Signature · 2 LILA tracts (28.6% of tracts)
Hot Spring County, AR
Hot Spring County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 2 LILA tracts (28.6% of the book) alongside 24.9% low-access.
- 24.9%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 10.8%
- on SNAP
- 33K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Hot Spring County, AR
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 24.9% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +2.8 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 10.8% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.3% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 29% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Benton County (+ 0.0 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Hot Spring County ranks #1,301 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #38 of 75 counties in AR (24.9% low-access; 2 food-desert tracts).
- #1,301
- national by low-access %
- #38
- in AR
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 2 LILA tracts (28.6% of tracts) .
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.
Hot Spring County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
7 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Hot Spring County has 3 urban and 4 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Hot Spring County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Arkansas, not a full county-board reprint
- Calhoun
Calhoun 65.5%
65.5 % low-access
- Stone 25
Stone 25%
25 % low-access
- Hot Spring 24.9
Hot Spring 24.9%
24.9 % low-access
- Benton 24.9
Benton 24.9%
24.9 % low-access
- Drew 24.1
Drew 24.1%
24.1 % low-access
- Bradley 23.8
Bradley 23.8%
23.8 % low-access
- Izard 0.9
Izard 0.9%
0.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 32,923 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 8,210 |
| Low-Access Share | 24.9%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,692 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 33,180 |
| Median Household Income | $55,405 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.1%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,326 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.8%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.3%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 7.0% |
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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Arkansas
One of 74 counties in Arkansas, 6 are shown here.
Compare Hot Spring County vs Arkansas County → · All Arkansas counties →
Nationwide peers for Hot Spring County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Hot Spring County, both outside Arkansas so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside AR (24.9% here).
- Chemung County, NY · 24.9% low-access
- Chemung County, NY · 24.9% low-access
- Burke County, NC · 24.9% low-access
- Burke County, NC · 24.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside AR (10.8% here).
- Pinal County, AZ · 10.8% SNAP
- Pinal County, AZ · 10.8% SNAP
- Boundary County, ID · 10.8% SNAP
- Boundary County, ID · 10.8% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Food access nationally, Arkansas in context
Hot Spring County sits inside Arkansas (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Hot Spring County, AR are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 05059. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.