Hot Springs, AR — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Arkansas·Hot Springs

Garland County · Hot Springs · population 37,971

First-time buyers
Hot Springs, AR
Image: Wikipedia · Hot Springs, Arkansas
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
66
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Hot Springs stands

At or near all-time high. rents up 6.5% in the last year.

Median home $244,769
1-year -0.3%
5-yr CAGR +6.1%
vs 5-yr peak -0.5%
Population +0.0%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2025-02$245k$123k$167k$211k$256k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
82/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,110/mo$821$999$1,177202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent113127100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 18.4
Lean buy

At a 18.4 price-to-rent ratio, Hot Springs is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
49 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
70 · w22%
Distance from peak
87 · w18%
Population growth
46 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
70 · w10%
Long thesis

Hot Springs has held up across the cycle: home values at $244,769 with +6.1% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Hot Springs's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Hot Springs

Hot Springs is a city in Garland County, Arkansas, with an estimated population of 37,971. The median home value in Hot Springs is $244,769 as of 2026-04, down 0.3% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.1% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Hot Springs average $1,110 per month, up 6.5% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 66 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +6.1% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Held the highs: currently -0.5% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Hot rental market: rents up 6.5% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Hot Springs (Wikipedia)

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.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Garland County right now.

NWS active alerts (AR)Arkansas Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Garland County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Hot Springs

3 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Lake Hamilton$423,917-1.8%
2Rockwell$353,062-3.3%
3Piney$228,837-1.4%

Cities like Hot Springs

Paragould, AR66 · RisingMountain Home, AR70 · RisingHarrison, AR72 · RisingRussellville, AR69 · Rising

Run the numbers for Hot Springs

ToolCan I afford Hot Springs?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Hot Springs rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Hot Springs to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolHot Springs cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
49° / 30°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
92° / 70°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
217
~59% of year
Annual precip
50″ rain
5″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very high
Wildfire
Low
Earthquake
Moderate
Flood
High

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Hot Springs listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Hot Springs area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
70%
Humid climate
Median household income
$55,400
Arkansas state median
Top industries (state-level)
Retail (Walmart HQ)ManufacturingHealthcare

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

Cities similar to Hot Springs

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