Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Hot Springs earns a D, 90th of 123 graded towns in Arkansas, mostly because of safety and health. Its crime rate is higher than 95% of U.S. towns, with 191 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 91% of the country. In its favor, it is more walkable than 76% of U.S. towns. 50% of working residents work locally in Hot Springs, where Arkansas’ towns sit at 21% and U.S. towns at 8%. Its National Register listings include Bathhouse Row and Medical Arts Building. On the outdoors, just 6 of Arkansas’ 201 towns do better.
Where Hot Springs beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Bathhouse Row
Billy Bob Thornton
Bathhouse Row is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier. Its 83 National Register listings are more than in 99% of Arkansas towns with a listing.
Census counts: 201 in 1860, 37,930 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1844 and 2 maps from 1966 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arkansas), ordered by how far Hot Springs is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hot Springs. Close and well known come first.
in town National ParkHot Springs National Park2.5M visitors a yearin town Theme parkMagic Springs and Crystal Falls
in town GardenGarvan Woodland Gardensin town Zoo & aquariumArkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo4 mi MuseumMid-America Science MuseumHot Springs National Park: Unknown, Public domain · Garvan Woodland Gardens: Nngowen, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hot Springs, 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 Hot Springs.
Hot Springs draws workers from Hot Springs Village and beyond, fares better on crime within Arkansas than nationally and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
Hot Springs’ conserved land covers 8.3% of the town. The biggest place to walk is Hot Springs National Park, 2,205 acres with 17.6 miles of trail. 27 miles of trail in 14 parks and preserves.
| Hot Springs | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 8.3% | 0.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hot Springs National Park | 17.6 mi | 2,205 |
| 2. Whittington Park | 1.1 mi | 14 |
| 3. Entergy Park | 0.5 mi | 35 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Each of its 3 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its C+, Lake Hamilton highest at A−.
Its public schools are run by the Hot Springs School District. Three of its 14 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeside Intermediate SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades 2–4 | Grades 2–4 | 721 | A |
| Lakeside High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 8–12 | Grades 8–12 | 1,107 | B |
| Park Magnet an Ib Pyp World Class SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 411 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AR on state tests and graduation
At 65.9 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 82% of Arkansas’s graded towns. Property crime runs at 33.8 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Arkansas rate, most of it theft.
The property crime rate in Hot Springs is 33.8 per 1,000 residents. Hot Springs reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 95% report less. The violent crime rate in Hot Springs is 5 per 1,000 residents.
| Hot Springs | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 33.8 per 1,000 residents | 13.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5 per 1,000 residents | 3.6 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
25,752 jobs are based in Hot Springs, 1.9 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Hot Springs’ average trip to work is 17 minutes. Jobs based in Hot Springs grew to 25,752 in 2023, 1,526 more than in 2013. Hot Springs’ median household income is $48,000.
| Hot Springs | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $48,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 6.8% | 6.1% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 4,933 U.S. towns with household incomes like Hot Springs’s, it is less healthy than 72%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income. Within Arkansas it is less healthy than 63% of the 123 graded towns: much of Arkansas scores lower on these measures.
47% of adults have high blood pressure in Hot Springs. Hot Springs beats the Arkansas average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 13. 16% of adults have diabetes in Hot Springs.
| Hot Springs | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 41% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 25% | 19% |
| What stands out | Hot Springs | AR |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.5% | 76.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 13% | 10.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Hot Springs has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 31° and about 1 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
People 65 and older are 25% of residents (18% statewide); children under 18 are 18% of residents (23% statewide). Among 123 Arkansas towns, just 8 have a lower share of children under 18 than Hot Springs. 26% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 26% across Arkansas.
| Hot Springs | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 18% | 25% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 25% | 16% | 18% |
| Median age | 45.3 years | 36.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 20% | 29% |
54% women, 46% men
About 87 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.4 points). Across Arkansas, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Hot Springs | AR | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.7% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.8% | 10.8% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9% | 9.4% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.2% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.8% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.4% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.2% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.1% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.7% | 7.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.4% | 11.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.7% | 34.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.2% | 20.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.7% | 8.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.9% | 16.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.2% | 9.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
125 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 13 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 62% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 125 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hot Springs.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Hot Springs home is worth about $243,000, about the same as a year ago, 8% above the Arkansas typical home. 57% of Hot Springs households own their home.
| Hot Springs | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 60% | 73% |
| Median rent | $914 a month | $875 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 49% | 44% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
2 within 15 miles of the center of Hot Springs
About 3 of every 100 Hot Springs residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Arkansas.
8.3% of the town is conserved land, across 14 parks and preserves.
83 places in Hot Springs on the National Register of Historic Places.
62 notable people were born in Hot Springs.
City in Arkansas, United States
Hot Springs is a resort city in the state of Arkansas, United States, and the county seat of Garland County. The city is located in the Ouachita Mountains among the U.S. Interior Highlands, and is set among several natural hot springs for which the city is named. As of the 2020 United States census, the city had a population of 37,930, making it the eleventh-most populous city in Arkansas. The center of Hot Springs is the oldest federal reserve in the United States, today preserved as Hot Springs National Park. The hot spring water has been popularly believed for centuries to possess healing properties, and was a subject of legend among several Native American tribes. Following federal prot…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Hot Springs.
| Town | AR rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Springs | #90 | D | B− | D | C+ | D |
| Piney | #75 | D | B | — | B | D− |
| Lake Hamilton | — | — | D | — | A− | C |
| Rockwell | #73 | C− | C | — | B | C |
Lake Hamilton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Piney, Lake Hamilton and Rockwell report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Hot Springs with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Hot Springs grades D overall, better than 7% of U.S. towns and #90 of 123 in Arkansas. It grades D for health, D for safety and C+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 4.2 years of the area's median household income ($57,181 across the Hot Springs, AR metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
62 notable people were born here, including Billy Bob Thornton and Alan Ladd.
