter than 86% of zip codes
- Low property taxBetter than 80% of zip codes
- Short commute21.1 minutes each way, better than 80% of zip codes
- Housing crash safetyBetter than 79% of zip codes
Where 72802 ranks low
- Big-city accessBetter than only 13% of zip codes
- Heat safetyBetter than only 18% of zip codes
- QuietBetter than only 30% of zip codes
- Nice weatherabout 73 pleasant days a year, better than only 31% of zip codes
- Voter turnoutBetter than only 31% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 72802
A household needs to earn about $54,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 72802 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $68,746, 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 72802's effective rate of 0.52%, 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 7 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 72802
72802's age mix sits close to the national median.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 72802.
Who works in 72802, and how
Work in 72802 centers on manufacturing and health care & social. Unemployment is close to the national rate, and employment has held roughly flat.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 92%
- Work from home 6%
- Transit, walk, or bike 2%
Life in 72802
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 72802.
What the weather is like in 72802, month by month
72802 sees roughly 73 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 93 degrees. January highs sit near 51, with lows near 30. The comfortable stretch runs April, May, September, and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 39° | 30° |
| April | 74° | 61° | 50° |
| July | 93° | 81° | 72° |
| October | 77° | 63° | 52° |
Flying in and out of 72802
The nearest airport, Memorial Field, is about 57 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Memphis International, about 178 miles away.
The best schools in and around 72802
Schools across 72802 average a B−, better than 59% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Sequoyah Elementary SchoolA · 67% proficient
- Pottsville Elementary SchoolA− · 60% proficient
- Center Valley Elem. SchoolA− · 58% proficient
Top middle schools
- Pottsville Junior High SchoolB+ · 49% proficient
- Russellville Middle SchoolB+ · 48% proficient
- Dover Middle SchoolB+ · 48% proficient
Top high schools
- Pottsville High SchoolC+ · 37% proficient
- Russellville High SchoolC+ · 35% proficient
- Dover High SchoolC+ · 35% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 72802 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
72802 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 72802 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Who 72802 suits
Remote workers
Internet is fast and widely advertised and 6% already work from home.
Retirees
Set weather, quiet, and health care weights on the map to test the fit.
Common questions about living in 72802
Is 72802 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 72802 ranks 16,233rd of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on affordable childcare, state finances, and low property taxes, and lowest on distance from a big city and summer heat. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 72802 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $214,069. The overall cost of living runs about 20% below the national average. Set against a $68,746 median income, cost of living beats 55% of zip codes.
Is 72802 safe?
Yes, 72802 is safer than 78% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $355 per resident a year.
What is the weather like in 72802?
July highs average about 93 degrees, and January highs near 51 with lows near 30. That works out to about 73 pleasant days a year, more than 31% of zip codes.
Is 72802 good for families?
Schools beat 59% of zip codes, crime safety beats 78%, and childcare runs $481 a month.
Compare 72802 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 72802. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 72802 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.
72802 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 72802: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 72802: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 72802: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 72802: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
72802 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.