72521 ZIP Code — Cave City, AR

Sharp County, Arkansas

ZIP code 72521 is located in Cave City, Arkansas, within Sharp County. It covers approximately 118.73 square miles and serves a population of 5,556 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 870.

About ZIP code 72521

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $89,200. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 69%.

Median household income is $48,152. Poverty affects 23% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 18% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 33% 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 26 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 12% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (26%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 12% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 72521 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a strong veteran community, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

5,556

population

118.73

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

72521 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 72521

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 72521. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Cave City	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

72469 Strawberry (9.1 mi) 72579 Sulphur Rock (9.7 mi) 72577 Sidney (10.1 mi) 72569 Poughkeepsie (10.6 mi) 72532 Evening Shade (11 mi) 72572 Saffell (12 mi) 72524 Cord (13.2 mi) 72501 Batesville (13.8 mi) 72466 Smithville (14.8 mi) 72562 Newark (16 mi) 72561 Mount Pleasant (16.2 mi) 72440 Lynn (16.5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	5,556
Population density	47 / sq mi
State FIPS	05
County FIPS	135

Geography
Land area	118.73 sq mi
Water area	0.11 sq mi
Latitude	35.9403
Longitude	-91.5005
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	870

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	56.0%	62.1%	50.4%
$50k – $100k	33.3%	29.8%	29.9%
$100k – $200k	9.7%	6.9%	15.7%
Over $200k	1.0%	1.2%	4.0%

Demographics & statistics

5,556

Population

People per sq mi

38.4

Median age

$48,152

Median household income

$22,094

Per capita income

$89,200

Median home value

$723

Median monthly rent

68.7%

Home ownership

23.2%

Poverty rate

4.2%

Unemployment

1,788

Housing units

11.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

122

Under 5

131

5–9

303

10–14

324

233

15–19

250

179

20–24

191

244

25–34

261

362

35–44

388

382

45–54

409

201

55–59

215

125

60–64

134

257

65–74

276

164

75–84

176

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,455	26.2%
18 and over	4,101	73.8%
65 and over	946	17.0%
Median age	38.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 89.9%

Hispanic or Latino 3.5%

Other race 3.2%

Black or African American 2.3%

Two or more races 0.7%

Asian 0.5%

Group	Count	%
White	5,174	89.9%
Hispanic or Latino	200	3.5%
Other race	185	3.2%
Black or African American	133	2.3%
Two or more races	38	0.7%
Asian	26	0.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	56.0%	62.1%	50.4%
$50k – $100k	33.3%	29.8%	29.9%
$100k – $200k	9.7%	6.9%	15.7%
Over $200k	1.0%	1.2%	4.0%

Under $10k 4.6%

$10k–$15k 6.5%

$15k–$25k 10.9%

$25k–$35k 15.3%

$35k–$50k 17.9%

$50k–$75k 20.4%

$75k–$100k 8.4%

$100k–$150k 7.7%

$150k–$200k 5.7%

$200k+ 2.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.6%
$10k–$15k	6.5%
$15k–$25k	10.9%
$25k–$35k	15.3%
$35k–$50k	17.9%
$50k–$75k	20.4%
$75k–$100k	8.4%
$100k–$150k	7.7%
$150k–$200k	5.7%
$200k+	2.7%
Median income	$48,152

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 34.8%

$50k–$100k 23.8%

$100k–$150k 10.8%

$150k–$200k 15.4%

$200k–$300k 7.8%

$300k–$500k 7.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$89,200
Median rent / month	$723
Owner occupied	68.7%
Renter occupied	31.3%
Vacant	17.6%
Single-family detached	63.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	30.5%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.77

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.6%
2010–2019	6.3%
2000–2009	17.8%
1990–1999	20.0%
1980–1989	11.5%
1970–1979	26.8%
1960–1969	9.8%
1950–1959	2.9%
1940–1949	2.2%
1939 or earlier	2.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.6%
1 bedroom	4.4%
2 bedrooms	29.1%
3 bedrooms	38.9%
4 bedrooms	21.5%
5+ bedrooms	4.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.6%
1 vehicle	30.4%
2 vehicles	32.6%
3 or more	30.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	13.6%
Electricity	62.3%
Propane / LP gas	19.7%
Fuel oil	0.1%
Wood	3.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,281	64.5%
Cohabiting couple	143	7.2%
Male householder, no spouse	162	8.2%
Female householder, no spouse	400	20.1%
Households with children under 18	854	43.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	602	30.3%
Average household size	2.76

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	29.0%	23.4%
Married	59.5%	54.7%
Separated	2.0%	2.1%
Widowed	2.8%	7.6%
Divorced	6.8%	12.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.9%

Some HS, no diploma 15.4%

HS graduate 42.7%

Some college, no degree 20.0%

Associate's degree 5.3%

Bachelor's degree 6.7%

Graduate / professional 4.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	79.8%
Bachelor's or higher	11.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	102	7.0%
Kindergarten	16	1.1%
Elementary school	705	48.6%
High school	478	32.9%
College / grad school	151	10.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 25.8%

Manufacturing 15.9%

Retail trade 15.6%

Construction 13.7%

Other services 6.7%

Transportation & utilities 3.8%

Agriculture & mining 3.5%

Professional & management 3.5%

Information 2.6%

Wholesale trade 2.5%

Public administration 2.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 2.1%

Finance & real estate 1.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	24.2%
Service	11.4%
Sales & office	23.9%
Natural resources & construction	13.9%
Production & transportation	26.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	76.8%
Government	15.1%
Self-employed	8.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	72.0%
Carpool	20.8%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	3.9%
Work from home	1.5%
Other means	1.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	25.9

Poverty

All people 23.2%

Under 18 years 29.2%

18 and over 21.1%

Married-couple families 7.7%

Female-led households 60.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	33.3%
Retirement income	18.7%
Supplemental Security	7.9%
Cash public assistance	3.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	18.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	40.2%
High blood pressure	43.3%
High cholesterol	39.6%
Diabetes	13.6%
Heart disease	9.6%
Stroke	4.5%
Asthma	10.6%
Arthritis	31.5%
Kidney disease	3.9%
Pulmonary disease	12.1%
Cancer	7.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	26.3%
Binge drinking	14.0%
No physical activity	33.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.9%
Depression	26.9%
Fair or poor health	24.9%
Poor mental health	18.1%
Poor physical health	16.5%
No health insurance	16.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.6%
Visited dentist	48.2%
Cholesterol screening	86.5%
Teeth loss	25.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	470	11.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	17.4%
Under 18	0.8%
18–64 years	16.8%
65 and over	46.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	51.7%
Public insurance	51.8%
No insurance	8.0%
Uninsured under 19	1.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	5,303	95.4%
Spanish	110	2.1%
Other Indo-European	94	1.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	16	0.3%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	5,378	96.8%
Born in same state	5,372	96.7%
Born in different state	3,899	70.2%
Foreign born	6	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	178	3.2%
Not a US citizen	23	12.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,089	19.6%
French	473	8.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	445	8%
English	44	0.8%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	35.7%
Internet access	82.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 72521

What city is ZIP code 72521 in?

ZIP code 72521 is primarily assigned to Cave City, Arkansas.

What county is ZIP code 72521 in?

ZIP code 72521 falls within Sharp County, Arkansas.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 72521?

23% of residents in ZIP code 72521 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 72521?

12% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Does ZIP code 72521 have a large veteran population?

12% of civilians in ZIP code 72521 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 72521?

The median home value in ZIP code 72521 is $89,200.

What timezone is ZIP code 72521 in?

ZIP code 72521 observes the CST timezone.