72821 ZIP Code — Altus, AR

Franklin County, Arkansas

ZIP code 72821 is located in Altus, Arkansas, within Franklin County. It covers approximately 32.03 square miles and serves a population of 2,271 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 479.

About ZIP code 72821

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $98,700. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 69%.

Median household income is $36,442. Poverty affects 35% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 29% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 35% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 19 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 7% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (27%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 32%.

Overall, ZIP code 72821 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

2,271

population

32.03

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

72821 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 72821

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 72821. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Altus	Acceptable
Altus	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

72832 Coal Hill (5 mi) 72840 Hartman (7.8 mi) 72949 Ozark (9.6 mi) 72930 Cecil (11 mi) 72865 Subiaco (13.2 mi) 72855 Paris (13.3 mi) 72863 Scranton (14 mi) 72951 Ratcliff (14 mi) 72928 Branch (15.1 mi) 72947 Mulberry (17.2 mi) 72933 Charleston (18.7 mi) 72830 Clarksville (18.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,271
Population density	71 / sq mi
State FIPS	05
County FIPS	047

Geography
Land area	32.03 sq mi
Water area	0.16 sq mi
Latitude	35.4614
Longitude	-93.7470
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	479

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	74.3%	59.9%	50.4%
$50k – $100k	18.3%	28.3%	29.9%
$100k – $200k	7.5%	9.5%	15.7%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.2%	4.0%

Demographics & statistics

2,271

Population

People per sq mi

37.7

Median age

$36,442

Median household income

$21,528

Per capita income

$98,700

Median home value

$674

Median monthly rent

68.6%

Home ownership

35.4%

Poverty rate

7.2%

Unemployment

659

Housing units

7.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

103

Under 5

5–9

118

10–14

108

15–19

20–24

145

25–34

114

173

35–44

135

214

45–54

168

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	619	27.3%
18 and over	1,652	72.7%
65 and over	304	13.4%
Median age	37.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 91.5%

Two or more races 7.1%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%

Hispanic or Latino 0.6%

Group	Count	%
White	2,091	91.5%
Two or more races	163	7.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	17	0.7%
Hispanic or Latino	14	0.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	74.3%	59.9%	50.4%
$50k – $100k	18.3%	28.3%	29.9%
$100k – $200k	7.5%	9.5%	15.7%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.2%	4.0%

Under $10k 11.7%

$10k–$15k 4.5%

$15k–$25k 16.9%

$25k–$35k 15.9%

$35k–$50k 10.7%

$50k–$75k 12.1%

$75k–$100k 13.3%

$100k–$150k 7.7%

$150k–$200k 3.0%

$200k+ 4.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	11.7%
$10k–$15k	4.5%
$15k–$25k	16.9%
$25k–$35k	15.9%
$35k–$50k	10.7%
$50k–$75k	12.1%
$75k–$100k	13.3%
$100k–$150k	7.7%
$150k–$200k	3.0%
$200k+	4.1%
Median income	$36,442

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 29.3%

$50k–$100k 21.2%

$100k–$150k 14.1%

$150k–$200k 17.9%

$200k–$300k 14.8%

$300k–$500k 2.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$98,700
Median rent / month	$674
Owner occupied	68.6%
Renter occupied	31.4%
Vacant	14.1%
Single-family detached	76.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	18.0%
Median rooms	5.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.86

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.9%
2000–2009	11.6%
1990–1999	12.4%
1980–1989	15.3%
1970–1979	19.8%
1960–1969	15.5%
1950–1959	3.8%
1940–1949	7.2%
1939 or earlier	12.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.8%
1 bedroom	4.5%
2 bedrooms	32.8%
3 bedrooms	53.1%
4 bedrooms	7.0%
5+ bedrooms	1.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	12.5%
1 vehicle	32.4%
2 vehicles	29.9%
3 or more	25.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	28.8%
Electricity	57.2%
Propane / LP gas	1.8%
Wood	8.8%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	405	52.3%
Cohabiting couple	27	3.5%
Male householder, no spouse	167	21.5%
Female householder, no spouse	176	22.7%
Households with children under 18	267	34.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	225	29.0%
Average household size	2.93

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	30.2%	26.8%
Married	53.1%	51.1%
Separated	1.7%	1.2%
Widowed	4.6%	8.8%
Divorced	10.5%	12.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.2%

Some HS, no diploma 8.7%

HS graduate 48.9%

Some college, no degree 22.8%

Associate's degree 7.4%

Bachelor's degree 5.8%

Graduate / professional 1.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	86.1%
Bachelor's or higher	7.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	16	4.5%
Elementary school	206	57.5%
High school	84	23.5%
College / grad school	52	14.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 19.9%

Manufacturing 18.3%

Construction 16.1%

Transportation & utilities 8.9%

Retail trade 7.9%

Professional & management 6.5%

Finance & real estate 6.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.6%

Public administration 3.9%

Agriculture & mining 3.7%

Other services 2.4%

Wholesale trade 0.4%

Information 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	23.5%
Service	13.7%
Sales & office	13.7%
Natural resources & construction	13.2%
Production & transportation	35.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.2%
Government	14.6%
Self-employed	8.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	77.2%
Carpool	9.5%
Public transit	4.4%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	2.1%
Other means	6.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	19.3

Poverty

All people 35.4%

Under 18 years 48.1%

18 and over 30.8%

Married-couple families 26.9%

Female-led households 34.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	34.5%
Retirement income	24.9%
Supplemental Security	23.0%
Cash public assistance	3.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	29.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.0%
High blood pressure	41.9%
High cholesterol	39.9%
Diabetes	14.0%
Heart disease	9.4%
Stroke	4.5%
Asthma	10.8%
Arthritis	30.3%
Kidney disease	3.9%
Pulmonary disease	12.2%
Cancer	7.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	27.1%
Binge drinking	14.3%
No physical activity	35.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.6%
Depression	27.7%
Fair or poor health	25.2%
Poor mental health	18.4%
Poor physical health	16.6%
No health insurance	16.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.0%
Visited dentist	47.3%
Cholesterol screening	85.7%
Teeth loss	25.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	132	8.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	32.1%
Under 18	6.9%
18–64 years	39.7%
65 and over	49.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	38.6%
Public insurance	63.5%
No insurance	7.5%
Uninsured under 19	3.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,087	91.9%
Spanish	20	1.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	20	1.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,269	99.9%
Born in same state	2,264	99.7%
Born in different state	1,587	69.9%
Foreign born	5	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	2	0.1%
Not a US citizen	2	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	870	38.3%
Italian	345	15.2%
French	87	3.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	7	0.3%
English	6	0.3%
Dutch	5	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	34.1%
Internet access	85.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 72821

What city is ZIP code 72821 in?

ZIP code 72821 is primarily assigned to Altus, Arkansas.

What county is ZIP code 72821 in?

ZIP code 72821 falls within Franklin County, Arkansas.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 72821?

35% of residents in ZIP code 72821 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 72821?

7% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 72821?

The median home value in ZIP code 72821 is $98,700.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 72821?

The median household income in ZIP code 72821 is $36,442, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 72821 in?

ZIP code 72821 observes the CST timezone.