Mena, AR: Local News, Events & Neighbors

Mena ( MEE-nə) is a city in and the county seat of Polk County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 5,589 as of the 2020 census. Mena is located in the U.S. Interior Highlands. Surrounded by the Ouachita National Forest, Mena is a gateway to some of the most visited tourist attractions in Arkansas.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Mena ranks

All →

#7Cheapest rent in AR #11Shortest commute in AR #12Most walkable in AR All AR rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code71953

Area code479

Living in Mena

Housing in Mena

$202K▲ 3.6% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Mena home is worth about $202,000, up 3.6% in a year, 11% below the Arkansas typical home.

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Mena

C⁻

Safety Grade C-

Mena reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 84% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Mena 2.5

Arkansas 5.4

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Mena 28.2

Arkansas 16.7

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Health in Mena

C⁻

Health Grade C−

Healthier than 17% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates, and 47% of towns with similar incomes.

Compared with Arkansas

3better than AR·5worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 24 are too close to call.

Conditions 5▼ 7 close Habits all close Care 1▲ 6 close Mind all close Everyday needs 2▲ 2 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

11.8%Fewer adults facing housing insecurityAR 14.4% · better 8.9%Fewer adults facing a utility shut-offAR 10.4% · better 10.4%More adults who have had cancerAR 8.2% · worse

Care nearby

Mena Regional Health SystemMena · 0.9 mi · ER · rural critical access

Healthy Connections, Inc. Mena Street ClinicMena · 0.3 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Mena · CMS · HRSAHealth in Mena →

Schools in Mena

All Mena schools →

B⁺

School Grade B+

The public schools Mena’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 72% of Arkansas’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

#45Best public schoolsof 113 in AR

DistrictMENA SCHOOL DISTRICTSchools6

Holly Harshman Elementary School B+Elementary · Grades 3–5 · 438 students Louise Durham Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades K–2 · 357 students Mena Middle School B+Middle · Grades 6–8 · 393 students Mena High School C+High · Grades 9–12 · 503 students Ua Rich Mountain Technical CenterHigh · Grades 9–12 Polk County Virtual AcademyOther · Grades 1–12 · 12 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within AR. Ratings are from neighbors.