Population & age
- Total population
- 913
- Median age
- 56.7
Chidester, AR (71726)
Ouachita County · Population 913
Fresh.Data current as of Apr 24, 2026
Chidester, AR (ZIP 71726) sits in Ouachita County. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: High Blood Pressure comes in above the national average at 53.4%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 4 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $5,040. 26% of returns claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (IRS), a higher share than most ZIPs. Local establishments report average pay of $24,067 per worker (Census ZBP) — below the US average. BLS QCEW reports average annual pay of $48,303 per worker, roughly 26% below the US average. FEMA has issued 34 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1979 — a high-frequency exposure profile. Annual precipitation averages 53.1" — a wet-climate ZCTA per NOAA's 1991–2020 Normals. County Health Rankings reports 14,753 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. 34.7% of residents in this county are flagged low-access by USDA's 2025 Food Environment Atlas — a notable supermarket-access gap. Arkansas levies a flat state income tax (top rate 3.90%); a household at the local median AGI of $50,097 would pay roughly $1,172/year before deductions. New residents arriving here predominantly come from Union County, AR (IRS SOI Migration, 2022-2023). Healthcare access is the area's quieter strength; school options sit on the lighter side, so families may find themselves looking at districts a few ZIPs over. Notable: median household income $29,367, fair market rent of $880 for a two-bedroom, and a 32.4% poverty rate (well above the ~12% US average). Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
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Demographics
Race & ethnicity
- White
- 36.5%
- Black
- 60.8%
- Asian
- 0.9%
- Hispanic / Latino
- 0.0%
- Other / multi-racial
- 1.9%
Income & housing
- Median household income
- $29,367
- Median home value
- $81,100
Education
- Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)
- 9.2%
Employment
- Unemployment rate
- 0.0%
Housing
- Owner-occupied
- 414(87.0%)
- Renter-occupied
- 62(13.0%)
- Vacant units
- 414
- Built (median)
- 1979
Commute
- Public transit
- 0(0.0%)
- Work from home
- 0(0.0%)
- Avg commute
- 42.7 min
Economic wellbeing
- Below poverty line
- 295(32.4%)
- Uninsured
- 2(0.2%)
Digital access
- Broadband access
- 339(71.2%)
- No broadband
- 137(28.8%)
Language & nativity
- Foreign-born
- 8(0.9%)
- Non-English at home
- 19(2.1%)
Fair Market Rent
Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026Studio
$630
/month
1 Bed
$690
/month
2 Bed
$880
/month
3 Bed
$1,130
/month
4 Bed
$1,240
/month
HUD Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of standard-quality rental housing in this area. FY2026 data.
New housing construction
New housing units permitted
0
Across 0 permitted buildings. Total construction value: $0.
Single-family
0
Multifamily (2+ unit)
0
Single-family value
$0
construction value
Multifamily value
$0
construction value
Aggregated from 2 counties touching this ZIP (2024).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (census.gov/construction/bps). Public domain. BPS reports annual residential building permits from local permit-issuing jurisdictions, aggregated to county. A permit reflects intent to build, not a completed unit — actual construction lags by 6-24 months for multifamily projects.
Income & tax statistics
Tax returns filed
390
Average AGI
$50,097
Avg property tax
—
EITC participation
25.6%
Income distribution
- $1 – $25,00033.3% · 130
- $25,000 – $50,00033.3% · 130
- $50,000 – $75,00012.8% · 50
- $75,000 – $100,0007.7% · 30
- $100,000 – $200,00012.8% · 50
- $200,000 or more0.0% · 0
Avg mortgage interest
—
Avg charitable contribution
—
Avg capital gains
$51
Avg total income tax
—
Source: IRS Statistics of Income — Individual Income Tax Statistics by ZIP Code (irs.gov). Public domain. Dollar columns reported in thousands by the IRS; figures here display real dollars. Total ZCTA AGI for the area was $19.5M across all reported brackets.
Business & employment
Business establishments
6
Total employment
15
Annual payroll
$361K
Average annual pay
$24,067
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Business Patterns (census.gov). Public domain. ZBP covers establishments with paid employees; Census suppresses employment and payroll values when fewer employers operate in a ZIP than would protect their confidentiality.
Employment & wages
Average annual pay
$48,303
Average weekly wage
$929
Total employment
7,057
Total establishments
568
That is roughly 26% below the US national average of $65,470 per worker.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (bls.gov/cew). Public domain. QCEW is derived from state unemployment-insurance filings and covers ~95% of US jobs. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches; small-employer cells are suppressed by BLS to protect employer confidentiality.
Unemployment
Unemployment rate
4.3%
That is 0.3 percentage points above the US national unemployment rate of about 4.0%.
Labor force
9,167
Employed
8,774
Unemployed
393
Based on Ouachita County, AR data (2024).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (bls.gov/lau). Public domain. LAUS publishes monthly and annual labor-force estimates for every US county. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches.
Federal Disaster Declarations
Federally Declared Disasters
34
Date Range
1979–2026
Most Recent Declaration
SEVERE WINTER STORM
Winter Storm — declared January 24, 2026 (DR-3636)
Incident period: January 23, 2026 – January 27, 2026
Top Incident Types
- Severe Storm17 (50%)
- Flood5 (15%)
- Tornado3 (9%)
- Winter Storm2 (6%)
- Hurricane2 (6%)
- Other5 (15%)
Individual Assistance
8
Direct help to disaster survivors
Households Program
2
Housing & temporary lodging support
Public Assistance
30
Repair of public facilities & roads
Hazard Mitigation
15
Funding to reduce future disaster risk
FEMA declares disasters at the county level; counts here include every federally declared disaster touching any county that overlaps this ZIP. Statewide declarations and pre-1964 records without county granularity are excluded. Program flags reflect which FEMA assistance categories were activated (Individual Assistance, Households, Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation). Source: fema.gov/openfema. Public domain.
Climate
30-year averages (1991-2020) from the nearest GHCN-D weather station. Temperature and precipitation values reflect typical annual conditions, not any single year.
Avg. temperature
62.4°F
50.9° – 73.9°
Annual precipitation
53.1"
Annual snowfall
1.5"
Heating · cooling days
2,949.6 · 2,036
Annual base 65°F
Nearest station: CAMDEN 1, AR US, 11.6 miles from the centroid of Chidester, AR (ZIP 71726)
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals (ncei.noaa.gov). Public domain.
Community health profile
Years of potential life lost (per 100K)
14,753
That is roughly 6,553 years per 100,000 above the national county median (~8,200).
Premature death is the headline composite outcome CHR reports — age-adjusted, all-cause, before age 75.
Fair or poor health
25%
of adults self-report
Poor physical health days
5.5
avg per adult per month
Poor mental health days
6.7
avg per adult per month
Uninsured
7.9%
of residents under 65
Primary care MDs
58
per 100,000 residents
Preventable hospital stays
2,110
per 100K Medicare enrollees
Food environment (0-10)
5.5
10 = best access & security
Exercise access
39%
residents near a facility
Flu vaccinated
49%
of Medicare enrollees
Low birth weight (under 2,500 g) accounts for 11.3% of live births in this county — an early-life health input that downstream outcomes track against.
Based on Ouachita data (2025 CHR release).
Source: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (countyhealthrankings.org). Annual release. Underlying source datasets vary by measure (CDC BRFSS, NCHS Vital Statistics, AHA, USDA Food Environment Atlas, and others). Figures are county-level and assigned to every ZIP whose primary county matches.
Food access
Food access status
Significant food access concerns
34.7% of Ouachita County, AR residents live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.
Grocery stores
0.26
per 1,000 residents
Supercenters & clubs
—
per 1,000 residents
SNAP-authorized stores
1.19
accepting food benefits
Fast-food restaurants
0.65
per 1,000 residents
Among low-income residents, 18.1% are low-access — those without a supermarket within 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural).
Per-1,000 figures show how many of each store type exist in Ouachita County, AR for every 1,000 residents. Higher grocery and supercenter density usually means easier access to fresh food; higher convenience-store-only density (with low grocery rate) often signals a food swamp.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Environment Atlas (ers.usda.gov). County-level metrics fanned to ZIP via the primary county in the Census ZCTA-county relationship file. Variable years differ per family (stores ~2020, low-access ~2019).
Safety
FBI publishes crime data at the county level. Numbers below cover the primary county that contains this ZIP. Rates are per 100,000 residents in the area covered by reporting agencies.
Violent crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 39 reports
Property crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 124 reports
Homicide
1
Robbery
3
Burglary
47
Vehicle theft
17
County-level data for Ouachita (2024)
Source: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program (cde.ucr.cjis.gov). Public domain. Coverage varies by reporting agency; areas with partial agency coverage may understate true crime totals.
Who’s moving in and out
Net migration (2022-2023)
▼−50 people
−101 households • −$10.2M net AGI flow
Moved in
644households
1,285 people • $28.8M AGI
Moved out
745households
1,335 people • $39.0M AGI
Where new residents came from
- Union County, AR — 53 households
- Columbia County, AR — 32 households
- Pulaski County, AR — 32 households
- Calhoun County, AR — 31 households
- Dallas County, AR — 21 households
Where departing residents went
- Union County, AR — 68 households
- Pulaski County, AR — 44 households
- Columbia County, AR — 29 households
- Dallas County, AR — 28 households
- Faulkner County, AR — 24 households
Incoming households reported an average AGI of $44,725 versus departing households' $52,287.
Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income, Migration Data (irs.gov). Public domain. Migration is measured by year-over-year changes in the address on individual tax returns; figures are county-level totals attributed to ZIPs whose primary county matches. Foreign migration contributes to inflow/outflow totals but does not appear in the top-county lists. Small flows are suppressed by IRS to protect taxpayer confidentiality.
Taxes & benefits in Arkansas
State-level rules that apply to every resident of ZIP 71726. Numbers reflect the most recent published year per source.
Tax rates
Income tax
3.90%
flat · 1 brackets
Sales tax (combined)
9.46%
State 6.50% · avg local 2.96%
Property tax (effective)
0.52%
Median $679/year
Tax burden rank
28 of 50
10.30% of personal income
For ZIP 71726: At this ZIP's median AGI of $50,097, the estimated state income tax (before deductions) runs about $1,172 per year. Applied to this ZIP's typical home value of $81,100, that works out to roughly $419/year in property tax.
Paid family leave
Program
Voluntary (private insurance framework)
Voluntary (private insurance framework)
Safety net
SNAP eligibility
130% FPL
Federal 130% FPL gross income limit. Asset limit $3,000.
Sources: Tax Foundation (state tax rates & brackets), Bipartisan Policy Center (paid family leave), USDA FNS (SNAP categorical eligibility).
Other ZIPs near 71726
Nearby ZIPs by distance
71722 (Bluff City, 10.9 mi) · 71701 (Camden, 12.3 mi) · 71772 (Whelen Springs, 13 mi) · 71743 (Gurdon, 15.6 mi) · 71858 (Rosston, 17 mi) · 71764 (Stephens, 17.6 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
Data sources used on this page
All data on this page is sourced from federal government datasets · Not AI-generated · Methodology
Health profile
Crude prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES, derived from BRFSS small-area modeling. Population-level figures only.
Obesity
40.6%
7.6pp above the 33.0% national rate.
High Blood Pressure
53.4%
21.4pp above the 32.0% national rate.
Depression
21.2%
Tracks close to the 22.0% national rate.
Annual Checkup
84.7%
8.7pp above the 76.0% national rate.
Health Insurance
8.9%
4.1pp below the 13.0% national rate.
Diabetes
19.0%
8.0pp above the 11.0% national rate.
Colleges & universities nearby
Colleges in this area
4
Median in-state tuition
$5,040
Median earnings (10 yr)
$35,449
- 4-Year
Southern Arkansas University Main Campus
Magnolia, AR · 71753
- In-state tuition
- $9,960
- Out-of-state tuition
- $15,690
- Acceptance rate
- 75.3%
- Graduation rate
- 47.7%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $42,386
- Median student debt
- $18,750
- 2-Year
South Arkansas College
El Dorado, AR · 71731
- In-state tuition
- $3,324
- Out-of-state tuition
- $5,532
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 27.9%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $34,521
- Median student debt
- $11,153
- 2-Year
Southern Arkansas University Tech
Camden, AR · 71701
- In-state tuition
- $5,040
- Out-of-state tuition
- $6,480
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 61.7%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $36,376
- Median student debt
- $6,000
- Certificate
University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology
El Dorado, AR · 71730
- In-state tuition
- —
- Out-of-state tuition
- —
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 39.5%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $26,754
- Median student debt
- $9,833
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov). Public domain data. Earnings figures reflect median earnings 10 years after entry for federally-aided students.
What these numbers say together
Chidester, AR (ZIP 71726) sits in Ouachita County. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: High Blood Pressure comes in above the national average at 53.4%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 4 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $5,040. 26% of returns claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (IRS), a higher share than most ZIPs. Local establishments report average pay of $24,067 per worker (Census ZBP) — below the US average. BLS QCEW reports average annual pay of $48,303 per worker, roughly 26% below the US average. FEMA has issued 34 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1979 — a high-frequency exposure profile. Annual precipitation averages 53.1" — a wet-climate ZCTA per NOAA's 1991–2020 Normals. County Health Rankings reports 14,753 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. 34.7% of residents in this county are flagged low-access by USDA's 2025 Food Environment Atlas — a notable supermarket-access gap. Arkansas levies a flat state income tax (top rate 3.90%); a household at the local median AGI of $50,097 would pay roughly $1,172/year before deductions. New residents arriving here predominantly come from Union County, AR (IRS SOI Migration, 2022-2023). Healthcare access is the area's quieter strength; school options sit on the lighter side, so families may find themselves looking at districts a few ZIPs over. Notable: median household income $29,367, fair market rent of $880 for a two-bedroom, and a 32.4% poverty rate (well above the ~12% US average). Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
The two domains pull in different directions. Healthcare access reads strong, but the on-paper school count is on the lighter side — that’s less a quality signal and more a density one. Households here often look at districts a few ZIPs over for school choice while keeping their providers local.
- Fair market rent for a two-bedroom ($880/month, HUD SAFMR) represents 36% of median household income ($29,367, Census ACS) — above the 30% affordability threshold commonly used by housing experts.
- Lower median household income ($29,367, Census ACS) sits alongside an above-average 40.6% obesity rate (CDC PLACES) — a pattern that correlates with reduced healthcare access in lower-income areas.
One concrete reading worth keeping: Depression prevalence sits near the national rate at 21.2%. Each figure on this page links to the original federal dataset with its retrieval date — this synthesis is a reading, not a substitute for the underlying records.
Frequently Asked Questions — ZIP 71726
What is the obesity rate in ZIP 71726?
40.6%, which is 7.6 percentage points above the national average of 33.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the depression rate in ZIP 71726?
21.2%, which is 0.8 percentage points below the national average of 22.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the high blood pressure rate in ZIP 71726?
53.4%, which is 21.4 percentage points above the national average of 32.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the population of ZIP 71726?
913 people live in ZIP 71726, with a median age of 56.7 (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the median household income in ZIP 71726?
$29,367 per year (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
Is ZIP 71726 mostly renters or homeowners?
In ZIP 71726, 87.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 13.0% are renter-occupied (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How do people commute in ZIP 71726?
In ZIP 71726, 0.0% of workers work from home. Public transit is used by 0.0% of commuters (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the poverty rate in ZIP 71726?
32.4% of the population in ZIP 71726 lives below the federal poverty line (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What percentage of households in ZIP 71726 have broadband internet?
71.2% of households in ZIP 71726 have broadband internet access (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the average household income in ZIP 71726?
The average Adjusted Gross Income reported on tax returns from ZIP 71726 (Chidester, AR) is $50,097 per return (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).
How much do homeowners pay in property tax in ZIP 71726?
Tax returns from ZIP 71726 report an average of $0 per return in real-estate tax deductions (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What percentage of residents in ZIP 71726 earn over $200,000?
0.0% of tax returns from ZIP 71726 (Chidester, AR) report Adjusted Gross Income of $200,000 or more (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).
How many businesses are in ZIP 71726?
As of 2022, 6 business establishments operated in ZIP 71726 employing 15 workers (Census ZIP Business Patterns, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the average salary in ZIP 71726?
The average annual pay across all local establishments in ZIP 71726 is $24,067, based on Census ZIP Business Patterns 2022 data (retrieved May 3, 2026).
How vulnerable is ZIP 71726 to disasters and public health emergencies?
According to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (2022), ZIP 71726 ranks in the 59th percentile nationally for social vulnerability — a high vulnerability profile (retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the biggest vulnerability factor in ZIP 71726?
Household Characteristics is the highest-scoring CDC SVI theme for ZIP 71726, ranking in the 71th percentile nationally (CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022, retrieved May 3, 2026).
How many federally declared disasters has ZIP 71726 experienced?
FEMA has recorded 34 federal disaster declarations affecting ZIP 71726 between 1979–2026 (FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What kinds of disasters most often hit ZIP 71726?
Severe Storm is the most common federally declared disaster type affecting ZIP 71726, accounting for 17 of 34 declarations (50%, FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What was the most recent disaster declared for ZIP 71726?
The most recent FEMA disaster declaration affecting ZIP 71726 was "SEVERE WINTER STORM" — a winter storm declared in 2026 (DR-3636) (FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What colleges are near ZIP 71726?
4 colleges and universities are listed near ZIP 71726 by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, including Southern Arkansas University Main Campus, South Arkansas College, and Southern Arkansas University Tech (retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the average tuition at colleges near ZIP 71726?
Median in-state tuition across 4 nearby institutions is $5,040 (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What do graduates earn from colleges near ZIP 71726?
Graduates of nearby colleges earn a median of $35,449 ten years after entry (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the climate like in ZIP 71726?
ZIP 71726 has an average annual temperature of 62.4°F and 53.1" of annual precipitation based on the CAMDEN 1, AR US weather station 11.6 miles from the ZIP centroid (NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, retrieved May 8, 2026).
What taxes apply in ZIP 71726?
Arkansas has a flat income tax with a top rate of 3.90%. Households at the local median AGI of $50,097 would pay roughly $1,172 in state income tax annually (estimated, before deductions). Combined sales tax: 9.46% (Tax Foundation 2025).
Does Arkansas have paid family leave?
Arkansas runs an active paid family leave program offering up to — weeks of paid leave per year (Bipartisan Policy Center 2026).
What data is available for ZIP 71726?
This page covers health outcomes from CDC PLACES (40 metrics), demographics from the Census ACS 5-Year (2022), colleges from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (4 institutions), income & tax statistics from the IRS SOI (Tax Year 2022), local business & employment from Census ZIP Business Patterns (2022), social vulnerability scores from the CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022), federal disaster declarations from FEMA OpenFEMA (34 on record), climate normals from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020), county-level crime data from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024), and state-level tax rates from the Tax Foundation. Data is refreshed on Mubboo's standard schedule.
How current is this data?
Health data retrieved Apr 24, 2026 from CDC PLACES. Demographics retrieved Apr 30, 2026 from Census ACS 5-Year (2022). College data retrieved May 2, 2026 from U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard. Income & tax statistics retrieved May 2, 2026 from IRS SOI (Tax Year 2022). Business & employment retrieved May 3, 2026 from Census ZBP (2022). Social vulnerability scores retrieved May 3, 2026 from CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022). Federal disaster declarations retrieved May 3, 2026 from FEMA OpenFEMA (34 on record). Climate normals retrieved May 8, 2026 from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020). County-level crime data retrieved May 4, 2026 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024). State-level tax rates retrieved 2026-05-05 15:58:22.284+00 from the Tax Foundation.
Other ZIPs near 71726
Nearby ZIPs by distance
71722 (Bluff City, 10.9 mi) · 71701 (Camden, 12.3 mi) · 71772 (Whelen Springs, 13 mi) · 71743 (Gurdon, 15.6 mi) · 71858 (Rosston, 17 mi) · 71764 (Stephens, 17.6 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
More Info topics
Have a specific question about ZIP 71726?
Ask Mubboo — launching Q4 2026.
Data refreshed via Mubboo's ETL pipeline; oldest source on this page retrieved Apr 24, 2026.
Social Vulnerability Index
Overall SVI
59th percentile
High Vulnerability
Based on 4 census tracts, population 2,229
Vulnerability Themes
Households Without Vehicle
64
Limited English Speakers
4
Persons with Disability
742
Without HS Diploma
191
Without Health Insurance
171
Adults Age 65+
576
The Social Vulnerability Index uses U.S. Census data to identify communities most at risk during public health emergencies and natural disasters. Higher percentiles indicate greater vulnerability. Tract-level scores are aggregated to this ZCTA via Census 2020 ZCTA→Tract crosswalk, weighted by land-area share. Source: atsdr.cdc.gov. Public domain.