Hot Spring County, Arkansas facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Hot Spring County
County
County of Hot Spring
Main façade of the Hot Spring County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Arkansas
Arkansas's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
Established	November 2, 1829 (195 years ago) (1829-11-02)
Named for	hot springs at Hot Springs, Arkansas, which were formerly in the county.
Seat	Malvern
Largest city	Malvern
Area
• Total	622.16 sq mi (1,611.4 km²)
• Land	614.94 sq mi (1,592.7 km²)
• Water	7.22 sq mi (18.7 km²) 1.16%%
Population (2020)
• Total	33,040
• Density	53.105/sq mi (20.504/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes	71901, 71913, 71921, 71923, 71929, 71933, 71941, 71943, 71964, 72084, 72104, 72167
Congressional district	4th

Hot Spring County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,040. The county seat is Malvern. Established on November 2, 1829, in the Arkansas Territory from a part of Clark County; it was named after the hot springs at Hot Springs, Arkansas, which were formerly in the county.

For nearly 80 years, Hot Spring County was an alcohol prohibition or dry county, though attempts in recent years to locate the county prohibition ordinance were unsuccessful. In November 2022, voters overturned the prohibition, approving a measure to allow countywide retail alcohol sales.

Hot Spring County comprises the Malvern, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Hot Springs-Malvern, AR Combined Statistical Area.

Geography

Hot Spring County is located in Southwest Arkansas, a region composed of the Ouachita Mountains, deep valleys, and the Arkansas Timberlands. Hot Spring County is mostly within the mountainous segment of the region, mostly covered in hardwood and pine forests. One of the six primary geographic regions of Arkansas, the Ouachitas are a mountainous subdivision of the U.S. Interior Highlands. The Ouachita River roughly divides the county. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 622.16 square miles (1,611.4 km²), of which 614.94 square miles (1,592.7 km²) is land and 7.22 square miles (18.7 km²) (1.16%) is water.

The county is located approximately 47 miles (76 km) southwest of Little Rock, 170 miles (270 km) northeast of Shreveport, Louisiana, and 277 miles (446 km) northeast of Dallas, Texas. Hot Spring County is surrounded by six counties, including the Ouachitas, Central Arkansas, and Lower Arkansas Delta, due to its short and wide shape. The county neighbors Garland County to the north, Saline County in the northeast corner, Grant County to the east, Dallas County to the southeast, Clark County to the south, and a small portion with Montgomery County in the northwest.

Protected areas

Hot Spring County contains two state parks, DeGray Lake Resort State Park and Lake Catherine State Park, and two Wildlife Management Area (WMA), DeGray Lake WMA, and Jack Mountain WMA maintained by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. The county also contains 320 acres (130 ha) of Ouachita National Forest managed by the National Forest Service.

DeGray Lake Resort State Park

DeGray Lake Resort State Park is a 984-acre (398-hectare) in southwest Hot Spring County, and Arkansas's only resort state park. The 94-room DeGray Lodge and Convention Center includes a restaurant and 18-hole championship rated golf course. Traditional state park amenities for camping, hiking, fishing, boating, picnic tables, and horseback riding are also offered. The park is owned and operated by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism (ADPT). DeGray Lake WMA essentially bounds the portions of lake shoreline not bounded by the state park. The land is owned by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and extends into Clark County.

Near Malvern, Lake Catherine State Park is a small state park on the west side of Lake Catherine. The park offers 20 cabins, including five Civilian Conservation Corps cabins of natural wood and stone built in the 1930s, and 70 campsites. In summer, the parks offers a marina, boat rental, visitor center, guided tours, nature center and horseback trail rides.

Demographics

From 2000 to 2010, Hot Spring County saw significant population and income growth. The population increased from 30,353 to 32,923, a gain of 8.5%, with incomes rising and poverty declining for almost every demographic.

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1830	458	—
1840	1,907	316.4%
1850	3,609	89.3%
1860	5,635	56.1%
1870	5,877	4.3%
1880	7,775	32.3%
1890	11,603	49.2%
1900	12,748	9.9%
1910	15,022	17.8%
1920	17,784	18.4%
1930	18,105	1.8%
1940	18,916	4.5%
1950	22,181	17.3%
1960	21,893	−1.3%
1970	21,963	0.3%
1980	26,819	22.1%
1990	26,115	−2.6%
2000	30,353	16.2%
2010	32,923	8.5%
2020	33,040	0.4%
2023 (est.)	33,258	1.0%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010

2020 Census

Hot Spring County racial composition
Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	26,221	79.36%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	3,450	10.44%
Native American	165	0.5%
Asian	114	0.35%
Pacific Islander	11	0.03%
Other/Mixed	1,814	5.49%
Hispanic or Latino	1,265	3.83%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 33,040 people, 12,599 households, and 8,857 families residing in the county.

2010 Census

As of the 2010 census, there were 32,923 people, 12,664 households, and 8,969 families residing in the county. The population density was 53.5 people per square mile (20.7 people/km²). There were 14,332 housing units at an average density of 23.3 units per square mile (9.0 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 85.6% White, 10.8% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.3% Asian, >0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.0% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. 2.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 12,664 households, out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.1 years. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.5 males age 18 and over.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,150, and the median income for a family was $46,090. Males had a median income of $34,111 versus $27,127 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,248. About 8.2% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.0% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

Human resources

Education

Educational attainment in Hot Spring County is typical for a rural Arkansas county, with a 2011-2015 American Community Survey study finding 84.8% of Hot Spring County residents over age 25 held a high school degree. This ratio is in line with the state average of 84.8% and slightly below the national average of 86.7%. The county's percentage of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 13.0%, significantly below state and national averages of 21.1% and 29.8%, respectively.

Primary and secondary education

Public school district boundaries in Hot Spring County as of July 2016

Five public school districts are based in Hot Spring County: Malvern School District is the largest school district in Hot Spring County, with the Bismarck School District serving the western portion of the county, Ouachita School District serving a small area around Donaldson, Glen Rose School District serving the northeastern area of the county, and Magnet Cove School District around Magnet Cove. Successful completion of the curriculum of these schools leads to graduation from Malvern High School, Bismarck High School, Ouachita High School, Glen Rose High School, and Magnet Cove High School respectively. All five high schools offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses and are accredited by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE).

Residents outside the five Hot Spring County-based districts are within either the Centerpoint School District or Poyen School District.

Higher education

Hot Spring County contains one institution of higher education, ASU Three Rivers, a public community college in Malvern. Other higher education institutions in the region include National Park College, a public two-year college in Hot Springs, and two four-year liberal arts universities in Arkadelphia, Henderson State University and Ouachita Baptist University.

Library system

The Malvern-Hot Spring County Library at 202 East Third Street in downtown Malvern was founded in 1928 and became a member library of the Mid-Arkansas Regional Library System in 1974. The facility offers books, e-books, media, reference, youth, business and genealogy services.

Public safety

The Hot Spring County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency in the county. The agency is led by the Hot Spring County Sheriff, an official elected by countywide vote every two years.

The county is under the jurisdiction of the Hot Spring County District Court, a state district court. State district courts in Arkansas are courts of original jurisdiction for criminal, civil (up to $25,000), small claims, and traffic matters. State district courts are presided over by a full-time District Judge elected to a four-year term by a districtwide election. Hot Spring County District Court is located at 410 Locust Street in Malvern.

Superseding district court jurisdiction is the 7th Judicial Circuit Court, which covers Hot Spring and Grant counties. The 7th Circuit contains two circuit judges, elected to six-year terms circuitwide. Circuit courts have the right to refer some matters to state district court at their discretion.

Hot Spring County 911 is the local PSAP operating system for the entire county area. Hot Spring County 911 is run by Director Regina Shearin.

Communities

Two incorporated cities, four incorporated towns, and one census designated place (CDP) are located within the county. The largest city and county seat, Malvern, is located in the northeast part of the county on I-30. Malvern's population in 2010 was 10,318, and has been increasing since the 2000 Census. Rockport and Perla are adjacent to Malvern, with populations of 755 and 291 in 2010, respectively. The remaining communities are in the south part of the county near the Ouachita River, each with a population under 400 as of 2010: Donaldson, Friendship and Midway. Magnet Cove is a former town, suspending incorporation in 2006.

Hot Spring County has dozens of unincorporated communities and ghost towns within its borders. This is due to early settlers in Arkansas tending to settle in small clusters rather than incorporated towns. For example, communities like Jones Mill have a post office or a collection of buildings. Other communities are simply a few dwellings at a crossroads that have adopted a common place name over time. Some are officially listed as populated places by the United States Geological Survey, and others are listed as historic settlements.

Cities

Malvern (County Seat)
Rockport

Towns

Census Designated Places

Other unincorporated communities

Abco
Antioch
Beaton
Bonnerdale
Brown Springs
Butterfiield
Caney
Central
De Roche
Diamondhead
Faber
Gifford
Glen Rose
Harp
Lambert
Landers
Lono
Morning Star
Mount Moriah
Oak Bower
Oak Grove
Old De Roche
Oma
Point Cedar
Rolla
Saginaw
Shorewood Hills
Social Hill
Whittington
Witherspoon

Historical communities

Cove Creek
Duffie
Durian
Elmore
Etta
Fleming
Sanders
Twin Oak
Walco
Wayside
Wyandotte

Townships

Townships in Hot Spring County, Arkansas as of 2010

Townships in Arkansas are the divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas; some may have incorporated cities or towns within part of their boundaries. Arkansas townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, the United States Census does list Arkansas population based on townships (sometimes referred to as "county subdivisions" or "minor civil divisions"). Townships are also of value for historical purposes in terms of genealogical research. Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps and publications. The townships of Hot Spring County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.

Antioch
Big Creek
Bismarck
Brown Springs
Butterfield (part of Rockport and Malvern)
Clear Creek
De Roche
Dover
Fenter (Perla, most of Malvern, part of Rockport)
Gifford
Harrison
Henderson
Lone Hill (part of Midway)
Magnet (Magnet Cove)
Midway
Montgomery
Ouachita (Donaldson)
Prairie (Friendship, most of Midway)
Saline
Valley

Infrastructure

Aviation

Hot Spring County contains one public owned/public use general aviation airport, Malvern Municipal Airport southeast of Malvern. For the twelve-month period ending July 31, 2015, the facility saw 11,850 general aviation operations and 150 military operations. The nearest commercial service airport is Clinton National Airport in Little Rock.