Hot Spring County is located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,040. The county seat is Malvern. Hot Spring County was formed on November 2, 1829, from a portion of Clark County. It was named for the hot springs at Hot Springs, Arkansas, which were within its boundaries until Garland County was formed in 1873.
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 , of which is land and (1.16%) is water.
The county is located approximately southwest of Little Rock, northeast of Shreveport, Louisiana, and 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 of Ouachita National Forest managed by the National Forest Service.
DeGray Lake Resort State Park is a 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.
2020 Census
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 . There were 14,332 housing units at an average density of . 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.