Best Places72916, AR Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 72916, 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.
72916 ranks 5,079th of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on affordable childcare by a wide margin, and summer heat is the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in 72916
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.
72916's strengths and weaknesses
Where 72916 ranks high
- Cheap childcare$422 a month, better than 98% of zip codes
- Cost of living vs incomeBetter than 90% of zip codes
- Local economyBetter than 90% of zip codes
- Low vacancyBetter than 88% of zip codes
- Short commute19.1 minutes each way, better than 88% of zip codes
Where 72916 ranks low
- Heat safetyBetter than only 19% of zip codes
- Big-city accessBetter than only 19% of zip codes
- Nice weatherabout 68 pleasant days a year, better than only 21% of zip codes
- QuietBetter than only 30% of zip codes
- TransitBetter than only 35% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 72916
A household needs to earn about $71,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 72916 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $93,922, 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 72916's effective rate of 0.67%, 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 9 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 72916
72916'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 72916.
Who works in 72916, and how
Work in 72916 centers on manufacturing and health care & social. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 89%
- Work from home 10%
- Transit, walk, or bike 1%
Life in 72916
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 72916.
What the weather is like in 72916, month by month
72916 sees roughly 68 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 96 degrees. January highs sit near 54, with lows near 29. The comfortable stretch runs March through May and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 40° | 29° |
| April | 77° | 62° | 49° |
| July | 96° | 83° | 73° |
| October | 80° | 65° | 52° |
Flying in and out of 72916
The nearest airport, Fort Smith Regional, is about 4 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Dallas Love Field, about 220 miles away.
The best schools in and around 72916
Schools across 72916 average a B, better than 68% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- John P. Woods Elem. SchoolA− · 59% proficient
- Westwood Elementary SchoolA− · 59% proficient
- Elmer H. Cook Elem. SchoolB+ · 55% proficient
Top middle schools
- L. A. Chaffin Jr. High SchoolA− · 56% proficient
- East Hills Middle SchoolA− · 53% proficient
- Ramsey Junior High SchoolB− · 40% proficient
Top high schools
- Greenwood High SchoolB · 46% proficient
- Southside High SchoolB− · 43% proficient
- Hackett High SchoolC · 32% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 72916 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
72916 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 72916 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 72916
Is 72916 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 72916 ranks 5,079th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on affordable childcare, what local pay buys, and a strong job market, and lowest on summer heat and distance from a big city. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 72916 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $276,053. The overall cost of living runs about 15% below the national average. Set against a $93,922 median income, cost of living beats 90% of zip codes.
Is 72916 safe?
Yes, 72916 is safer than 76% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $374 per resident a year.
Compare 72916 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 72916. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 72916 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.
72916 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 72916: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 72916: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 72916: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 72916: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
72916 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.