ZIP code
72956
in Van Buren, ArkansasPopulation 34,546
42.07/ 100
Ranked #25,152 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 22%)
Ranked #173 of 562 Arkansas ZIPs (top 31%)
Ranked #11 of 31 Fort Smith, AR-OK ZIPs (top 35%)
Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.
What defines this ZIP
Metrics where this ZIP sits in the tails of the national distribution — the ones that most set it apart. Select any tile for its definition and methodology.
Natural-disaster risk
in the top 3.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS97thDefinition & source ›
This area’s national rank on its single highest non-flood natural hazard — such as wildfire, tornado, or earthquake — in FEMA’s modeled National Risk Index; flooding is shown separately.
Full methodology ›Subsidized affordable housing
574 units
in the top 3.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Expected annual disaster loss
$0
in the top 8.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS92ndDefinition & source ›
FEMA’s modeled estimate, in dollars per year, of the average harm to people expected from natural hazards — an annualized average, not a forecast for any single year.
Full methodology ›Grocery access
0.18 per 1,000 residents
in the top 8.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The number of full supermarkets inside this ZIP’s boundary, per 1,000 residents.
Counted from establishments located inside this ZIP’s boundary, so one just across the line is not counted. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the density to be reliable, no value is published rather than an unreliable one. ZipVitals’s food-access signal is derived from these in-ZIP densities — it is not USDA’s food-desert designation, which measures distance to the nearest supermarket. Where a leg is missing, a ZIP reads “not determinable,” never “not a food desert.”
Full methodology ›The read
Overall, Van Buren, Arkansas (ZIP 72956) places in the bottom 22% nationally (25,152nd) and the top 31% of Arkansas (173rd).
The measures fall on both sides for this area, fairly evenly: subsidized affordable housing registers in the top 3.8% nationally. Distance to an emergency room settles at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Grocery sits in the top 8.9% nationally, and distance to a Superfund site lies in the top 12.5% nationally. Distance to a nursing home rests at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. Pulling the other way, modeled disaster risk resides in the top 3.1% nationally, expected annual loss is in the top 8.0% nationally, and cognitive disability lands in the top 12.1% nationally. Modeled extreme heat stands in the top 13.6% nationally, and mammography registers in the bottom 13.2% nationally.
Beside the areas that surround it, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For readers new to these terms, disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Among nearby ZIPs, the nearest healthier one overall is ZIP 72903, just across the boundary.
What’s driving this score
Nine domains make up the ZipVitals Score — here is how this ZIP does on each, and how much each one counts. Compare it against the US, this state and the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Healthcare Access
healthier than 87%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 40%
16%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 35%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 39%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 17%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 27%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 15%
8%
Disability
healthier than 23%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 20%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 72%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 65%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 64%
11%
Disability
healthier than 64%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 85%
5%
About typical
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 52%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 18%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 26%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 30%
8%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 79%
21%
Disability
healthier than 69%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 86%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 55%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 59%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 48%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 41%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 28%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 38%
13%
“Share” is how much of this ZIP’s score the domain accounts for. Percentages are rounded; higher is healthier in every domain. How the score works, and who it compares you with ›
Findings that name this ZIP
One of our published findings lists this ZIP code. Each finding compares one published measure against a stated benchmark, and names only the ZIP codes whose estimates are reliable enough to rank. See all surprising findings.
Below what income predicts
The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes
Estimated life expectancy is 75.3 ± 1.1 years. A median household income of $62,988 predicts 78.3 years — 3.0 years below.
Ranked #4,113 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
72901
Arkansasshares a border
Score 34.70
Closest healthier
72903
Arkansasshares a border
Score 48.15
Similar health profile
72501
Arkansas98% similar profile
Score 41.04
How these were chosen: only ZIPs with a published Score appear — a nearby ZIP with too little data to score won’t. Nearby means closest by distance between ZIP boundaries, which can cross state lines. A similar health profile is a close match across the nine Score domains, not similar demographics. Distances are measured between ZIP boundaries — ZIPs that touch share a border. How distance is measured
Evidence
Every measure this page draws on, by source. Collapsed by default — the full data stays in the page for search engines either way.
Health OutcomesCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Arthritis among adults | 29.4% | 26.2–32.8 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 41.4% | 37.2–45.7 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.5% | 7.7–9.4 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.5% | 9.2–11.9 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.0% | 7.2–8.8 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.2% | 8.3–10.2 |
| Depression among adults | 26.3% | 22.6–30.4 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.0% | 11.3–14.9 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 40.4% | 36.1–45.0 |
| Obesity among adults | 38.8% | 31.5–46.4 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.0% | 3.7–4.4 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 20.4% | 17.2–23.9 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 12.3% | 10.6–14.0 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 75.6% | 72.6–78.5 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.1% | 74.3–81.6 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 84.2% | 82.1–86.1 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 61.5% | 56.4–66.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 52.6% | 48.9–56.2 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 69.8% | 61.8–77.2 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.7% | 12.0–17.9 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 17.1% | 14.9–19.4 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 31.5% | 27.1–36.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 38.8% | 32.9–45.1 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 25.4% | 22.7–28.4 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 19.4% | 17.2–21.7 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.7% | 14.9–18.7 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 19.4% | 17.5–21.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 40.1% | 35.7–44.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.0% | 8.1–10.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.4% | 9.3–11.6 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 18.3% | 16.2–20.5 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.7% | 4.3–5.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.5% | 5.9–7.1 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 27.3% | 23.6–31.3 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 19.2% | 16.8–21.7 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 11.8% | 10.2–13.6 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 14.3% | 12.5–16.3 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 9.8% | 8.7–11.0 |
| Loneliness among adults | 34.3% | 29.3–39.4 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 10.1% | 8.8–11.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | AR median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 13.5% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 16.3% (4.0–30.6%) n=574 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 14.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 11.3% (1.5–24.1%) n=573 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 12.8% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.0% (3.7–23.0%) n=577 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 19.8% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 15.5% (4.4–30.5%) n=577 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 4.6% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–11.6%) n=573 |
| Households without a vehicle | 5.4% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.1% (0.0–12.5%) n=574 |
| Broadband subscription | 90.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 83.2% (65.0–94.7%) n=574 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 21.6% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 20.4% (4.3–33.2%) n=574 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.6% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 77.6% (57.7–96.1%) n=574 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 3.1% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.3% (0.0–5.7%) n=574 |
| Foreign-born population | 6.4% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.8% (0.0–6.5%) n=578 |
| Single-parent households | 48.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 53.0% (35.3–79.3%) n=571 |
| Population 65+ | 17.8% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.6–37.9%) n=578 |
| Median age | 38.5 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.6 yr (33.6–58.1) n=573 |
| Median household income | $62,988 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $53,893 ($36,003–$79,139) n=505 |
| Median home value | $184,100 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $128,200 ($73,260–$235,420) n=519 |
| Median gross rent | $853 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $800 ($568–$1,094) n=393 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | AR median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 75.3 yr ± 0.54 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 76.2 yr (73.4–79.7) n=580 |
About the ± — it’s this estimate’s give-or-take (statisticians call it the standard error). The true life expectancy for this ZIP most likely falls within 0.54 years of 75.3, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.
More ZIPs to explore ▾More ZIPs to explore ▴
How these lists were built: they draw only from ZIPs that have a published Score, so ZIPs with too little data to score are not listed. Distance-based lists use distance between ZIP boundaries with no state filter, so an out-of-state ZIP can appear. Statistically similar means a close match across the nine Score domains, not a demographic match: the measure is the cosine similarity between two ZIPs’ domain scores, taken over the domains both ZIPs have data for and only where that overlap covers at least six of the nine — and where no ZIP clears that minimum-overlap floor, that list is left out rather than filled with a weak match. How distance is measured