City · Union County, Arkansas

Smackover, Arkansas

Smackover is a city in Union County, Arkansas, part of the El Dorado, AR metro area. It has 2,419 residents. Smackover, Arkansas has a quality-of-life score of 13 out of 100 (very low), ranking #13,669 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Arkansas it ranks #111 of 218 cities and towns. It ranks best on social associations (high), time spent in the emergency room (low) and students per teacher (low). It ranks worst on violent crime rate (high), food environment index (low) and premature death (high).

13Very low

Quality-of-life score: #13,669 of 15,651 cities and towns
Arkansas: #111 of 218 in AR
Population: 2,419 (2020-2024)
Land area: 4 mi²
Density: 556.2 /mi²
FIPS code: 0564730

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 76 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety2#15,323/15,637
Economy13#13,671/15,631
Housing92#1,241/14,977
Health14#13,395/15,609
Healthcare29#11,075/15,650
Environment26#11,432/15,453
Education23#11,983/15,649
Infrastructure29#11,147/15,650
Community21#12,350/15,651
Leisure & amenities15#13,256/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Smackover, Arkansas ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Union County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Social associations · high19.5 /10k
98/100Arkansas 11.7 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteUnion County value
Time spent in the emergency room · low102 min
96/100Arkansas 165 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesUnion County value
Students per teacher · low10.8×
94/100Arkansas 12.5×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsUnion County value
Home price to income ratio · low2.1×
90/100Arkansas 3.1×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Rent-burdened households · low42.2%
89/100Arkansas 44.8%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Public libraries · high1.6 /10k
88/100Arkansas 0.7 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesUnion County value

Weaknesses

Violent crime rate · high882 /100k
1/100Arkansas 532 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationUnion County value
Food environment index · low6.2
5/100Arkansas 4.6United States 7.62019 & 2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteUnion County value
Premature death · high14,004 /100k
6/100Arkansas 11,156 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteUnion County value
Life expectancy · low71.6 yrs
6/100Arkansas 74.0 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteUnion County value
Firearm deaths · high23.8 /100k
8/100Arkansas 18.5 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimateProvisional dataUnion County value
Mammography screening · low35.0%
8/100Arkansas 43.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteUnion County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
1,715 (2015-2019) → 2,419 (2020-2024)
+41%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
65.0% (2015-2019) → 89.8% (2020-2024)
+25 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent as share of incomeImproving
46.4% (2015-2019) → 23.7% (2020-2024)
−23 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
New homes permittedWorsening
3.0 /1k (2021) → 0.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
54.3% (2015-2019) → 42.2% (2020-2024)
−12 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Median household incomeImproving
$39,167 (2015-2019) → $55,995 (2020-2024)
+43%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Smackover, Arkansas improved on 2 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 11 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Broadband+25 points65.0% → 89.8%
Household income+43%$39,167 → $55,995

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Smackover, Arkansas between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	16.7 min2015-2019	19.9 min2020-2024	+3.2 min	Within the margin of error	18%
Bachelor's degree or higher	16.8%2015-2019	22.4%2020-2024	+5.6 points	Within the margin of error	72%
Broadband subscriptions	65.0%2015-2019	89.8%2020-2024	+25 points	Improved	95%
Child poverty rate	39.3%2015-2019	41.1%2020-2024	+1.8 points	Within the margin of error	31%
Effective property tax rate	0.70%2015-2019	0.64%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	27%
High school diploma or higher	86.7%2015-2019	87.3%2020-2024	+0.6 points	Within the margin of error	41%
Home price to income ratio	1.9×2015-2019	2.1×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	67%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5262015-2019	0.4462020-2024	−0.081	Within the margin of error	93%
Median household income	$39,1672015-2019	$55,9952020-2024	+43%	Improved	78%
Poverty rate	24.1%2015-2019	26.6%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent-burdened households	54.3%2015-2019	42.2%2020-2024	−12 points	Within the margin of error	86%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.0%2015-2019	6.1%2020-2024	−2 points	Within the margin of error	68%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Smackover, Arkansas five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Smackover, Arkansas in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Smackover, Arkansas itself moved +11.2 points in standing on average over the same 9 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

2,419 residents (±342)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

893 households (±149)

Smackover, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Under $25k27%†243
$25k–50k18%†158
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

893 households (±149)

Smackover, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Own66%588
Rent34%†305

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (−14.8 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

1,021 workers (±241)

Smackover, Arkansas
Arkansas share

Drive alone81%826
Carpool6.5%†66
Public transit0.0%0

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the El Dorado, AR

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Union County, the county holding most of Smackover's residents.

Union County has 1,036 employer establishments, 277 for every 10,000 residents (1.12× the US rate of 248; 1.21× Arkansas's), with 15,851 paid employees at an average annual pay of $62,336. The Census Bureau also counts 2,948 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,036; 2,948 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 277; US 248 · Arkansas 229
Paid employees: 15,851
Average annual pay: $62,336; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Union County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	90	24.1	1.15×About typical	833	$58,906	215
Religious organizations	70	18.7	3.37×More than typical	314	$19,997	—
Restaurants and other eating places	65	17.4	0.95×About typical	1,040	$17,607	14
Specialty trade contractors	47	12.6	0.81×About typical	1,296	$60,223	190
Truck transportation	35	9.4	1.85×More than typical	348	$64,523	77
Limited-service restaurants	34	9.1	1.13×About typical	674	$17,040	4
Offices of physicians	34	9.1	1.40×More than typical	318	$71,535	22
Building equipment contractors	28	7.5	1.24×About typical	421	$71,192	34
Gasoline stations	28	7.5	2.31×More than typical	221	$24,543	—
Lessors of real estate	25	6.7	0.54×Fewer than typical	74	$97,527	219
Full-service restaurants	23	6.1	0.80×About typical	307	$18,678	7
Banks and credit unions	22	5.9	1.82×More than typical	197	$52,015	—

Rank places for an industry Open Union County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 37,413 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Smackover, Arkansas: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

4.4KFY2021

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Smackover, Arkansas, so they do not add up across cities.

Smackover, Arkansas's figures are part of those of Union County, AR ($220.9K in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Smackover is mostly in Union County.

See federal money in Union County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Smackover, Arkansas is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Bruce WestermanR-AR-4 · 100% of residentsWith party 97%Missed 0.4%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Union County21100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

El Dorado, AR11

Other cities and towns in Union County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/0564730

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends