Town guide

Shirley, Arkansas

Shirley is a town in Van Buren County, Arkansas, home to about 269 people across 2.4 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 72153.

Homes sold for a median of $161 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.

Population269112 per sq mi
Median home value$103,100Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$161Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking0%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Shirley

1 ZIP code, 1 shared with neighboring towns

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Shirley. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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  • History
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  • Getting around
  • Things to do

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Around Shirley

Distances

Nearest major airportFrederick W. Smith International Airport (MEM)138 miles away
Closer regional airportBoone County Airport (HRO)63 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Memphis, TN137 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Dallas, TX322 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Shirley; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Shirley

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Shirley had 248 residents in the 2020 census, down 26% since 2000.

It’s the 404th largest of 615 towns in Arkansas by population.

Van Buren County grew from 11,220 residents in 1900 to 15,796 in 2020.

Shirley population by census2000: 337, 2010: 291, 2020: 248337200029120102482020

Van Buren County, 1900–2020

Van Buren County population, 1900 to 20201900: 11,220, 1910: 13,509, 1920: 13,666, 1930: 11,962, 1940: 12,518, 1950: 9,687, 1960: 7,228, 1970: 8,275, 1980: 13,357, 1990: 14,008, 2000: 16,192, 2010: 17,295, 2020: 15,79611K’00’1014K’20’3013K’40’507K’60’7013K’80’9016K’00’1016K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 91°F in summer, and winter lows average 28°F. About 51.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 5 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near ShirleyJan: high 48°F, low 28°F, 3.5 in; Feb: high 53°F, low 32°F, 3.4 in; Mar: high 61°F, low 40°F, 5 in; Apr: high 71°F, low 48°F, 5.6 in; May: high 78°F, low 57°F, 5.6 in; Jun: high 87°F, low 66°F, 3.8 in; Jul: high 91°F, low 70°F, 3.8 in; Aug: high 91°F, low 68°F, 3.9 in; Sep: high 84°F, low 60°F, 3.5 in; Oct: high 73°F, low 49°F, 4.3 in; Nov: high 61°F, low 39°F, 5.1 in; Dec: high 51°F, low 31°F, 4.3 in48°28°Jan3.553°32°Feb3.461°40°Mar5.071°48°Apr5.678°57°May5.687°66°Jun3.891°70°Jul3.891°68°Aug3.984°60°Sep3.573°49°Oct4.361°39°Nov5.151°31°Dec4.3Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Mtn View, AR weather station (18 miles away).

Jobs in Van Buren County

3,279 jobs at 319 businesses in Van Buren County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Van Buren CountyRetail trade: 714 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 694 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 434 jobs; Other services: 236 jobs; Transportation and warehousing: 188 jobs; Construction: 173 jobs; Manufacturing: 165 jobs; Agriculture, forestry and fishing: 130 jobsRetail trade 22% Health care and social assistance 21% Hotels and restaurants 13% Other services 7% Transportation and warehousing 6% Construction 5% Manufacturing 5% Agriculture, forestry and fishing 4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

3 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Shirley.

Nearest hospitals

  • Ozark HealthCritical access hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Clinton9.9 miles
  • Baptist Health Medical Center Heber SpringsCritical access hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Heber Springs18.2 miles
  • Stone County Medical CenterCritical access hospital · emergency room · Mountain View19.2 miles

Providers with an office here

Dentists1
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants1
Physical and occupational therapists1

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around Shirley

Pharmacies

  • Fairfield Bay Pharmacy & Home Medical Equipment4.0 mi

Libraries

  • Fairfield Bay Library4.0 mi

Museums (1 nearby)

  • Shirley Centennial Museum0.5 mi

Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Schools in Shirley

Public schools here are run by Shirley School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (2)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Shirley Elementary SchoolShirleyK–6169Public0.8 mi
Shirley High SchoolShirley7–12110Public0.8 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Where Shirley is

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Towns near Shirley

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Shares ZIP codes with Fairfield Bay and Fox.

Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.