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?
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
Desha stands out in Arkansas and nationally, with the median age higher than most
The bachelor’s-degree share among adults 25 and older is 17%, against 26% across Arkansas. People 65 and older are 37% of residents (18% statewide); children under 18 are 7% of residents (23% statewide).
60median age · AR 38.5
| Desha | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 60 years | 36.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 17% | 20% | 29% |
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
With only 0.0 jobs per working resident, most people in Desha work out of town
Desha’s average trip to work stands at 18 minutes. Since 2013, Desha has lost 42 jobs, to 2 in 2023. For half of commuters, work is under 5 miles away. 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
The biggest natural risk in Desha is tornadoes, at a high overall level
In Desha, the natural-hazard score from FEMA is 77 of 100, where Arkansas’ towns sit at 66 of 100 and U.S. towns at 44 of 100. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 31% come from tornadoes and 26% from inland flooding. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2025.
77risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
TornadoesInland floodingEarthquakes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Expect mild winters and hot summers in Desha
The range runs from 29° on a January night to 91° on a July afternoon, with about 2 inches of snow a winter.
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
16% of adults smoke cigarettes in Desha. Against the Arkansas average, Desha comes out ahead on 5 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 1. Among adults here, 23% say their health is fair or poor and 40% have high blood pressure.
| 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.