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Is Hot Springs, AR a Good Place to Live?
Hot Springs is a small city of 38,025 in Arkansas, with a median household income of $46,537 and a 5.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 90 (US average = 100), which is 10% below the national average.
Strengths: Hot Springs stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include a higher-than-average crime index, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Hot Springs is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Hot Springs city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 89.6Hot Springs's overall cost of living index is 89.6, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Hot Springs costs roughly 10% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Hot Springs, AR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $148,100 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $857 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 55.6% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $46,537 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Higher than AverageHot Springs's violent crime rate is 534.2 per 100,000 residents — 41% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Hot Springs is served primarily by LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT (Garland). The student-to-teacher ratio is 14.2:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Hot Springs, AR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT (Garland) | — |
| Elementary Schools | 2 | — |
| Middle Schools | 2 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 14.2:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 24.2% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 87.3% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Hot Springs sees average highs of 51.7°F in January and 93.1°F in July, with 58.0 inches of annual precipitation and 1.1 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Hot Springs, AR |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 51.7°F |
| Average High — July | 93.1°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 58.0" |
| Annual Snowfall | 1.1" |
Demographics
| Metric | Hot Springs, AR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,025 | — |
| Median Age | 44.7 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 17.8 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 72.9% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 17.2% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4.1% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.4% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 18.0% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 22.7% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Hot Springs
Hot Springs, AR is covered by 2 ZIP codes: