Best Places72936, AR Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 72936, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. This page is for people who live here or already know they want to. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
72936 ranks 11,314th 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 72936
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.
72936's strengths and weaknesses
Where 72936 ranks high
- Cheap childcare$422 a month, better than 98% of zip codes
- State fiscal healthBetter than 86% of zip codes
- Housing crash safetyBetter than 80% of zip codes
- Low vacancyBetter than 78% of zip codes
- Local economyBetter than 78% of zip codes
Where 72936 ranks low
- Big-city accessBetter than only 17% of zip codes
- Heat safetyBetter than only 17% of zip codes
- Nice weatherabout 68 pleasant days a year, better than only 20% of zip codes
- TransitBetter than only 35% of zip codes
- BikingBetter than only 43% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 72936
A household needs to earn about $52,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 72936 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $74,890, 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 72936's effective rate of 0.55%, 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 72936
72936'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 72936.
Who works in 72936, and how
Work in 72936 centers on manufacturing and education. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 89%
- Work from home 9%
- Transit, walk, or bike 2%
Life in 72936
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 72936.
What the weather is like in 72936, month by month
72936 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 72936
The nearest airport, Fort Smith Regional, is about 11 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Dallas Love Field, about 221 miles away.
The best schools in and around 72936
Schools across 72936 average a B+, better than 75% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- East Pointe Elementary SchoolA · 62% proficient
- Westwood Elementary SchoolA− · 59% proficient
- Booneville Elementary SchoolC+ · 35% proficient
Top middle schools
- Greenwood Junior High SchoolA− · 58% proficient
- East Hills Middle SchoolA− · 53% proficient
- Mansfield Middle SchoolC+ · 37% proficient
Top high schools
- Greenwood High SchoolB · 46% proficient
- Booneville High SchoolC · 32% proficient
- Mansfield High SchoolC− · 27% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 72936 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
72936 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 72936 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 72936
Is 72936 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 72936 ranks 11,314th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on affordable childcare, state finances, and a stable housing market, 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 72936 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $205,019. The overall cost of living runs about 18% below the national average. Set against a $74,890 median income, cost of living beats 67% of zip codes.
Is 72936 safe?
Yes, 72936 is safer than 63% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $416 per resident a year.
Compare 72936 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 72936. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 72936 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.
72936 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 72936: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 72936: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 72936: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 72936: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
72936 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.