72153 ZIP Code — Shirley, AR

Van Buren County, Arkansas

ZIP code 72153 is located in Shirley, Arkansas, within Van Buren County. It covers approximately 100.80 square miles and serves a population of 3,823 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 501.

About ZIP code 72153

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $118,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 90%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $46,198. 45% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 29 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 10% 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 a notable veteran presence at 14% of civilians, above the national average of 7%; and disability rates above the national average at 25%.

Overall, ZIP code 72153 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,823

population

100.80

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

72153 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 72153

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 72153. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Shirley	Acceptable
Shirley	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

72088 Fairfield Bay (3.8 mi) 72067 Higden (8.9 mi) 72013 Bee Branch (9.8 mi) 72044 Edgemont (10 mi) 72131 Quitman (11 mi) 72061 Guy (14.9 mi) 72545 Heber Springs (15.2 mi) 72130 Prim (16.2 mi) 72051 Fox (16.3 mi) 72031 Clinton (16.6 mi) 72543 Heber Springs (17.2 mi) 72039 Damascus (17.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,823
Population density	38 / sq mi
State FIPS	05
County FIPS	141

Geography
Land area	100.80 sq mi
Water area	3.81 sq mi
Latitude	35.5393
Longitude	-92.2954
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	501

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	50.9%	56.3%	50.4%
$50k – $100k	39.4%	30.8%	29.9%
$100k – $200k	9.1%	10.7%	15.7%
Over $200k	0.6%	2.2%	4.0%

Demographics & statistics

3,823

Population

People per sq mi

37.8

Median age

$46,198

Median household income

$23,380

Per capita income

$118,300

Median home value

$654

Median monthly rent

89.5%

Home ownership

15.8%

Poverty rate

6.2%

Unemployment

1,690

Housing units

10.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

291

5–9

267

10–14

119

15–19

110

124

20–24

114

171

25–34

157

313

35–44

289

173

45–54

159

136

55–59

126

60–64

222

65–74

204

147

75–84

135

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,097	28.7%
18 and over	2,726	71.3%
65 and over	782	20.5%
Median age	37.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.9%

Two or more races 1.7%

Hispanic or Latino 1.3%

Asian 0.6%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	3,712	95.9%
Two or more races	66	1.7%
Hispanic or Latino	49	1.3%
Asian	25	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	17	0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	50.9%	56.3%	50.4%
$50k – $100k	39.4%	30.8%	29.9%
$100k – $200k	9.1%	10.7%	15.7%
Over $200k	0.6%	2.2%	4.0%

Under $10k 8.5%

$10k–$15k 7.4%

$15k–$25k 13.3%

$25k–$35k 4.6%

$35k–$50k 20.0%

$50k–$75k 14.1%

$75k–$100k 17.4%

$100k–$150k 8.2%

$150k–$200k 5.1%

$200k+ 1.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	8.5%
$10k–$15k	7.4%
$15k–$25k	13.3%
$25k–$35k	4.6%
$35k–$50k	20.0%
$50k–$75k	14.1%
$75k–$100k	17.4%
$100k–$150k	8.2%
$150k–$200k	5.1%
$200k+	1.4%
Median income	$46,198

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 20.1%

$50k–$100k 18.5%

$100k–$150k 18.4%

$150k–$200k 12.5%

$200k–$300k 26.2%

$300k–$500k 3.6%

$500k–$1M 0.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$118,300
Median rent / month	$654
Owner occupied	89.5%
Renter occupied	10.5%
Vacant	23.3%
Single-family detached	63.5%
Large apartment buildings	0.1%
Mobile homes	34.1%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.82

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.3%
2010–2019	5.5%
2000–2009	13.9%
1990–1999	27.8%
1980–1989	24.0%
1970–1979	14.9%
1960–1969	4.5%
1950–1959	3.5%
1940–1949	2.5%
1939 or earlier	3.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.9%
1 bedroom	10.8%
2 bedrooms	24.3%
3 bedrooms	46.7%
4 bedrooms	13.1%
5+ bedrooms	4.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.4%
1 vehicle	24.0%
2 vehicles	38.7%
3 or more	34.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.1%
Electricity	50.3%
Propane / LP gas	40.2%
Wood	6.5%
No fuel used	1.9%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	709	50.3%
Cohabiting couple	82	5.8%
Male householder, no spouse	336	23.8%
Female householder, no spouse	283	20.1%
Households with children under 18	648	46.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	598	42.4%
Average household size	2.71

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	30.2%	17.3%
Married	47.5%	54.3%
Separated	1.2%	0.7%
Widowed	14.1%	15.5%
Divorced	7.0%	12.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 6.6%

Some HS, no diploma 22.1%

HS graduate 34.5%

Some college, no degree 19.2%

Associate's degree 7.3%

Bachelor's degree 6.0%

Graduate / professional 4.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	71.2%
Bachelor's or higher	10.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	322	34.5%
Elementary school	375	40.2%
High school	223	23.9%
College / grad school	13	1.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 31.4%

Transportation & utilities 17.9%

Construction 15.9%

Retail trade 11.1%

Professional & management 6.9%

Manufacturing 4.8%

Other services 3.7%

Finance & real estate 2.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 2.2%

Public administration 1.7%

Information 1.3%

Wholesale trade 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	24.6%
Service	23.8%
Sales & office	10.3%
Natural resources & construction	12.6%
Production & transportation	28.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	83.8%
Government	8.6%
Self-employed	7.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.4%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	72.4%
Carpool	19.5%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.3%
Work from home	6.1%
Other means	1.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	28.6

Poverty

All people 15.8%

Under 18 years 12.1%

18 and over 17.2%

Married-couple families 7.6%

Female-led households 47.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	44.5%
Retirement income	19.0%
Supplemental Security	6.0%
Cash public assistance	11.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	11.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.0%
High blood pressure	43.0%
High cholesterol	43.6%
Diabetes	14.0%
Heart disease	9.6%
Stroke	4.2%
Asthma	9.9%
Arthritis	31.5%
Kidney disease	3.7%
Pulmonary disease	10.9%
Cancer	8.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	23.1%
Binge drinking	14.2%
No physical activity	30.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.8%
Depression	25.0%
Fair or poor health	22.1%
Poor mental health	16.2%
Poor physical health	14.8%
No health insurance	14.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.6%
Visited dentist	54.5%
Cholesterol screening	89.3%
Teeth loss	19.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	382	14.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	25.2%
Under 18	16.4%
18–64 years	17.0%
65 and over	57.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	36.2%
Public insurance	64.8%
No insurance	10.3%
Uninsured under 19	8.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,636	95.1%
Spanish	26	0.7%
Other Indo-European	10	0.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	16	0.4%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,771	98.6%
Born in same state	3,762	98.4%
Born in different state	2,367	61.9%
Foreign born	9	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	52	1.4%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,222	32%
Arab	838	21.9%
English	344	9%
French	284	7.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	50	1.3%
Dutch	5	0.1%
Irish	4	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	36.9%
Internet access	85.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 72153

What city is ZIP code 72153 in?

ZIP code 72153 is primarily assigned to Shirley, Arkansas.

What county is ZIP code 72153 in?

ZIP code 72153 falls within Van Buren County, Arkansas.

Is ZIP code 72153 mostly owner-occupied?

90% of occupied units in ZIP code 72153 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 72153?

10% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Does ZIP code 72153 have a large retiree population?

45% of households in ZIP code 72153 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 72153?

16% of residents in ZIP code 72153 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 72153 in?

ZIP code 72153 observes the CST timezone.