72342 ZIP Code — Helena, AR

Phillips County, Arkansas

ZIP code 72342 is located in Helena, Arkansas, within Phillips County. It covers approximately 108.55 square miles and serves a population of 4,133 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 870.

About ZIP code 72342

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $103,200. Renters make up the majority at 62%, typical of denser urban areas.

Median household income is $35,865. Poverty affects 27% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 43% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 43% 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 27 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 18% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (49%), diabetes (19%), smoking (25%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 28%.

Overall, ZIP code 72342 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.

4,133

population

108.55

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

72342 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 72342

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 72342. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Helena	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

72355 Lexa (7 mi) 72390 West Helena (7.6 mi) 72374 Poplar Grove (11.5 mi) 38617 Coahoma (12.2 mi) 72366 Marvell (16.2 mi) 72333 Elaine (16.2 mi) 38626 Dundee (17.3 mi) 38614 Clarksdale (18.3 mi) 38645 Lyon (19.7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	4,133
Population density	38 / sq mi
State FIPS	05
County FIPS	107

Geography
Land area	108.55 sq mi
Water area	13.03 sq mi
Latitude	34.4691
Longitude	-90.6811
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	66.0%	63.8%	50.4%
$50k – $100k	22.6%	25.2%	29.9%
$100k – $200k	9.6%	9.7%	15.7%
Over $200k	1.7%	1.3%	4.0%

Demographics & statistics

4,133

Population

People per sq mi

46.4

Median age

$35,865

Median household income

$19,597

Per capita income

$103,200

Median home value

$681

Median monthly rent

38.2%

Home ownership

26.7%

Poverty rate

14.7%

Unemployment

1,442

Housing units

18.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

189

10–14

238

15–19

120

20–24

148

25–34

187

288

35–44

362

172

45–54

216

129

55–59

162

178

60–64

224

252

65–74

317

140

75–84

176

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	840	20.3%
18 and over	3,293	79.7%
65 and over	1,010	24.4%
Median age	46.4 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 62%

White 30.8%

Two or more races 3%

Asian 2.2%

Hispanic or Latino 1%

Other race 1%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	2,589	62%
White	1,287	30.8%
Two or more races	124	3%
Asian	93	2.2%
Hispanic or Latino	40	1%
Other race	40	1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	66.0%	63.8%	50.4%
$50k – $100k	22.6%	25.2%	29.9%
$100k – $200k	9.6%	9.7%	15.7%
Over $200k	1.7%	1.3%	4.0%

Under $10k 12.9%

$10k–$15k 11.6%

$15k–$25k 18.8%

$25k–$35k 6.2%

$35k–$50k 16.7%

$50k–$75k 16.7%

$75k–$100k 7.9%

$100k–$150k 8.3%

$150k–$200k 0.3%

$200k+ 0.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	12.9%
$10k–$15k	11.6%
$15k–$25k	18.8%
$25k–$35k	6.2%
$35k–$50k	16.7%
$50k–$75k	16.7%
$75k–$100k	7.9%
$100k–$150k	8.3%
$150k–$200k	0.3%
$200k+	0.6%
Median income	$35,865

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 22.5%

$50k–$100k 26.0%

$100k–$150k 27.3%

$150k–$200k 8.0%

$200k–$300k 7.8%

$300k–$500k 5.9%

$500k–$1M 1.6%

$1M+ 1.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$103,200
Median rent / month	$681
Owner occupied	38.2%
Renter occupied	61.8%
Vacant	33.2%
Single-family detached	63.5%
Large apartment buildings	3.4%
Mobile homes	6.3%
Median rooms	5.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.52

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.7%
2000–2009	2.5%
1990–1999	10.7%
1980–1989	16.8%
1970–1979	31.3%
1960–1969	15.8%
1950–1959	9.8%
1940–1949	3.1%
1939 or earlier	8.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.6%
1 bedroom	8.8%
2 bedrooms	31.3%
3 bedrooms	42.3%
4 bedrooms	15.0%
5+ bedrooms	2.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	23.1%
1 vehicle	42.3%
2 vehicles	26.4%
3 or more	8.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	49.4%
Electricity	44.6%
Propane / LP gas	5.1%
Wood	1.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	351	21.4%
Cohabiting couple	41	2.5%
Male householder, no spouse	374	22.8%
Female householder, no spouse	876	53.3%
Households with children under 18	356	21.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	633	38.6%
Average household size	2.39

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	43.3%	40.5%
Married	30.6%	23.9%
Separated	7.5%	3.7%
Widowed	2.0%	15.5%
Divorced	16.7%	16.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.4%

Some HS, no diploma 13.1%

HS graduate 30.3%

Some college, no degree 24.3%

Associate's degree 8.6%

Bachelor's degree 11.6%

Graduate / professional 6.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	81.5%
Bachelor's or higher	18.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	55	5.4%
Kindergarten	55	5.4%
Elementary school	485	47.9%
High school	257	25.4%
College / grad school	160	15.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 35.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 16.4%

Finance & real estate 12.7%

Transportation & utilities 8.1%

Manufacturing 7.1%

Construction 4.4%

Retail trade 4.2%

Public administration 3.8%

Professional & management 2.6%

Other services 2.4%

Agriculture & mining 1.1%

Wholesale trade 1.0%

Information 0.9%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	44.8%
Service	21.0%
Sales & office	11.7%
Natural resources & construction	5.3%
Production & transportation	17.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	63.8%
Government	31.5%
Self-employed	4.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	69.5%
Carpool	26.6%
Public transit	1.6%
Walk	0.5%
Work from home	0.5%
Other means	1.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	26.9

Poverty

All people 26.7%

Under 18 years 30.7%

18 and over 25.7%

Married-couple families 4.0%

Female-led households 31.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	42.7%
Retirement income	29.0%
Supplemental Security	16.9%
Cash public assistance	3.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	42.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	48.5%
High blood pressure	51.6%
High cholesterol	38.0%
Diabetes	18.7%
Heart disease	9.4%
Stroke	5.8%
Asthma	12.4%
Arthritis	31.6%
Kidney disease	4.7%
Pulmonary disease	11.1%
Cancer	6.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	25.2%
Binge drinking	11.0%
No physical activity	40.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	40.6%
Depression	22.1%
Fair or poor health	30.4%
Poor mental health	18.0%
Poor physical health	17.6%
No health insurance	18.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	82.4%
Visited dentist	45.5%
Cholesterol screening	88.5%
Teeth loss	26.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	278	8.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	28.0%
Under 18	4.4%
18–64 years	25.7%
65 and over	55.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	40.9%
Public insurance	64.5%
No insurance	9.6%
Uninsured under 19	4.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	4,030	97.5%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,999	96.8%
Born in same state	3,999	96.8%
Born in different state	3,114	75.3%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	134	3.2%
Not a US citizen	41	30.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	184	4.5%
Italian	144	3.5%
Arab	57	1.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	32	0.8%
Polish	9	0.2%
Dutch	9	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.7%
Internet access	81.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 72342

What city is ZIP code 72342 in?

ZIP code 72342 is primarily assigned to Helena, Arkansas.

What county is ZIP code 72342 in?

ZIP code 72342 falls within Phillips County, Arkansas.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 72342?

27% of residents in ZIP code 72342 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Is ZIP code 72342 mostly rentals?

62% of occupied units in ZIP code 72342 are renter-occupied.

Does ZIP code 72342 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 72342 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 72342?

Health data for ZIP code 72342 shows elevated rates of obesity (49%) and diabetes (19%) and smoking (25%) compared to national benchmarks.

What timezone is ZIP code 72342 in?

ZIP code 72342 observes the CST timezone.