2005 · ARMap-doton-Lavaca · Wikimedia Commons
Lavaca’s story
107 years in pictures
1 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives.
- 1919Lavaca is settled
- 2005ARMap-doton-Lavaca
LavacaAR
A town of 2,489, settled in 1919. Safer than 65% of U.S. towns.
Population
2,489
+7% since 2010
Typical home
$208K
+4.1% in a year
Household income
$81K
median
Median age
32.3
years
Jobs based here
268
A commuter town
What makes Lavaca stand out
The thing Lavaca does most differently from other towns.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Lavaca for work
Where Lavaca’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
268jobs based in Lavaca
4%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Lavaca’s report card
Commute13 miHalf of commuters travel lessClimate93°/29°Summer high · winter low · 3″ snowSafetyB+Less crime than 65% of U.S. townsHazards63/100High risk of storm & flood damageHousing$208K8% below the AR typical homeHealthC+Healthier than 44% of U.S. townsSchoolsB−Beats 53% of AR districtsOutdoors0 miof trails · 0% conserved
Now in Lavaca
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Live in Lavaca? Is a B+ for safety right?
Your answer becomes a post in Lavaca’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →73°
Cloudy
Tonight L 69°
Local news
All →- Logan Price - Lavaca Golden Arrows Baseball (Lavaca, AR)si.com · Sep 6
- Jackson Armistead - Lavaca Golden Arrows Baseball (Lavaca, AR)si.com · Sep 6
- Karter Bartonsi.com · Aug 19
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Lavaca. Another town gets a different order.
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Lavaca
Most working residents leave Lavaca for work: only 4% work in town. The top destinations are Fort Smith (47%), Van Buren (5%) and Little Rock (3%). Half commute less than 13 miles.
4%work in town
Where working residents work
In Lavaca4%
Fort Smith47%
Van Buren5%
Little Rock3%
Greenwood2%
13 mi
median commute distance
268
jobs based in Lavaca
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Climate
Mild winters, hot summers
Lavaca has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
3″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter31–53°
Spring49–73°
Summer68–91°
Fall50–74°
Nov 6
typical first frost
Mar 25
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 65% of U.S. towns
Lavaca reports less crime per resident than 65% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
B+Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Lavaca2
Arkansas5.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Lavaca3.9
Arkansas16.7
U.S.15.5
65th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
90th
percentile among AR towns
5
violent crimes reported in 2025
10
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Natural hazards
High risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities.
63risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHeat waves
8
paid flood claims since 2015
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Housing
A typical Lavaca home is worth about $208K
The typical Lavaca home is worth about $208,000, up 4.1% in a year, 8% below the Arkansas typical home.
$208KZillow home value
Typical home value
Lavaca$208K
Arkansas$227K
+4.1%
value change, 1 year
4
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Health
Healthier than 44% of U.S. towns
Lavaca beats the Arkansas average on 10 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
C+Health Grade
32 measures vs. Arkansas
10 better22 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Lavaca | AR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 13.1% | 18.5% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 9.9% | 13.3% |
Mercy Hospital Fort Smith
9.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
85th
percentile among AR towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Schools
Lavaca’s public schools outperform 53% of Arkansas districts
The public schools Lavaca’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 53% of Arkansas’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
B−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lavaca Elementary School | PK–4 | 322 | A− |
| Lavaca Middle School | 5–8 | 234 | B− |
| Lavaca High School | 9–12 | 245 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AR on state tests and graduationAll 3 schools →
Outdoors
0% of Lavaca is conserved land
0.3 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,421 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Oak Bower Community Park | 0.2 mi | 4 |
| 2. Lavaca City Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
About Lavaca
City in Arkansas, United States
Lavaca ( lə-VAH-kə) is a city in Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 Census the population was 2,450. Lavaca was incorporated in 1919.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1919
- Population
- 2,450
- Area
- 2.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 423 ft
- ZIP code
- 72941
- Area code
- 479
More about Lavaca
Still missing for Lavaca:a photo of Lavacaupcoming events