Batesville receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Hot Springs
Batesville
Opportunity
57 · Top 49%
vs67 · Top 27%
Growth
77 · Top 8%
vs77 · Top 7%
Climate
66 · Bottom 36%
vs72 · Top 43%
Physical resilience
28 · Bottom 22%
vs31 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
83 · Top 45%
vs93 · Top 26%
Access
69 · Bottom 12%
vs50 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
28 · Bottom 6%
vs29 · Bottom 7%
Measured values
| Metric | Hot Springs | Batesville | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 37,920 | 11,445 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $47,760 | $51,856 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,704 | $28,411 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,010/sq mi | 987/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $165,500 | $163,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $914 | $882 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 57.0% | 51.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.5% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.1% | 21.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 20.5% | 26.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 315 | 37 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.3 | 3.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 228.1% | 117.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 52.9" | 48.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 50 mi | 79 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.5 min | 13.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 45.3 | 33.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 17 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.94 | 14.78 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 70.1% | 59.1% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Hot Springs
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hail, earthquake.
Batesville
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, cold wave.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Hot Springs
58
Your Score
59
Area Score
Batesville
60
Your Score
64
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Hot Springs, AR · Batesville, AR · How this is calculated: methodology