Hot Spring County, Arkansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hot Spring County, AR Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below average
-
D
Income Well below average
-
F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Hot Spring County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,176 | 3,049,066 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 53.4 | 57.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.11% | 0.32% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.3 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,307 | 1,205,703 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hot Spring County grew by 4.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 33,176 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hot Spring County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.8% of residents. That is 2.6 points above Arkansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,432 19.4% -2.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,953 21.0% on par
- Gen X 45–60 7,216 21.8% +2.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,602 19.9% +1.8 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Arkansas, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 48.0% of the people living in Hot Spring County and men 52.0%.
- Women 48.0% Arkansas 50.6%
- Men 52.0% Arkansas 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Hot Spring County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Hot Spring County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Hot Spring County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,674 | $60,940 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.73% | 4.58% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hot Spring County is about 7% lower than in Arkansas.
Housing
| Metric | Hot Spring County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $88,995 | $111,957 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $768 | $947 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.5% | 66.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Hot Spring County is about 9.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $768 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hot Spring County spend about 53 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 221 hours, about 9.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hot Spring County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 26.5 | 18.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 53.1 | 37.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 221 | 155 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,854 | $4,807 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.3% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,690 | 6,306 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 858 | 912 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Arkansas:
Arkansas County (11.9 min), Phillips County (13.2 min), Howard County (13.4 min).
Slowest:
Perry County (32.2 min), Newton County (31.6 min), Madison County (31.1 min).
The average commute time in Hot Spring County is 27 minutes, longer than the 19 minutes in Arkansas.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Hot Spring County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Hot Spring County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.6% | 22.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.51 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Arkansas:
Pulaski County (0.3), Benton County (0.3), Washington County (0.3).
Lowest:
Lee County (0.2), Lincoln County (0.2), Scott County (0.2).
Health
Hot Spring County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Hot Spring County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.4 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.7% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.6% | 23.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Arkansas:
Benton County (0.8), Washington County (0.8), Newton County (0.8).
Lowest:
Phillips County (0.7), Chicot County (0.7), Desha County (0.8).
Hot Spring County, AR Compared With Nearby Counties
Hot Spring County, AR is the 3rd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 33,176 residents against a local median of 100,035. Where Hot Spring County, AR breaks from the counties next to it is commute, sitting 54% above the local median of 17.2 min at 26.5 min. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $88,995 against a local median of $77,340, 15% above it. The counties themselves spread 10.9 min on commute, so Hot Spring County, AR sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Hot Spring County, AR has the 4th lowest commute of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Spring County, AR | 33,176 | $56,674 #3/4 | $88,995 #2/4 | 26.5 min #4/4 |
| Garland County, AR | 100,035 | $57,868 | $77,340 | 17.2 min |
| Clark County, AR | 21,125 | $51,661 | $26,775 | 15.1 min |
| Saline County, AR | 127,467 | $79,874 | $192,380 | 26.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hot Spring County, Arkansas.
How big is Hot Spring County, Arkansas by population?
About 33,176 people live in Hot Spring County, Arkansas, in 12,307 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 40.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Hot Spring County, Arkansas mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Hot Spring County, Arkansas has 53 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 62% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Hot Spring County, Arkansas?
The median home costs 1.6 times the median household income ($88,995 against $56,674), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $768 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Hot Spring County, Arkansas?
Unemployment in Hot Spring County, Arkansas is only 3.7%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Hot Spring County, Arkansas?
14.6% of adults in Hot Spring County, Arkansas hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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