Hot Spring County, Arkansas
A shallow water table limits basements on 35% of Hot Spring County's mapped land, a higher share than 53% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 14%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 52% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Hot Spring County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 14.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 34.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 74.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 17.1% |
| Mapped soil | 398,067 acres |
How we count · survey areas AR059 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 35% of Hot Spring County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 36.47 in, 18.83 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 55.30 in.
USDA rates 75% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 46 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 39 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 2% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
4 flood losses since 2016, $196,079 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 55.30 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.47 in (-18.83) |
| 2025 | 47.72 in (-7.58) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 82.39 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1936: 30.11 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HOT SPRINGS ASOS (7 mi away) | 17.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 14,302 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 52% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $151,100 |
| Single-family detached | 69% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garland County, AR | 22 mi | 10% | 7% |
| Clark County, AR | 22 mi | 24% | 55% |
| Saline County, AR | 28 mi | 34% | 24% |
| Dallas County, AR | 29 mi | 10% | 66% |
| Grant County, AR | 30 mi | 5% | 84% |
| Pike County, AR | 42 mi | 17% | 23% |
| Perry County, AR | 44 mi | 38% | 17% |
| Montgomery County, AR | 44 mi | 5% | 26% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 10, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status