71953 ZIP Code — Mena, AR

Polk County, Arkansas

ZIP code 71953 is located in Mena, Arkansas, within Polk County. It covers approximately 683.89 square miles and serves a population of 13,159 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 479.

About ZIP code 71953

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 $143,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 81%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $51,642. 49% 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 17 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 19% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 22%.

Overall, ZIP code 71953 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

13,159

population

683.89

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

71953 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 71953

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 71953. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Mena	Acceptable
Mena	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

71945 Hatfield (11 mi) 71972 Vandervoort (14.5 mi) 72926 Boles (16 mi) 71937 Cove (16.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	13,159
Population density	19 / sq mi
State FIPS	05
County FIPS	113

Geography
Land area	683.89 sq mi
Water area	3.20 sq mi
Latitude	34.5904
Longitude	-94.1950
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	59.9%	61.4%	50.4%
$50k – $100k	27.7%	26.3%	29.9%
$100k – $200k	9.6%	8.9%	15.7%
Over $200k	2.8%	3.3%	4.0%

Demographics & statistics

13,159

Population

People per sq mi

47.6

Median age

$51,642

Median household income

$33,348

Per capita income

$143,500

Median home value

$764

Median monthly rent

81.4%

Home ownership

14.8%

Poverty rate

8.1%

Unemployment

5,853

Housing units

18.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

315

Under 5

328

348

5–9

362

382

10–14

397

356

15–19

369

350

20–24

363

575

25–34

598

683

35–44

709

765

45–54

794

481

55–59

500

574

60–64

597

961

65–74

998

504

75–84

524

160

85+

166

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,609	19.8%
18 and over	10,550	80.2%
65 and over	3,313	25.2%
Median age	47.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 91%

Two or more races 4.8%

Hispanic or Latino 1.9%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.4%

Other race 0.6%

Asian 0.3%

Black or African American 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	12,207	91%
Two or more races	646	4.8%
Hispanic or Latino	250	1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	186	1.4%
Other race	74	0.6%
Asian	34	0.3%
Black or African American	12	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	59.9%	61.4%	50.4%
$50k – $100k	27.7%	26.3%	29.9%
$100k – $200k	9.6%	8.9%	15.7%
Over $200k	2.8%	3.3%	4.0%

Under $10k 4.3%

$10k–$15k 7.2%

$15k–$25k 11.7%

$25k–$35k 8.7%

$35k–$50k 17.1%

$50k–$75k 17.5%

$75k–$100k 15.6%

$100k–$150k 9.6%

$150k–$200k 2.9%

$200k+ 5.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.3%
$10k–$15k	7.2%
$15k–$25k	11.7%
$25k–$35k	8.7%
$35k–$50k	17.1%
$50k–$75k	17.5%
$75k–$100k	15.6%
$100k–$150k	9.6%
$150k–$200k	2.9%
$200k+	5.3%
Median income	$51,642

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 12.4%

$50k–$100k 23.6%

$100k–$150k 16.5%

$150k–$200k 13.8%

$200k–$300k 21.5%

$300k–$500k 8.6%

$500k–$1M 3.5%

$1M+ 0.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$143,500
Median rent / month	$764
Owner occupied	81.4%
Renter occupied	18.6%
Vacant	20.9%
Single-family detached	78.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.3%
Mobile homes	14.3%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.31

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	5.8%
2000–2009	16.7%
1990–1999	16.9%
1980–1989	14.7%
1970–1979	13.9%
1960–1969	11.7%
1950–1959	6.8%
1940–1949	5.6%
1939 or earlier	7.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.8%
1 bedroom	8.7%
2 bedrooms	22.5%
3 bedrooms	53.8%
4 bedrooms	13.0%
5+ bedrooms	0.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.1%
1 vehicle	27.0%
2 vehicles	44.9%
3 or more	22.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	16.2%
Electricity	54.6%
Propane / LP gas	12.0%
Fuel oil	0.5%
Wood	14.5%
No fuel used	0.8%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,852	52.5%
Cohabiting couple	285	5.2%
Male householder, no spouse	930	17.1%
Female householder, no spouse	1,362	25.1%
Households with children under 18	1,178	21.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,228	41.0%
Average household size	2.40

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	23.8%	16.4%
Married	55.2%	55.5%
Separated	1.4%	3.1%
Widowed	5.3%	14.1%
Divorced	14.4%	10.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.6%

Some HS, no diploma 7.0%

HS graduate 36.0%

Some college, no degree 29.8%

Associate's degree 7.0%

Bachelor's degree 12.8%

Graduate / professional 5.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	91.4%
Bachelor's or higher	18.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	136	6.0%
Kindergarten	229	10.1%
Elementary school	1,041	45.8%
High school	591	26.0%
College / grad school	277	12.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 25.3%

Retail trade 14.9%

Manufacturing 13.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.0%

Transportation & utilities 7.2%

Agriculture & mining 5.9%

Construction 5.6%

Professional & management 5.5%

Other services 4.3%

Finance & real estate 3.5%

Public administration 1.8%

Wholesale trade 1.6%

Information 1.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	37.5%
Service	17.1%
Sales & office	16.9%
Natural resources & construction	12.7%
Production & transportation	15.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	69.0%
Government	18.0%
Self-employed	12.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.6%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	78.8%
Carpool	12.7%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	2.3%
Work from home	5.5%
Other means	0.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	16.6

Poverty

All people 14.8%

Under 18 years 17.8%

18 and over 14.1%

Married-couple families 6.9%

Female-led households 40.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	48.5%
Retirement income	27.3%
Supplemental Security	7.0%
Cash public assistance	2.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	12.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.5%
High blood pressure	44.9%
High cholesterol	43.2%
Diabetes	14.5%
Heart disease	10.5%
Stroke	4.8%
Asthma	10.4%
Arthritis	33.2%
Kidney disease	4.2%
Pulmonary disease	12.2%
Cancer	8.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	23.4%
Binge drinking	13.1%
No physical activity	32.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	31.9%
Depression	25.5%
Fair or poor health	24.0%
Poor mental health	16.6%
Poor physical health	16.1%
No health insurance	14.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.4%
Visited dentist	51.0%
Cholesterol screening	88.9%
Teeth loss	21.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,041	9.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	22.4%
Under 18	1.4%
18–64 years	21.3%
65 and over	42.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	56.0%
Public insurance	53.0%
No insurance	9.1%
Uninsured under 19	2.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	12,516	95.1%
Spanish	64	0.5%
Other Indo-European	64	0.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	12,890	98.0%
Born in same state	12,832	97.5%
Born in different state	7,061	53.7%
Foreign born	58	0.4%
Naturalized citizen	269	2.0%
Not a US citizen	121	45.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	1,974	15%
Italian	1,969	15%
Arab	1,271	9.7%
English	159	1.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	79	0.6%
German	31	0.2%
Dutch	31	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.3%
Internet access	90.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 71953

What city is ZIP code 71953 in?

ZIP code 71953 is primarily assigned to Mena, Arkansas.

What county is ZIP code 71953 in?

ZIP code 71953 falls within Polk County, Arkansas.

Does ZIP code 71953 have an older population?

25% of residents in ZIP code 71953 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 71953 have a large retiree population?

49% of households in ZIP code 71953 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 71953 mostly owner-occupied?

81% of occupied units in ZIP code 71953 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 71953?

The median home value in ZIP code 71953 is $143,500.

What timezone is ZIP code 71953 in?

ZIP code 71953 observes the CST timezone.