72856 ZIP Code — Pelsor, AR

Pope County, Arkansas

ZIP code 72856 is located in Pelsor, Arkansas, within Pope County. It covers approximately 98.59 square miles and serves a population of 493 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 870.

About ZIP code 72856

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 $228,100. Owner-occupancy is high at 85%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($67,679) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. Poverty affects 38% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 21% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 45% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is natural resources, construction, and trades, with construction as the leading industry. An above-average commute of 38 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area. Remote work is prevalent — 23% of workers work from home.

College attainment at 3% 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. 15% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Overall, ZIP code 72856 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, a high rate of remote workers, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

493

population

98.59

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

72856 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 72856

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 72856. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Pelsor	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

72655 Mount Judea (6.1 mi) 72679 Tilly (12 mi) 72686 Witts Springs (12.2 mi) 72683 Vendor (14.2 mi) 72843 Hector (16 mi) 72837 Dover (17.9 mi) 72640 Hasty (18.2 mi) 72666 Parthenon (18.7 mi) 72628 Deer (19 mi) 72685 Western Grove (19.6 mi) 72641 Jasper (19.7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	493
Population density	5 / sq mi
State FIPS	05
County FIPS	115

Geography
Land area	98.59 sq mi
Water area	0.08 sq mi
Latitude	35.7535
Longitude	-93.0354
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	55.9%	53.6%	50.4%
$50k – $100k	40.4%	27.1%	29.9%
$100k – $200k	3.7%	15.2%	15.7%
Over $200k	0.0%	4.0%	4.0%

Demographics & statistics

493

Population

People per sq mi

50.2

Median age

$67,679

Median household income

$30,729

Per capita income

$228,100

Median home value

Median monthly rent

85.1%

Home ownership

37.5%

Poverty rate

0.0%

Unemployment

250

Housing units

3.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	94	19.1%
18 and over	399	80.9%
65 and over	112	22.7%
Median age	50.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 78.5%

Two or more races 18.7%

American Indian / Alaska Native 2.8%

Group	Count	%
White	387	78.5%
Two or more races	92	18.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	14	2.8%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	55.9%	53.6%	50.4%
$50k – $100k	40.4%	27.1%	29.9%
$100k – $200k	3.7%	15.2%	15.7%
Over $200k	0.0%	4.0%	4.0%

$10k–$15k 4.8%

$15k–$25k 29.8%

$35k–$50k 14.9%

$50k–$75k 18.5%

$75k–$100k 13.7%

$100k–$150k 4.8%

$200k+ 13.7%

Range	% of households
$10k–$15k	4.8%
$15k–$25k	29.8%
$35k–$50k	14.9%
$50k–$75k	18.5%
$75k–$100k	13.7%
$100k–$150k	4.8%
$200k+	13.7%
Median income	$67,679

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 10.5%

$50k–$100k 15.4%

$100k–$150k 10.5%

$150k–$200k 4.2%

$200k–$300k 35.7%

$300k–$500k 18.2%

$1M+ 5.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$228,100
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	85.1%
Renter occupied	14.9%
Vacant	38.9%
Single-family detached	81.8%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	13.1%
Median rooms	5.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.97

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	18.2%
2000–2009	5.1%
1990–1999	10.2%
1980–1989	17.8%
1970–1979	28.7%
1960–1969	9.1%
1950–1959	2.5%
1940–1949	2.9%
1939 or earlier	5.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	5.1%
1 bedroom	7.3%
2 bedrooms	17.5%
3 bedrooms	29.5%
4 bedrooms	39.3%
5+ bedrooms	1.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.0%
1 vehicle	31.5%
2 vehicles	16.7%
3 or more	51.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	23.8%
Propane / LP gas	23.2%
Wood	42.9%
No fuel used	10.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	95	56.5%
Cohabiting couple	8	4.8%
Male householder, no spouse	29	17.3%
Female householder, no spouse	36	21.4%
Households with children under 18	37	22.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	82	48.8%
Average household size	2.93

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	26.9%	2.9%
Married	36.8%	66.3%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	9.9%	20.9%
Divorced	26.4%	9.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.6%

Some HS, no diploma 16.5%

HS graduate 57.0%

Some college, no degree 13.7%

Associate's degree 6.1%

Bachelor's degree 3.1%

Graduate / professional 0.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	79.9%
Bachelor's or higher	3.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	6	7.1%
Elementary school	63	75.0%
High school	15	17.9%
College / grad school	0	0.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Construction 27.4%

Manufacturing 26.3%

Agriculture & mining 17.9%

Education & healthcare 10.6%

Retail trade 6.1%

Other services 6.1%

Professional & management 2.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 2.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	15.6%
Service	7.8%
Sales & office	9.5%
Natural resources & construction	45.3%
Production & transportation	21.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	39.1%
Government	5.6%
Self-employed	55.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	77.1%
Carpool	0.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	22.9%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	37.5

Poverty

All people 37.5%

Under 18 years 76.6%

18 and over 28.3%

Married-couple families 30.5%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	44.6%
Retirement income	45.2%
Supplemental Security	21.4%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	21.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.9%
High blood pressure	45.6%
High cholesterol	44.9%
Diabetes	14.5%
Heart disease	10.2%
Stroke	4.6%
Asthma	10.3%
Arthritis	33.3%
Kidney disease	4.0%
Pulmonary disease	11.6%
Cancer	8.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.6%
Binge drinking	12.7%
No physical activity	31.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.8%
Depression	24.9%
Fair or poor health	22.6%
Poor mental health	15.9%
Poor physical health	15.5%
No health insurance	12.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.4%
Visited dentist	54.1%
Cholesterol screening	90.7%
Teeth loss	19.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	28	7.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	21.7%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	17.4%
65 and over	50.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	43.8%
Public insurance	58.8%
No insurance	15.4%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	483	98.0%
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)	493	100.0%
Born in same state	493	100.0%
Born in different state	354	71.8%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	82	16.6%
Arab	49	9.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
French	5	1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	34.1%
Internet access	72.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 72856

What city is ZIP code 72856 in?

ZIP code 72856 is primarily assigned to Pelsor, Arkansas.

What county is ZIP code 72856 in?

ZIP code 72856 falls within Newton County, Arkansas.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 72856?

38% of residents in ZIP code 72856 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 72856?

3% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Is ZIP code 72856 mostly owner-occupied?

85% of occupied units in ZIP code 72856 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 72856 have a large retiree population?

45% of households in ZIP code 72856 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 72856 in?

ZIP code 72856 observes the CST timezone.