72542 ZIP Code — Hardy, AR

Sharp County, Arkansas

ZIP code 72542 is located in Hardy, Arkansas, within Sharp County. It covers approximately 154.76 square miles and serves a population of 3,644 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 870.

About ZIP code 72542

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 $96,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 89%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $42,604. 56% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is service, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 25 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 diabetes (16%), smoking (24%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 15% of civilians, above the national average of 7%; and disability rates above the national average at 24%.

Overall, ZIP code 72542 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,644

population

154.76

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

72542 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 72542

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 72542. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Hardy	Acceptable
Hardy	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

72482 Williford (2.5 mi) 72459 Ravenden (9 mi) 72529 Cherokee Village (9.1 mi) 72460 Ravenden Springs (9.9 mi) 72554 Mammoth Spring (10.8 mi) 72513 Ash Flat (13.4 mi) 72569 Poughkeepsie (13.7 mi) 72434 Imboden (14.3 mi) 72532 Evening Shade (15.7 mi) 72415 Black Rock (16.4 mi) 72466 Smithville (16.4 mi) 72520 Camp (19.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,644
Population density	24 / sq mi
State FIPS	05
County FIPS	135

Geography
Land area	154.76 sq mi
Water area	1.08 sq mi
Latitude	36.2804
Longitude	-91.4125
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	65.0%	62.1%	50.4%
$50k – $100k	26.5%	29.8%	29.9%
$100k – $200k	5.8%	6.9%	15.7%
Over $200k	2.8%	1.2%	4.0%

Demographics & statistics

3,644

Population

People per sq mi

49.1

Median age

$42,604

Median household income

$26,734

Per capita income

$96,500

Median home value

$619

Median monthly rent

88.7%

Home ownership

11.2%

Poverty rate

2.2%

Unemployment

2,066

Housing units

11.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

105

5–9

110

10–14

106

15–19

112

20–24

113

25–34

119

239

35–44

253

248

45–54

262

103

55–59

108

109

60–64

116

314

65–74

331

144

75–84

153

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	651	17.9%
18 and over	2,993	82.1%
65 and over	1,109	30.4%
Median age	49.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 84%

Two or more races 7.6%

Hispanic or Latino 6.4%

Asian 0.9%

Black or African American 0.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%

Other race 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	3,271	84%
Two or more races	294	7.6%
Hispanic or Latino	248	6.4%
Asian	34	0.9%
Black or African American	19	0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	19	0.5%
Other race	7	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	65.0%	62.1%	50.4%
$50k – $100k	26.5%	29.8%	29.9%
$100k – $200k	5.8%	6.9%	15.7%
Over $200k	2.8%	1.2%	4.0%

Under $10k 7.4%

$10k–$15k 6.0%

$15k–$25k 11.9%

$25k–$35k 13.2%

$35k–$50k 18.7%

$50k–$75k 18.3%

$75k–$100k 11.9%

$100k–$150k 7.2%

$150k–$200k 1.2%

$200k+ 4.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.4%
$10k–$15k	6.0%
$15k–$25k	11.9%
$25k–$35k	13.2%
$35k–$50k	18.7%
$50k–$75k	18.3%
$75k–$100k	11.9%
$100k–$150k	7.2%
$150k–$200k	1.2%
$200k+	4.1%
Median income	$42,604

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 18.2%

$50k–$100k 34.7%

$100k–$150k 11.7%

$150k–$200k 10.0%

$200k–$300k 13.9%

$300k–$500k 7.2%

$500k–$1M 3.7%

$1M+ 0.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$96,500
Median rent / month	$619
Owner occupied	88.7%
Renter occupied	11.3%
Vacant	31.8%
Single-family detached	80.8%
Large apartment buildings	0.5%
Mobile homes	15.5%
Median rooms	5.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.38

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	6.1%
2000–2009	16.6%
1990–1999	21.3%
1980–1989	13.6%
1970–1979	22.4%
1960–1969	8.9%
1950–1959	5.5%
1940–1949	0.4%
1939 or earlier	5.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.3%
1 bedroom	10.0%
2 bedrooms	25.6%
3 bedrooms	50.0%
4 bedrooms	7.1%
5+ bedrooms	3.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.2%
1 vehicle	30.3%
2 vehicles	35.6%
3 or more	28.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.6%
Electricity	55.3%
Propane / LP gas	37.7%
Fuel oil	0.1%
Wood	5.0%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	827	54.2%
Cohabiting couple	58	3.8%
Male householder, no spouse	263	17.2%
Female householder, no spouse	379	24.8%
Households with children under 18	387	25.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	798	52.3%
Average household size	2.39

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	19.2%	13.6%
Married	57.6%	54.9%
Separated	1.5%	0.4%
Widowed	4.6%	13.6%
Divorced	17.0%	17.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.1%

Some HS, no diploma 9.0%

HS graduate 42.3%

Some college, no degree 30.3%

Associate's degree 4.4%

Bachelor's degree 7.8%

Graduate / professional 4.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	88.8%
Bachelor's or higher	11.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	66	9.3%
Kindergarten	13	1.8%
Elementary school	330	46.4%
High school	210	29.5%
College / grad school	92	12.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 31.5%

Retail trade 13.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.2%

Other services 7.2%

Public administration 6.7%

Construction 6.5%

Professional & management 6.3%

Agriculture & mining 5.3%

Transportation & utilities 5.3%

Manufacturing 4.1%

Wholesale trade 3.7%

Finance & real estate 1.9%

Information 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	27.2%
Service	29.0%
Sales & office	21.7%
Natural resources & construction	12.4%
Production & transportation	9.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	72.0%
Government	21.4%
Self-employed	6.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	76.9%
Carpool	10.1%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.9%
Work from home	10.9%
Other means	1.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	24.6

Poverty

All people 11.2%

Under 18 years 14.9%

18 and over 10.5%

Married-couple families 4.5%

Female-led households 23.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	55.5%
Retirement income	29.3%
Supplemental Security	11.0%
Cash public assistance	0.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	11.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	40.2%
High blood pressure	47.3%
High cholesterol	43.6%
Diabetes	15.5%
Heart disease	11.1%
Stroke	5.0%
Asthma	10.3%
Arthritis	34.7%
Kidney disease	4.3%
Pulmonary disease	12.9%
Cancer	8.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	24.2%
Binge drinking	12.8%
No physical activity	32.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.7%
Depression	25.3%
Fair or poor health	25.1%
Poor mental health	16.6%
Poor physical health	16.8%
No health insurance	14.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.5%
Visited dentist	51.2%
Cholesterol screening	89.4%
Teeth loss	22.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	432	14.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	23.6%
Under 18	1.8%
18–64 years	16.9%
65 and over	47.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	55.4%
Public insurance	58.8%
No insurance	6.4%
Uninsured under 19	4.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,543	97.2%
Spanish	7	0.2%
Other Indo-European	7	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,613	99.1%
Born in same state	3,605	98.9%
Born in different state	1,883	51.7%
Foreign born	8	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	31	0.9%
Not a US citizen	21	67.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	923	25.3%
Italian	482	13.2%
Arab	288	7.9%
Polish	66	1.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	34	0.9%
Irish	10	0.3%
German	6	0.2%
Dutch	2	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.9%
Internet access	87.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 72542

What city is ZIP code 72542 in?

ZIP code 72542 is primarily assigned to Hardy, Arkansas.

What county is ZIP code 72542 in?

ZIP code 72542 falls within Sharp County, Arkansas.

Does ZIP code 72542 have a large retiree population?

56% of households in ZIP code 72542 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 72542 have an older population?

30% of residents in ZIP code 72542 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Is ZIP code 72542 mostly owner-occupied?

89% of occupied units in ZIP code 72542 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 72542?

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

What timezone is ZIP code 72542 in?

ZIP code 72542 observes the CST timezone.