Hot Spring County, Arkansas

County Distress Index: Elevated · 55.8 | 33,258 people · 58th most distressed in Arkansas
American Default Research

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Hot Spring County, AR registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 55.8 — 1161st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within Arkansas, it ranks 58th of 75 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Hot Spring County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 72.8 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 72.8
Uninsured Rate 50
Disability Rate 96
Debt & Delinquency 65.7
Debt in Collections 80
Medical Debt 58
Student Loan Delinquency 3
Auto Loan Delinquency 84
Credit Card Delinquency 85
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 84
Income & Poverty 58.3
Poverty Rate 72
Income vs. State Median 34
Child Poverty Rate 68
Employment & Wages 53.3
Unemployment Rate 72
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 20
Business Formation Rate 68
Housing Cost Burden 28.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 15
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 46
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 14
Homeownership Rate 33
Rent-to-Income Ratio 35

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Hot Spring County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Hot Spring County
Hot Spring County, AR 55.8 Elevated —
Montgomery County, AR 70.5 Serious +14.8
Garland County, AR 67.7 Serious +11.9
Dallas County, AR 66.0 Serious +10.3
Clark County, AR 62.4 Elevated +6.6
Grant County, AR 40.9 Normal -14.9
Saline County, AR 36.8 Normal -18.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Hot Spring County
Vernon County, MO 55.8 Elevated 0.0
Lamar County, AL 55.8 Elevated +0.0
Panola County, TX 55.8 Elevated +0.0
Cowley County, KS 55.7 Elevated -0.0
Tishomingo County, MS 55.7 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Hot Spring County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Hot Spring County

Find an Attorney

Arkansas Bar Association Lawyer Referral offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Arkansas Bar Association Lawyer Referral 1-800-609-5668

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Hot Spring County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid of Arkansas 1-800-950-5817
Center for Arkansas Legal Services 1-800-950-5817

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Hot Spring County, Arkansas?

    Hot Spring County has a County Distress Index score of 55.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,161st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 58th in Arkansas out of 75 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Hot Spring County?

    The primary driver of distress in Hot Spring County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 72.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Hot Spring County compare to neighboring counties?

    Hot Spring County (55.8) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Montgomery County, AR (70.5); Garland County, AR (67.7); Dallas County, AR (66.0).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Hot Spring County?

    Hot Spring County, Arkansas has a population of approximately 33,258 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.