Big Bottom Slough Bridge
Magness’s story
126 years in pictures
Census counts: 216 in 1910, 220 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper and 4 maps from 1935 on.
- 1900Magness is settled
MagnessAR
A town of 221, settled in 1900.
Big Botton Slough Bridge · Photo: Kennethrorie · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
221
2025 Census estimate · +4.2% since 2020
Median home value
$115K
Census ACS
Household income
$43K
median
Median age
26.5
years
Land area
1 sq mi
Is Magness a good place to live?
Only one of the 124 Arkansas towns we compare has a lower midpoint age than Magness. Magness has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
221 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Magness: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Magness, and how to reach them.
PowerEntergy Arkansas13.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMagness Water AssociationNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers3% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Magness’ 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 hereIndependence County ClerkIndependence County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP codes72553, 7250172553 60% · 72501 40%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 Magness.
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Magness is inland flooding, at a very high overall level
Magness’ FEMA hazard score stands at 80 of 100, where Arkansas’ towns sit at 66 of 100 and U.S. towns at 44 of 100. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Magness after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2008. Just over a quarter of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by earthquakes at 24%.
80risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesTornadoes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
About one in three of Magness’ working residents commute to Batesville
The income of the median household in Magness is $43,000. The share of residents in Magness who live below the poverty line is 15%, below the Arkansas town median (18%) but above the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). The top destinations are Batesville (30%), Searcy (8%) and Little Rock (8%). The median commute is under 10 miles.
0%work in town
| Magness | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $43,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 18% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Magness0%
Batesville30%
Searcy8%
Little Rock8%
Southside7%
10 mi
median commute distance
0
jobs based in Magness
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
2″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter31–50°
Spring49–71°
Summer68–89°
Fall50–72°
Nov 5
typical first frost
Mar 30
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
A larger share of adults report frequent mental distress in Magness than in most of Arkansas or the rest of the country
Magness: 37% of adults feel lonely. Against the Arkansas average, Magness comes out ahead on 2 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 8. Two figures for adults in the town: 28% have been diagnosed with depression, 36% get no exercise outside work. Only 10 of the 124 Arkansas towns we compare have a lower share of adults who had a checkup this year than Magness.
| Magness | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 25% | 23% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 34% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Arkansas
2 better22 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Magness | AR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.7% | 8.2% |
| Fewer adults with high blood pressure | 37.2% | 41.4% |
| More smokers | 19.7% | 15.8% |
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
Housing
Homes in Magness sell for about $102K
The share of households in Magness who live in a home they own: 77%. In Magness, the typical rent is $1,111 a month.
$102Kmedian sale price
| Magness | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 77% | 60% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,111 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Magness
16pages on Magness
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Magness
Lyon CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Batesville9.5 mi$31,000 tuitionUniversity of Arkansas Community College-BatesvilleCommunity college · Public · Batesville9.7 mi$3,630 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Magness residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Arkansas.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Magness for work
Where Magness’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
0jobs based in Magness
0%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Magness
Town in Arkansas, United States
Magness is a town in Independence County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, Magness had a population of 220.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 276 ft
- ZIP code
- 72553
- Area code
- 870
Questions about Magness
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Magness, AR a good place to live?
Magness has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.