Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,584, settled in 1887.
Smackover’s best subject grades are an A− for cost of living and a B+ for walkability; its weakest is a D for incomes. 27% of residents live below the poverty line in Smackover, above both the Arkansas town median (18%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). On hazard risk, just 13 of Arkansas’ 201 towns do better. Smackover has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Smackover Historic Commercial District and D. McDonald House. Smackover has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Smackover beats most towns.
1,865 counted in 2010 and 1,630 in 2020; an estimated 1,584 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arkansas), ordered by how far Smackover is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,544 in 1930, 1,630 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 3 maps from 1962 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Smackover, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Smackover.
The typical Smackover home is worth about $121,000, down 3.1% in a year, 46% below the Arkansas typical home. Smackover’s median rent is $860 a month, against $878 a month in Arkansas’ towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns.
| Smackover | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $860 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 66% | 60% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Smackover Norphlet School District. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Smackover High School, with 347 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smackover Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 523 | A− |
| Smackover High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 347 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AR on state tests and graduation
Smackover beats the Arkansas average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 45% of adults have high blood pressure in Smackover.
| Smackover | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 41% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 12% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 81% | 78% | 79% |
| What stands out | Smackover | AR |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.1% | 76.9% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.6% | 4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Smackover has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. Smackover’s July high is 93°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average trip to work in Smackover is 20 minutes. The top destinations are El Dorado (28%), Camden (4%) and Little Rock (2%). Half commute less than 11 miles.
| Smackover | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 22% of residents (18% statewide). Smackover has lost 2.9% of its people since 2020, down to 1,584 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 22% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 26% across Arkansas.
| Smackover | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 16% | 18% |
| Median age | 39.9 years | 36.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 22% | 20% | 29% |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.1 points. Across Arkansas, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Smackover | AR | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.2% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.8% | 10.8% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.4% | 9.4% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.9% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 16.5% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.2% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.5% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.5% | 7.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 12.7% | 11.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 38.5% | 34.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.1% | 20.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.4% | 8.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 13.2% | 16.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.2% | 9.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,600, single groups can be off by several points
Smackover's reported crime rate is below Arkansas's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. Violent crime is rare: 3 reported in 2024.
| Smackover | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 1.9 per 1,000 residents | 4.2 | 1.7 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 17.9 per 1,000 residents | 17.5 | 11.5 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 57% of U.S. communities. Since 1986, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Smackover.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Smackover
About 5 of every 100 Smackover residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Arkansas.
2 places in Smackover on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Smackover.
City in Arkansas, United States
Smackover is a small city in northern Union County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, Smackover had a population of 1,630. It had a large oil boom in the 1920s, with production continuing for some time.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
3 notable people were born here, including Sleepy LaBeef and Wayne Hardin.
