Wyatt House · National Register of Historic Places
Desha’s story
143 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1883Desha is settled
DeshaAR
A town of 679, settled in 1883.
1 bordering townMap →
Jamestown School · Photo: Kennethrorie · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
679
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$118K
Census ACS
Household income
$68K
median
Median age
60.0
years
Jobs based here
2
A commuter town
Is Desha a good place to live?
Desha’s median age is 60 years, where Arkansas’ towns sit at 36.6 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. Among 123 Arkansas towns, just 4 have a lower median rent than Desha. Jamestown School and Wyatt House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Desha has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
679 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
SouthsideDesha
Getting set up
Moving to Desha: who provides what
Desha is unincorporated, so Independence County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerEntergy Arkansas13.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSouthside Pub Water AuthorityNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers94% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesIndependence CountyIndependence County provides services here
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 hereIndependence County ClerkIndependence County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP codes72527, 7250172527 72% · 72501 28%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 Desha.
Who lives here
Older than Arkansas overall
People 65 and older are 37% of residents (18% statewide); children under 18 are 7% of residents (23% statewide). 17% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Desha, against 20% in Arkansas’ towns and 29% across U.S. towns.
60median age · AR 38.5
DeshaArkansasUnited States
Ages · share of residents
26%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma10%
High school39%
Some college34%
Associate’s0%
Bachelor’s17%
Graduate0%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 31% and 59% women
The Census survey reached too few of Desha’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±14 points. Across Arkansas, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Desha | AR | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 0% | 10.8% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.5% | 9.4% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.6% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 0% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.1% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 26.2% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 20% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 16.8% | 7.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.9% | 11.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 39% | 34.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 34.3% | 20.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 0% | 8.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.9% | 16.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 0% | 9.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 700, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commute
Most of Desha’s workers commute out: the town has 0.0 jobs for each of them
The average trip to work in Desha is 18 minutes. Since 2013, Desha has lost 42 jobs, to 2 in 2023. The top destinations are Batesville (42%), Southside (13%) and Little Rock (4%).
0%work in town
| Desha | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 18% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $68,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Desha0%
Batesville42%
Southside13%
Little Rock4%
Jonesboro3%
5 mi
median commute distance
2
jobs based in Desha
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Desha faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by tornadoes
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 77% of U.S. communities.
77risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
TornadoesInland floodingEarthquakes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Desha
Desha has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Desha’s July high is 91°F.
2″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter31–50°
Spring48–71°
Summer68–89°
Fall49–72°
Nov 5
typical first frost
Mar 30
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Desha is
Desha beats the Arkansas average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 33% of Desha adults get no exercise outside work.
| Desha | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 34% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 25% | 19% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 41% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Arkansas
5 better26 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Desha | AR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11.7% | 18.6% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.8% | 10.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.5% | 8.2% |
White River Medical Center
In Batesville · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Desha
16pages on Desha
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Desha
Lyon CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Batesville4.7 mi$31,000 tuitionUniversity of Arkansas Community College-BatesvilleCommunity college · Public · Batesville5.8 mi$3,630 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Desha residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Arkansas.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Desha for work
Where Desha’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2jobs based in Desha
0%of working residents work in town
5 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Desha
Census-designated place in Arkansas, United States
Desha is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Independence County, Arkansas, United States. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 715. Desha is located along Arkansas Highway 25, 3 miles (4.8 km) southwest of Batesville. Desha has a post office with ZIP code 72527.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 328 ft
- ZIP code
- 72527
Questions about Desha
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Desha, AR a good place to live?
Desha has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.