Cotter Bridge · National Register of Historic Places
Cotter’s story
123 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2015.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1903Cotter is settled
CotterAR
Photo: Archedamian · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
946
2025 Census estimate · +6.4% since 2020
Typical home
$249K
+0.5% in a year
Household income
$36K
median
Median age
63.2
years
Jobs based here
178
A commuter town
Is Cotter a good place to live?
Cotter’s density of trails is 1.4 miles per square mile, where Arkansas’ towns sit at 0.3 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Its National Register listings include Cotter Bridge and Cotter Water Tower. Cotter has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Cotter stand out
Where Cotter beats most towns.
Small town
946 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Nearby attractions
All 6 attractions →Buffalo National River and 1 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cotter. Close and well known come first.
9 mi
29 miSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Buffalo National River: Mattsrealm, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Blanchard Springs Caverns: Eric Hunt, CC BY-SA 4.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Cotter: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cotter, and how to reach them.
PowerEntergy Arkansas13.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCotter WaterworksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Cotter’s trash rules yet
Register to voteIn personArkansas has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereBaxter County ClerkBaxter County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2015
ZIP code7262672626 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Cotter.
Who lives here
More of Cotter’s residents are 65 or older than in the typical Arkansas or U.S. town
The share of adults 25 and older in Cotter who hold a bachelor’s degree or more is 16%, below both Arkansas’ towns (20%) and U.S. towns (29%). In Cotter, 12% of residents are under 18. The Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate puts Cotter at 946 residents, up 6.4% since 2020. The town’s midpoint age comes in at 63.2 years.
63.2median age · AR 38.5
| Cotter | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 40% | 16% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 12% | 25% | 22% |
| Median age | 63.2 years | 36.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 16% | 20% | 29% |
CotterArkansasUnited States
Ages · share of residents
29%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma8%
High school36%
Some college30%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s14%
Graduate3%
Women and men · all residents
56% women, 44% men
About 79 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±4.9 points). Across Arkansas, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Cotter | AR | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.9% | 10.8% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.2% | 9.4% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.8% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.7% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.6% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.9% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 29.3% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.7% | 7.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.1% | 11.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 35.7% | 34.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 30.3% | 20.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.8% | 8.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 13.6% | 16.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 2.6% | 9.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 900, single groups can be off by several points
Schools
The schools Cotter’s kids attend
The largest public high school is Cotter High School, with 324 students. Public schools: the Cotter School District. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amanda Gist Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 374 | A− |
| Cotter High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 324 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
About one in three of Cotter’s working residents commute to Mountain Home
Among working residents in Cotter, 3.8% work locally. Since 2013, Cotter has lost 32 jobs, to 178 in 2023. The average trip to work here is 16 minutes. Only 9 of the 124 Arkansas towns we compare have a lower median household income than Cotter.
4%work in town
| Cotter | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.8% | 22% | 8% |
| Median household income | $36,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 18% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Cotter4%
Mountain Home33%
Flippin4%
Little Rock4%
Gassville3%
10 mi
median commute distance
178
jobs based in Cotter
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Cotter faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
43% of Cotter’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 16%. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 77% of U.S. communities. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid in 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2024.
77risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesIce storms
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
The climate in Cotter brings four seasons and hot summers
The range runs from 25° on a January night to 91° on a July afternoon, with about 8 inches of snow a winter.
8″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter27–50°
Spring45–70°
Summer65–89°
Fall46–72°
Nov 1
typical first frost
Mar 31
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Cotter
In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown. 4 crimes were reported in Cotter in 2025: 3 property and 1 violent.
Cotter is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
1
violent crimes reported in 2025
3
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Health
How healthy Cotter is
For adults in Cotter, the share who say their health is fair or poor is 28%. This Arkansas town beats the Arkansas average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. Among adults here, 19% report frequent physical distress and 13% binge drink.
| Cotter | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 41% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 25% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Arkansas
1 better24 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Cotter | AR |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.3% | 76.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 12.1% | 8.6% |
Baxter Health
8.2 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
Cotter’s typical home value is about $249K
For Cotter, the midpoint rent is $800 a month. 71% of households are owner-occupiers in the town.
$249KZillow home value
| Cotter | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $800 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 60% | 73% |
Typical home value
Cotter$249K
Arkansas$224K
+0.5%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Outdoors
0% of Cotter is conserved land
Walkers can cover 3.3 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Big Springs Park, at 22 acres.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,559 acres
3.3 mi
of trails · 1.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Big Springs Park | 0.5 mi | 22 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cotter
19pages on Cotter
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Cotter
About 2 of every 100 Cotter residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Arkansas.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Cotter for work
Where Cotter’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
178jobs based in Cotter
4%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Landmarks
4 places in Cotter on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Cotter
City in Arkansas, United States
Cotter is a city in Baxter County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 886 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1905
- Area
- 2.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 633 ft
- ZIP code
- 72626
- Area code
- 870
Questions about Cotter
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cotter, AR a good place to live?
Cotter has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.