72843 ZIP Code — Hector, AR

Pope County, Arkansas

ZIP code 72843 is located in Hector, Arkansas, within Pope County. It covers approximately 156.50 square miles and serves a population of 2,184 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 479.

About ZIP code 72843

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $119,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 86%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $56,071. SNAP benefit usage at 19% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 46% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 28 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 14% 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 disability rates above the national average at 29%.

Overall, ZIP code 72843 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

2,184

population

156.50

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

72843 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 72843

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 72843. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Hector	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

72837 Dover (11.1 mi) 72080 Jerusalem (12 mi) 72679 Tilly (12.9 mi) 72141 Scotland (14.2 mi) 72856 Pelsor (16 mi) 72823 Atkins (16.2 mi) 72030 Cleveland (16.6 mi) 72063 Hattieville (18.1 mi) 72802 Russellville (18.2 mi) 72686 Witts Springs (19.8 mi) 72031 Clinton (19.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,184
Population density	14 / sq mi
State FIPS	05
County FIPS	115

Geography
Land area	156.50 sq mi
Water area	0.14 sq mi
Latitude	35.5353
Longitude	-92.9406
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	51.8%	53.6%	50.4%
$50k – $100k	29.3%	27.1%	29.9%
$100k – $200k	12.9%	15.2%	15.7%
Over $200k	6.1%	4.0%	4.0%

Demographics & statistics

2,184

Population

People per sq mi

46.6

Median age

$56,071

Median household income

$23,876

Per capita income

$119,600

Median home value

$877

Median monthly rent

86.0%

Home ownership

14.8%

Poverty rate

0.4%

Unemployment

829

Housing units

13.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

135

35–44

129

180

45–54

172

156

55–59

149

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	423	19.4%
18 and over	1,761	80.6%
65 and over	396	18.1%
Median age	46.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.2%

Two or more races 4.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%

Hispanic or Latino 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	2,082	95.2%
Two or more races	91	4.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	11	0.5%
Hispanic or Latino	2	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	51.8%	53.6%	50.4%
$50k – $100k	29.3%	27.1%	29.9%
$100k – $200k	12.9%	15.2%	15.7%
Over $200k	6.1%	4.0%	4.0%

Under $10k 5.5%

$10k–$15k 5.1%

$15k–$25k 18.5%

$25k–$35k 6.3%

$35k–$50k 10.4%

$50k–$75k 16.5%

$75k–$100k 12.2%

$100k–$150k 16.0%

$150k–$200k 4.3%

$200k+ 5.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.5%
$10k–$15k	5.1%
$15k–$25k	18.5%
$25k–$35k	6.3%
$35k–$50k	10.4%
$50k–$75k	16.5%
$75k–$100k	12.2%
$100k–$150k	16.0%
$150k–$200k	4.3%
$200k+	5.2%
Median income	$56,071

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 16.9%

$50k–$100k 19.9%

$100k–$150k 22.5%

$150k–$200k 13.0%

$200k–$300k 19.9%

$300k–$500k 6.2%

$500k–$1M 1.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$119,600
Median rent / month	$877
Owner occupied	86.0%
Renter occupied	14.0%
Vacant	14.4%
Single-family detached	74.7%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	24.3%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.72

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	10.4%
2000–2009	5.8%
1990–1999	22.4%
1980–1989	17.0%
1970–1979	21.0%
1960–1969	9.3%
1950–1959	3.2%
1940–1949	6.4%
1939 or earlier	4.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.3%
1 bedroom	6.1%
2 bedrooms	29.4%
3 bedrooms	51.0%
4 bedrooms	6.5%
5+ bedrooms	4.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.9%
1 vehicle	22.0%
2 vehicles	41.7%
3 or more	35.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	19.9%
Electricity	49.5%
Propane / LP gas	3.8%
Wood	24.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	565	70.1%
Cohabiting couple	0	0.0%
Male householder, no spouse	111	13.8%
Female householder, no spouse	130	16.1%
Households with children under 18	231	28.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	262	32.5%
Average household size	2.71

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	15.9%	23.4%
Married	67.0%	56.3%
Separated	2.1%	0.8%
Widowed	3.2%	12.9%
Divorced	11.9%	6.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 6.1%

Some HS, no diploma 23.5%

HS graduate 36.3%

Some college, no degree 16.3%

Associate's degree 4.2%

Bachelor's degree 11.4%

Graduate / professional 2.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	70.3%
Bachelor's or higher	13.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	10	1.7%
Kindergarten	19	3.3%
Elementary school	250	43.0%
High school	133	22.9%
College / grad school	169	29.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.8%

Construction 16.0%

Transportation & utilities 15.6%

Manufacturing 13.9%

Retail trade 9.8%

Other services 4.3%

Agriculture & mining 3.9%

Professional & management 3.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 2.9%

Wholesale trade 1.1%

Information 1.0%

Finance & real estate 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	30.6%
Service	9.9%
Sales & office	15.9%
Natural resources & construction	25.2%
Production & transportation	18.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	73.0%
Government	18.6%
Self-employed	8.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	81.4%
Carpool	10.7%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.2%
Work from home	6.2%
Other means	1.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	28.0

Poverty

All people 14.8%

Under 18 years 23.2%

18 and over 12.8%

Married-couple families 10.4%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	46.3%
Retirement income	16.9%
Supplemental Security	6.2%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	19.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	42.2%
High blood pressure	39.2%
High cholesterol	38.1%
Diabetes	12.2%
Heart disease	8.4%
Stroke	3.9%
Asthma	10.4%
Arthritis	28.2%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	10.6%
Cancer	6.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	26.1%
Binge drinking	14.5%
No physical activity	33.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.7%
Depression	28.3%
Fair or poor health	22.5%
Poor mental health	18.3%
Poor physical health	15.1%
No health insurance	16.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.7%
Visited dentist	53.1%
Cholesterol screening	85.6%
Teeth loss	23.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	139	7.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	29.0%
Under 18	11.8%
18–64 years	28.9%
65 and over	47.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	54.2%
Public insurance	51.4%
No insurance	4.7%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,135	97.8%
Spanish	10	0.5%
Other Indo-European	10	0.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,177	99.7%
Born in same state	2,177	99.7%
Born in different state	1,544	70.7%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	7	0.3%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	581	26.6%
French	401	18.4%
Italian	340	15.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	5	0.2%
English	2	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	36.9%
Internet access	88.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 72843

What city is ZIP code 72843 in?

ZIP code 72843 is primarily assigned to Hector, Arkansas.

What county is ZIP code 72843 in?

ZIP code 72843 falls within Pope County, Arkansas.

Is ZIP code 72843 mostly owner-occupied?

86% of occupied units in ZIP code 72843 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 72843 have a large retiree population?

46% of households in ZIP code 72843 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 72843?

14% 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 72843?

The median home value in ZIP code 72843 is $119,600.

What timezone is ZIP code 72843 in?

ZIP code 72843 observes the CST timezone.