Horseshoe Bend 6M2
Horseshoe Bend’s story
Horseshoe Bend in pictures
Census counts: 321 in 1970, 2,440 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 3 maps from 1951 on.
Explore the history →Population
2,623
2025 Census estimate · +7.6% since 2020
Typical home
$158K
+1.4% in a year
Household income
$46K
median
Median age
53.4
years
Jobs based here
234
A commuter town
TownGrade
D
#94 of 123 in AR
Is Horseshoe Bend a good place to live?
Horseshoe Bend grades D overall, ranked 94th of 123 in Arkansas, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $46K, and 26% of residents live below the poverty line. Residents are less healthy than 91% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. What it does well: homes are within reach, about $158K for a typical one, or 3.2 years of the county’s $49K median household income. Horseshoe Bend’s trail density is 3.7 miles per square mile, above both Arkansas’ towns (0.3) and U.S. towns (0.4). On history, just 6 of Arkansas’ 201 towns do worse. Horseshoe Bend's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 87% of U.S. towns.
What makes Horseshoe Bend stand out
Where Horseshoe Bend beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A growing town
Horseshoe Bend has grown 20% since 2010
2,184 counted in 2010 and 2,440 in 2020; an estimated 2,623 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 7.6% since 2020, after 11.7% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Horseshoe Bend grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arkansas), ordered by how far Horseshoe Bend is from typical.
Jobs & incomeD−Open →HealthBaxter Health Fulton County Hospital 12.1 miles awayDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.7 of 20; 3.8% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Cost of livingA−Open →SchoolsBehind 67% of Arkansas districts on tests and graduationCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 89° summer afternoons, 5″ of snow–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives here18% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Horseshoe Bend: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Horseshoe Bend, and how to reach them.
PowerEntergy Arkansas13.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterHorseshoe Bend WaterworksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpFrom the town’s siteTrash and recycling rulesTown site
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 hereIzard County ClerkIzard County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2021
ZIP code7251272512 99%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 Horseshoe Bend.
Horseshoe Bend trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has a longer frost-free season than most of the country, though not than most of Arkansas.
OutdoorsC−
0% of Horseshoe Bend is conserved land
54 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. More trails than any other town in Arkansas.
#1for trails in AR
0%
conserved · 0 of 9,337 acres
54 mi
of trails · 3.7 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthD
Horseshoe Bend earns a D for health
Against the 4,377 U.S. towns with household incomes like Horseshoe Bend’s, it is less healthy than 69%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income. Within Arkansas it is less healthy than 62% of the 123 graded towns: much of Arkansas scores lower on these measures.
51% of Horseshoe Bend adults have high blood pressure, against 41% in Arkansas’ towns and 35% across U.S. towns. 20% of Horseshoe Bend adults report frequent physical distress. Horseshoe Bend beats the Arkansas average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11.
9%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Horseshoe Bend | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 51% | 41% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Arkansas
4 better17 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Horseshoe Bend | AR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.6% | 14.4% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.9% | 14.6% |
| More adults with heart disease | 12.5% | 7.7% |
Baxter Health Fulton County Hospital
12.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
38th
percentile among AR towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Inland flooding leads a very high hazard risk in Horseshoe Bend
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 83% of U.S. communities.
83risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingIce stormsEarthquakes
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
The median age in Horseshoe Bend is higher than in the typical Arkansas or U.S. town
The median age in Horseshoe Bend is 53.4 years. Horseshoe Bend has grown 7.6% since 2020, to 2,623 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 32% of residents are 65 or older in Horseshoe Bend.
53.4median age · AR 38.5
| Horseshoe Bend | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 53.4 years | 36.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 32% | 16% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 16% | 25% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 18% | 20% | 29% |
Horseshoe BendArkansasUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma10%
High school31%
Some college29%
Associate’s13%
Bachelor’s10%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
54% women, 46% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.5 points. Across Arkansas, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Horseshoe Bend | AR | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.5% | 10.8% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.9% | 9.4% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.1% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.7% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.8% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.3% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.4% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 15.1% | 7.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.5% | 11.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.7% | 34.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 28.6% | 20.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.1% | 8.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 9.5% | 16.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.7% | 9.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,600, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Most of Horseshoe Bend’s workers commute out: the town has 0.4 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Horseshoe Bend for work: only 9% work in town. Since 2013, Horseshoe Bend has lost 52 jobs, to 234 in 2023. Horseshoe Bend’s average trip to work is 27 minutes.
9%work in town
| Horseshoe Bend | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $46,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.4% | 22% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Horseshoe Bend9%
Melbourne11%
Batesville11%
Ash Flat6%
Salem6%
31 mi
median commute distance
234
jobs based in Horseshoe Bend
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 20% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade A−
Horseshoe Bend earns an A− for cost of living
Homes are within reach (about $158K for the typical one, A− for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 31 miles.
The typical Horseshoe Bend home is worth about $158,000, up 1.4% in a year, 30% below the Arkansas typical home.
$158KZillow home value
| Horseshoe Bend | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 77% | 60% | 73% |
| Median rent | $748 a month | $880 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Horseshoe Bend$158K
Arkansas$224K
+1.4%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
In Horseshoe Bend, expect mild winters and hot summers
The Salem weather station, 10 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 204 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 86% of Arkansas places with climate records. The Salem weather station, 10 miles away, records that about 51 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 81% of Arkansas places with climate records.
Horseshoe Bend has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Only 7 of the 123 Arkansas towns we compare have a lower July high than Horseshoe Bend.
5″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter28–48°
Spring46–69°
Summer65–88°
Fall47–70°
Oct 30
typical first frost
Apr 8
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Horseshoe Bend
18pages on Horseshoe Bend
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Horseshoe Bend
About 2 of every 100 Horseshoe Bend residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Arkansas.
A commuter town
91% of working residents leave Horseshoe Bend for work
Where Horseshoe Bend’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
234jobs based in Horseshoe Bend
9%of working residents work in town
31 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Horseshoe Bend
City in Arkansas, United States
Horseshoe Bend is a city in Fulton, Izard, and Sharp counties in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, Horseshoe Bend had a population of 2,440. It is named for the large loop or horseshoe bend in the nearby Strawberry River.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 15 sq mi
- Elevation
- 869 ft
- ZIP code
- 72512
- Area code
- 870
Questions about Horseshoe Bend
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Horseshoe Bend, AR a good place to live?
Horseshoe Bend grades D overall, better than 6% of U.S. towns and #94 of 123 in Arkansas. It grades D for health and C for schools, and has the most trail per square mile in the state. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.