Downtown Ola, AR 001, 2013
Ola’s story
146 years in pictures
Census counts: 516 in 1910, a peak of 1,281 in 2010, 934 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2013 and 2 maps from 1888 on.
- 1880Ola is settled
OlaAR
A town of 921, settled in 1880.
Photo: Brandonrush · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
921
2025 Census estimate · −1.6% since 2020
Median home value
$62K
Census ACS
Household income
$33K
median
Median age
36.0
years
Jobs based here
198
A commuter town
Is Ola a good place to live?
47% of residents live below the poverty line in Ola, above both the Arkansas town median (18%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Among 124 Arkansas towns, just 1 have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Ola. Ola has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
A shrinking town
Ola has shrunk 28% since 2010
1,281 counted in 2010 and 934 in 2020; an estimated 921 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Ola: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ola, and how to reach them.
PowerEntergy Arkansas13.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterOla Waterworks7 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Ola’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 hereYell County ClerkYell County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2021
ZIP code7285372853 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 Ola.
Natural hazards
Compared with most of Arkansas and the rest of the country, the FEMA risk score in Ola is higher
At 87 of 100, Ola’s FEMA risk score is against 66 of 100 in Arkansas’ towns and 44 of 100 across U.S. towns. Since 1984, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Ola.
87risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoes
2
paid flood claims since 1984
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
The median household income in Ola is lower than in the typical Arkansas or U.S. town
The median household income in Ola is $33,000. Among 124 Arkansas towns, just 6 have a lower average trip to work than Ola. 2.1% of Ola working residents work locally.
2%work in town
| Ola | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.1% | 22% | 8% |
| Median household income | $33,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Ola2%
Danville17%
Corinth12%
Russellville9%
Little Rock4%
15 mi
median commute distance
198
jobs based in Ola
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Ola has mild winters and hot summers
Ola has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. Ola’s July high is 93°F.
3″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter32–53°
Spring49–73°
Summer69–91°
Fall51–74°
Nov 11
typical first frost
Mar 22
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Ola
4 crimes were reported in Ola in 2025: 1 property and 3 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Ola is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
3
violent crimes reported in 2025
1
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Health
How healthy Ola is
Ola beats the Arkansas average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 20. 34% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Ola. Only 2 of the 124 Arkansas towns we compare have a higher share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Ola.
| Ola | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 25% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 34% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Arkansas
0 better12 too close to call20 worse
| What stands out | Ola | AR |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 29.5% | 18.6% |
| More uninsured adults | 17.5% | 11.3% |
| More smokers | 24.4% | 15.8% |
Chambers Memorial Hospital
9.4 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
A home in Ola sells for about $90K at the median
Among 123 Arkansas towns, just 1 have a lower median rent than Ola.
$90Kmedian sale price
| Ola | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 37% | 60% | 73% |
| Median rent | $574 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,171 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. City of Ola | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ola
19pages on Ola
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Ola; the nearest are
Arkansas Tech UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Russellville18.9 mi$8,674 in-state tuitionUniversity of Arkansas Community College-MorriltonCommunity college · Public · Morrilton29.6 mi$3,648 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Ola residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Arkansas.
Small town
921 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
About Ola
City in Arkansas, United States
Ola is a city in Yell County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, Ola had a population of 934. It is roughly 15 miles south of the Russellville Metropolitan area. As of 2004 it serves as a commercial center in Yell County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 361 ft
- ZIP code
- 72853
- Area code
- 479
Questions about Ola
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ola, AR a good place to live?
Ola has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.