CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

34.49° N · 93.05° W · GEOID 0533400

Hot Springs

Garland County, Arkansas · part of the Hot Springs, AR metro

ArkansasHot Springs, ARHot SpringsHot Springs

The short answer

Hot Springs is home to 37,920 people. Median household income is $47,760 a year and median rent is $914 a month, 23.0% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $165,500, about 3.5x annual median household income.

What sets Hot Springs apart is how tight household budgets are. After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $40,200 a year, less than in 91% of places its size. Also notable: About 59 km of named paths and bike trails are mapped in and around the city, more than in 97% of places its size.

23OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

Hot Springs scores better than 23% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 47th of 71 in Arkansas.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%46
Economy 20%30
Safety 20%10
Amenities 15%49
Education 10%37
Commute 10%93
Growth 5%41
Median gross rent
$914
33% below the median place
Median household income
$47,760
41% below the median place
Median home value
$165,500
48% below the median place
Unemployment
4.8%
2% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Hot Springs

  • AffordabilityThe median household earns $47,760 a year, less than in 94% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Hot Springs

Garland County gains about 0.5 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in4,446
Moved out4,410
Net+36

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Arkansas, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within ArkansasOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$62K
Leavers$58K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Garland County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
6.6% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.1% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Garland County report $62,000 a year in income on average; those leaving, $57,600, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$36,600 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $914 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,228 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $165,500.
Getting to work
17 minutes each way on average; 6.8% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Corinth, MS matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
6.6%
14% above the median place
Moved from another state1
2.1%
4% above the median place
Income of households moving out8
$57,616
18% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureHot SpringsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year16.6%14% above
Moved from another state12.1%4% above
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure0.5above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$61,96212% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$57,61618% below
02

What it costs to live here

Homeowners pay a median of about 0.5% of home value a year in property tax, less than in 92% of the 912 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

Hot Springs23.0%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$36,560
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
23.0%
13% above the median place
Home price to income
3.5x
9% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
23%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$40,400
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Hot Springs, $914 a month, and local prices for everything else (91.6 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Hot Springs, but easier on the budget

Places that match Hot Springs on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Corinth, MS9416.3% vs 23.0%n/aCompare
Lenoir, NC9316.0% vs 23.0%$4,200Compare
Henderson, KY9219.2% vs 23.0%n/aCompare
Marion, IL9119.4% vs 23.0%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Hot Springs.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Hot Springs? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax paid (median)1
$816
75% below the median place
Property tax rate1
0.5%
46% below the median place
Vacant homes1
16.6%
136% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureHot SpringsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$91433% below
Rent to income123.0%13% above
Property tax rate10.5%46% below
Home price to income13.5x9% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure85.715% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,11031% below
HUD area median income4County figure$81,60024% below
Property tax paid (median)1$81675% below
Median home value1$165,50048% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure3.9%22% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure55.0%7% above
Homeownership157.0%14% below
Renters paying 30%+149.1%3% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,22834% below
Vacant homes116.6%136% above
Median year built119730% below
03

Work and pay

Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 120 hours a year commuting, less than in 89% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

Mean commute1
17 min
32% below the median place
Median household income1
$47,760
41% below the median place
Poverty rate1
20.6%
91% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Works from home6.8% −45%
Income per person$31,704 −21%
Unemployment4.8% −2%
All 9 work and pay measures
MeasureHot SpringsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$47,76041% below
Income per person1$31,70421% below
Unemployment14.8%2% below
Average annual pay6County figure$47,10229% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure1.9%49% below
Jobs6County figure38,51774% below
Poverty rate120.6%91% above
Mean commute117 min32% below
Works from home16.8%45% below
04

Who lives here

Households average 2.00 people, smaller than than in 98% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-lowest of 71 Arkansas places we track.

Household size1
2.0
20% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
85.0%
8% below the median place
Median age1
45.3
16% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

No health insurance11.8% +84%
High school or higher88.6% −4%
Born abroad6.0% −33%
Bachelor's or higher26.1% −19%
All 9 people measures
MeasureHot SpringsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population137,9201184th largest
Population change since 202070.2%80% below
Median age145.316% above
Bachelor's or higher126.1%19% below
High school or higher188.6%4% below
Household size12.020% below
Born abroad16.0%33% below
No health insurance111.8%84% above
Homes with broadband185.0%8% below
05

Life in Hot Springs

The nearest National Park Service site is Hot Springs National Park, about 2 miles away.

Founded or incorporated in 1832. 86 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Bathhouse Row listed 1974Landmark
  • Passmore House listed 1976
  • Short-Dodson House listed 1976
  • Stitt House listed 1976
  • Wildwood listed 1976
  • Doherty House listed 1978

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents12.4 +22%
Playgrounds per 10k3.2 −66%
Grocery stores per 10k1.9 −13%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k13.2 +18%
Libraries per 10k0.5 −39%
Named paths and bike trails59 km 29.6×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Hot Springs National Park 2 miles
  • Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site 46 miles
  • Fort Smith National Historic Site 98 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars26.3 +26%
Shops46.4 +53%
Arts, recreation and fitness5.1 +24%
Doctors' offices and clinics33.0 +63%
Child care centers2.1 −9%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site11
1.7
94% below the median place
Students per teacher14
13.9
10% below the median place
Public schools14
17
89% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureHot SpringsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools141789% above
Public school students149,05085% above
Students per teacher1413.910% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure26.326% above
Shops per 10k9County figure46.453% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure5.124% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure33.063% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.19% below
Parks per 10k1012.422% above
Playgrounds per 10k103.266% below
Grocery stores per 10k101.913% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1013.218% above
Libraries per 10k100.539% below
Named paths and bike trails1059.3above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi100.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site111.794% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1120% above
National Register listings1286above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 503, 162% above the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
503
162% above the median place
Property crime per 100k
3,376
178% above the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Annual precipitation15
55.2 in
26% above the median place
July average high15
92°F
5% above the median place
Tornado risk16
96.4
18% above the median place
All 9 weather and risk measures
MeasureHot SpringsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure92°F5% above
January average low15County figure31°F22% above
Average temperature15County figure61°F11% above
Annual precipitation15County figure55.2 in26% above
Natural hazard risk16County figure89.33% below
Hurricane risk16County figure62.112% below
Tornado risk16County figure96.418% above
Wildfire risk16County figure72.919% above
Heat wave risk16County figure93.94% above
08

Hot Springs in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 23% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 23% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Hot Springs does better than 47% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 20%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$914/mo (2024)$1,170/mo$960 to $1,430/mo+4.2%
Median household income$47,760 (2024)$60,500$51,000 to $71,500+4.0%
Median home value$165,500 (2024)$232,000$169,000 to $320,000+5.8%
Population37,979 (2025)38,28036,720 to 39,910+0.2%

The median home would be worth 3.8 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.5 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Hot Springs

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Ludington, MI$902$46,411Compare
St. Albans, WV$931$53,972Compare
Presque Isle, ME$904$55,768Compare
Wytheville, VA$760$47,270Compare
Wytheville, VAPresque Isle, MESt. Albans, WVLudington, MIHot Springs, ARHot SpringsLudingtonSt. AlbansPresque IsleWythevilleHot SpringsLudingtonSt. AlbansPresque IsleWytheville

Places built like Hot Springs

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Hot Springs performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Hot Springs, AR23.0%4.9%/yr0.2%
Kerrville, TX21.0%5.1%/yr5.4%Compare
Mountain Home, AR25.1%0.4%/yr4.3%Compare
Galveston, TX28.0%2.4%/yr-0.1%Compare
Denison, TX23.3%9.1%/yr9.6%Compare
Thibodaux, LA22.1%6.4%/yr-2.3%Compare
Austintown, OH17.8%3.2%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Hot Springs a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 23 out of 100, better than 23% of the places we rate and 47th of 71 in Arkansas. The median household earns $47,760 a year, less than in 94% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 18 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Hot Springs expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 23.0% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $165,500.

What salary do you need to live in Hot Springs?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $36,560 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Hot Springs safe?

There were 503 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Hot Springs?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Ludington, MI, St. Albans, WV, Presque Isle, ME and Wytheville, VA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Hot Springs with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Hot Springs itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/hot-springs-arkansas

Citytistics. “Hot Springs, Arkansas.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/hot-springs-arkansas/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.