Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Hamburg’s subject grades is an A− for cost of living; the weakest is a D− for health. 33% of residents live below the poverty line in Hamburg, above both the Arkansas town median (18%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). On incomes, just 4 of Arkansas’ 201 towns do worse. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 84% of U.S. towns. Hamburg has 7 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Watson-Sawyer House and Watson House. Hamburg's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 86% of U.S. towns. Hamburg has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Hamburg beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Watson-Sawyer House| Widest gap | Hamburg | AR |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 32.3% | 18.5% |
Census counts: 747 in 1880, a peak of 3,394 in 1980, 2,536 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 2012 and 2 maps from 1973 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arkansas), ordered by how far Hamburg is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hamburg, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Hamburg.
21% of Hamburg adults report frequent physical distress, against 16% in Arkansas’ towns and 14% across U.S. towns. 36% of Hamburg adults say their health is fair or poor. Hamburg beats the Arkansas average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 21.
| Hamburg | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 25% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 34% | 25% |
| What stands out | Hamburg | AR |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 32.3% | 18.5% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 32% | 18.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 17.6% | 10.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Hamburg School District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Hamburg High School, with 508 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noble Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 416 | – |
| Hamburg High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 508 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AR on state tests and graduation
The typical Hamburg home is worth about $101,000, up 5.6% in a year, 55% below the Arkansas typical home. Hamburg’s median rent is $643 a month.
| Hamburg | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $643 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 59% | 60% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The property crime rate in Hamburg is 4.3 per 1,000 residents.
| Hamburg | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.3 per 1,000 residents | 13.6 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.7 per 1,000 residents | 3.6 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Hamburg has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 34° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Hamburg for work: only 19% work in town. Jobs based in Hamburg fell to 818 in 2023, 258 fewer than in 2013. Among 124 Arkansas towns, just 5 have a lower median household income than Hamburg.
| Hamburg | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $34,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 19% | 22% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities. Since 2004, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hamburg.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Hamburg; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Hamburg residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Arkansas.
2,857 counted in 2010 and 2,536 in 2020; an estimated 2,364 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
7 places in Hamburg on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Hamburg.
City in Arkansas
Hamburg is a city in and the county seat of Ashley County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,536 at the 2020 census. The population declined by more than 10% between 2010 and 2020, resulting in a lower tax base for the region. It is the home town of NBA player Scottie Pippen. The City of Hamburg crest has a picture of a gazebo, trees, cotton, and antelope.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
7 notable people were born here, including Scottie Pippen and Myron Jackson.
