Among 124 Arkansas towns, just 10 have a higher midpoint age than Branch. Children under 18 are 9% of residents (23% statewide); people 65 and older are 27% of residents (18% statewide). Just over a fifth of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 26% across Arkansas. Population is up 3.3% locally since 2020, to 314 by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.

44.9median age · AR 38.5

	Branch	Arkansas towns	U.S. towns
Median age	44.9 years	36.6 years	40.5 years
Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+	21%	20%	29%

BranchArkansasUnited States

ARU.S.

Ages · share of residents

19%

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma7%

High school49%

Some college14%

Associate’s9%

Bachelor’s15%

Graduate5%

Women and men · all residents

47% women, 53% men

That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.9 points. Across Arkansas, 50.6% of residents are women. Among residents 45 to 54, 71% are men (AR 50%).

Ages and education in Branch
	Branch	AR	U.S.
Under 10	6.6%	12.3%	11.6%
10 to 17	2.8%	10.8%	10.3%
18 to 24	18.6%	9.4%	9.1%
25 to 34	6.3%	13%	13.7%
35 to 44	16.1%	12.7%	13.2%
45 to 54	10.7%	11.8%	12.2%
55 to 64	11.7%	12.5%	12.7%
65 to 74	16.7%	10.3%	10.2%
75 and older	10.4%	7.2%	7%
No diploma	7%	11.3%	10.4%
High school	49.1%	34.1%	26%
Some college	14%	20.7%	19.1%
Associate’s	9.2%	8.2%	8.8%
Bachelor’s	15.4%	16.3%	21.6%
Graduate	5.3%	9.5%	14.1%

Full pageBranch by the numbersOpen the page

Ages44.9 median age · 27% are 65 or older Schooling21% have a four-year degree Homes88% own their home · Homeowners Income$38K a year · Median household income

Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 300, single groups can be off by several points

Work & commute

Branch has 0.1 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work

Branch’s median household income is $38,000, below both Arkansas’ towns ($55,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). Its average commute comes in at 18 minutes. The top destinations are Fort Smith (23%), Ozark (17%) and Charleston (5%). For half of commuters, work is under 24 miles away.

0%work in town

	Branch	Arkansas towns	U.S. towns
Below the poverty line	21%	18%	9.6%
Average trip to work	18 minutes	21 minutes	25 minutes
Median household income	$38,000	$55,000	$80,000

Where working residents work

In Branch0%

Fort Smith23%

Ozark17%

Charleston5%

Van Buren5%

24 mi

median commute distance

jobs based in Branch

A commuter town

jobs vs. working residents

Full pageBranch’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here18 jobs based here · A commuter town Where people work0% work in Branch Commute times18 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 24 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

Mild winters and hot summers in Branch

Branch’s typical July afternoon high comes in at 93°F.

3″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter31–52°

Spring49–72°

Summer68–91°

Fall50–74°

Nov 6

typical first frost

Mar 30

typical last frost

+0.6°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageBranch’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 93°, January lows 29°Rain & snow3″ of snow a winter · 50 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingBoth heating and cooling Then and now+0.6° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

How healthy Branch is

14% of adults binge drink in Branch. In Branch, nearly a fifth of adults report frequent physical distress, against 16% in Arkansas’ towns and 14% across U.S. towns. Among adults here, 31% say their health is fair or poor and 38% get no exercise outside work.

	Branch	Arkansas towns	U.S. towns
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)	19%	16%	14%
Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES)	31%	25%	19%
Get no exercise (CDC PLACES)	38%	34%	25%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)	21%	17%	14%

32 measures vs. Arkansas

0 better21 too close to call11 worse

What stands out	Branch	AR
More adults with COPD	12.2%	8.6%
More adults with heart disease	10.4%	7.7%
More smokers	21%	15.8%

Mercy Hospital Booneville

11.6 mi away · emergency room

3 of 3

care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

Full pageBranch’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore smokers Hospitals & doctors nearby11.6 miles to an ER · Mercy Hospital Booneville How adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than AR on 0 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Natural hazards

The biggest natural risk in Branch is inland flooding, at a moderate overall level

Branch’s FEMA risk score is 57 of 100. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Branch after 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2015. Expected losses in Branch break down as 44% from inland flooding and 13% from heat waves.

57risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingHeat wavesTornadoes

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageBranch’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesModerate risk Flood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on record Past disasters4 federal disasters · Paid out in Branch Get ready2.3 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Branch

16pages on Branch

The big questions

HealthBetter than AR on 0 of 32 CDC measures Cost of livingWork & commute$38K median household income · 18 jobs here Natural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 57% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

PlacesAttractions16 nearby · Mount Magazine 20 mi LibraryCharleston Public Library Colleges

The story

HistorySettled 1899 Town Hall & politicsClimate93° summer highs · 3″ of snow

Day to day

NewsWeatherHandbookZIP code 72928 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Branch; the nearest are

Arkansas Colleges of Health EducationUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Fort Smith20.5 mi University of Arkansas-Fort SmithUniversity or college · Public · Fort Smith24.2 mi$7,334 in-state tuition Carl Albert State CollegeCommunity college · Public · Poteau, OK42.6 mi$4,380 in-state tuition

About 2 of every 100 Branch residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Arkansas.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

A commuter town

100% of working residents leave Branch for work

Where Branch’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

18jobs based in Branch

0%of working residents work in town

24 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About Branch

City in Arkansas, United States

Branch is a city in Franklin County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 296 at the 2020 census.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area: 3.6 sq mi
Elevation: 466 ft
ZIP code: 72928
Area code: 479

Questions about Branch

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Branch, AR a good place to live?

Branch has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Post to Branch

Check your email

BranchAR

Is Branch a good place to live?

314 people, and everyone knows the way

127 years in pictures

Moving to Branch: who provides what

The data

Fewer children than Arkansas overall