PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Arkansas

Hot Spring County, AR

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Hot Spring County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

24.9%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
10.8%
on SNAP
33K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 AR

The food-access picture

24.9% of Hot Spring County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
5.3%
households, no vehicle
15.1%
below poverty line

Low access = living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket. Food deserts add a low-income condition (USDA LILA, 1-and-10-mile measure).

USDA data puts Hot Spring County's low-access share at 24.9%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 7 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 8,210 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,692 low-income residents.

How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts

The USDA measures food access by distance to the nearest supermarket. A census tract is "low-access" when a meaningful share of residents live more than one mile from a supermarket in urban areas, or more than ten miles in rural areas. A tract becomes a "food desert" only when it is both low-access and low-income, because distance is far harder to overcome for households without a car or a cushion in the budget. Counts on this page are aggregated from the tract level, where the federal data is actually published, so a single county figure can hide neighbourhoods that are much better or much worse served than the average. Distance also does not capture everything that shapes whether a family eats well: the presence of a full-service grocer rather than a convenience store, public transit, food pantries, and the price and quality of what is on the shelf all matter beyond the radius the Atlas can draw.

How Hot Spring County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Hot Spring County's 24.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 58% of them and ranked #1,304 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Hot Spring County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in Hot Spring County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Hot Spring County, AR USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (28.6%) 3 tracts limited (42.9%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (28.6%) Adequate 29% Limited 43% Severe 29% Food-access tier distribution: Hot Spring County, AR
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Hot Spring County vs. other Arkansas counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Arkansas

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Hot Spring County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)32,923
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population8,210
Low-Access Share24.9%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,692

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Hot Spring County
IndicatorValue
Population33,180
Median Household Income$55,405
Poverty Rate15.1%near the national average
SNAP Households1,326
SNAP Participation Rate10.8%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.3%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population7.0%
SNAP participation in Hot Spring County 10.8%

About 10.8% of Hot Spring County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 24.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,326 households here.
  • 5.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access).

USDA low-access figures reflect the 2019 Atlas (2010 tract populations); socioeconomic context is the latest Census ACS 5-year (2024).

What the food-access data shows for Hot Spring County

above the national share

2 of Hot Spring County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 28.6% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 8,210 residents, roughly 24.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,692 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (28.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Hot Spring County

Hot Spring County has 22 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 13 locations (59% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • dollar general 18450, arkadelphia
  • dollar general 2725, malvern
  • dollar general 6248, malvern
  • dollar general 9442, bismarck
  • dollar tree 354, malvern
  • dollar general 16210, malvern
  • dollar general 17849, malvern
  • dollar general 21417, bismarck
  • dollar general 25529, bismarck
  • dollar general 30047, malvern
  • dollar general store 17561, malvern
  • the happy tree natural foods, bismarck
  • walgreens 10365, malvern

Convenience Store · 6

  • circle k store 2709998, rockport
  • crackerbox 2741788, bismarck
  • crackerbox 2741789, rockport
  • love's travel stop 779, malvern
  • malvern stop n shop, malvern
  • murphy usa 7185, malvern

Super Store · 2

  • food center, malvern
  • walmart 127, malvern

Supermarket · 1

  • family market 4515, malvern

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Arkansas

Arkansas County
47.0% low-access · 14.9% SNAP
Ashley County
21.8% low-access · 13.2% SNAP
Baxter County
16.4% low-access · 8.5% SNAP
Benton County
24.9% low-access · 3.9% SNAP
Boone County
20.9% low-access · 8.4% SNAP
Bradley County
23.8% low-access · 17.5% SNAP

Compare Hot Spring County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →

Food access nationally, Arkansas in context

Hot Spring County sits inside Arkansas (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Hot Spring County has low food access? ▼
24.9% of residents in Hot Spring County, AR live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Hot Spring County? ▼
10.8% of households in Hot Spring County receive SNAP, covering 1,326 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Hot Spring County? ▼
The poverty rate in Hot Spring County, AR is 15.1%, with a median household income of $55,405 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Hot Spring County a food desert? ▼
2 of Hot Spring County's 7 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Hot Spring County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.3% of households in Hot Spring County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
Data Sources & Methodology

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019): low-access and food-desert tract classifications, low-access population, and low-income low-access counts. ers.usda.gov/food-access-research-atlas

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates: population, median income, poverty, SNAP participation, vehicle access, and group quarters. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs

Low access is defined as living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket; a food desert adds a low-income condition. Read the full methodology →

Data current as of (most recent source-data vintage; figures reflect the 2019 USDA Atlas and 2024 Census ACS).

Note: This page presents public USDA and Census data for informational purposes and is not professional advice. Figures reflect the cited dataset vintages and may differ from the most recent local conditions. How this data is sourced & verified.