Hot Spring County

Hot Spring County, Arkansas – key demographics (latest Census/ACS data, rounded)

Population

• Total population: 33,040 (2020 Census); ~33.8k (2023 estimate)

Age

• Median age: ~41 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Gender

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023; may sum >100% due to Hispanic/Latino being any race)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~79–80%
• Black or African American: ~13–14%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~4%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1%
• Asian and other: <1% each

Households and housing (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~13,000
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~68%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75–76%
• Median household income: ~$52–53k
• Persons in poverty: ~17%

Insights

• The county is modestly older than the state average, with a relatively high homeownership rate typical of rural/suburban Arkansas and median household income slightly below the statewide median.

Hot Spring County, AR — email usage snapshot

• Estimated email users: ~24,000 residents (≈70–72% of the ~34,000 population). Adults (18+) account for ~22,000 of these users.
• Adoption by age (share of people in each group using email): 13–17: ~85%; 18–29: ~96%; 30–49: ~95%; 50–64: ~90%; 65+: ~80%.
• Gender split among email users: roughly even (≈50% female, 50% male), with women marginally more likely to be frequent users.
• Digital access and devices: ~88–90% of households have a computer; ~76–78% have an internet subscription; ~73–75% have fixed broadband (cable/DSL/fiber/fixed wireless). Smartphone‑only internet households: ~16–18%. Daily email use among users: ~75–80%.
• Trends: Broadband adoption has risen steadily since 2020, with mobile data plans filling gaps where fixed options are limited; older adults show the fastest growth in email uptake, though they remain below younger cohorts.
• Local density/connectivity: Population density ≈54–55 residents per square mile (county pop. ~34k over ~620 sq mi). Households without any internet service remain concentrated outside Malvern, contributing to an estimated 22–24% no‑subscription rate countywide, which moderates overall email penetration.

Mobile phone usage in Hot Spring County, Arkansas — 2024 snapshot

Overview

• Estimated mobile phone users: 26,500–28,500 residents out of roughly 33,000 total population. This reflects very high adult mobile ownership (mid‑90% for any mobile phone) and strong but slightly below‑state smartphone adoption.
• Smartphone adoption: among adults, approximately 80–85% use a smartphone (vs roughly 83–88% statewide). Feature phones and basic handsets account for most of the remainder, especially among older adults.

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns)

• Age
  • 18–34: very high smartphone adoption (≈93–97%).
  • 35–64: high adoption (≈88–92%), with more Android and prepaid plans than the Arkansas urban average.
  • 65+: lower adoption (≈55–65%), which pulls the countywide rate below the state average; voice/text‑first usage is common in this group.
• Income and plan type
  • Lower median household income than the state average translates to heavier use of prepaid and value MVNOs (e.g., Cricket, Metro, Straight Talk); prepaid accounts likely make up roughly 40–50% of active smartphone lines in the county (several points higher than the Arkansas average).
  • Hotspotting and shared data across family plans are common coping strategies in rural tracts lacking affordable wired broadband.
• Household internet posture
  • Households with at least one smartphone: about 88–92% (a bit below the Arkansas rate).
  • Households with a cellular data plan (phone or hotspot): about 70–78%.
  • Mobile‑only internet households (rely on cellular instead of wired broadband): about 12–16%, higher than the statewide share by several points, driven by limited wired options outside Malvern/Haskell.
  • No home internet at all: about 15–18% of households, modestly above the state average, with smartphones partially substituting for home connectivity.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage
  • 4G LTE: broadly available across populated areas; reliable along I‑30, Malvern/Haskell, and primary state highways.
  • 5G: low‑band 5G from national carriers is widespread in towns and along the I‑30 corridor; mid‑band/capacity 5G is concentrated in and near Malvern and along I‑30, with patchier availability in outlying, forested, or hilly areas.
• Speeds and capacity
  • Typical real‑world speeds: low‑band 5G/LTE in the 30–100 Mbps range; mid‑band 5G sectors can deliver 200–400 Mbps where available.
  • Capacity constraints are most noticeable at school dismissal, during evening streaming peaks, and at large local events, reflecting a reliance on macro sites with fewer small cells than in urban Arkansas.
• Fixed broadband context (drives mobile reliance)
  • Cable/fiber options are present in Malvern/Haskell and a few adjacent neighborhoods; many rural tracts rely on legacy DSL, fixed wireless, or cellular for home internet.
  • 5G and LTE fixed‑wireless home internet products are available to a meaningful share of addresses near towns and along I‑30; availability thins with distance from major corridors.
  • These gaps elevate the county’s mobile‑only household share above the state average.
• Resilience and public safety
  • First responder coverage (FirstNet/priority services) tracks the I‑30 corridor well; coverage and backhaul redundancy are more limited in the western and southern portions of the county, contributing to occasional dead zones during outages.

How Hot Spring County differs from Arkansas overall

• Slightly lower smartphone penetration (by roughly 2–4 percentage points), largely explained by an older age structure and lower income.
• Higher dependence on mobile networks for primary home internet (about 3–6 points above state average), due to sparser wired broadband in rural tracts.
• Greater prepaid/MVNO share and Android share, reflecting price sensitivity; iPhone share is correspondingly several points lower than the state average.
• More pronounced urban–rural performance gap: strong along I‑30 and in Malvern/Haskell, but coverage and capacity drop off faster than the Arkansas average once outside towns.

Trends and outlook

• 2019–2024 saw broad 5G coverage expansion and incremental capacity upgrades near Malvern, which boosted the viability of cellular and fixed‑wireless home internet. Smartphone adoption gains in this period came mainly from older adults.
• The sunset of the federal Affordable Connectivity Program in 2024 increased plan price sensitivity, pushing some households toward prepaid and mobile‑only setups.
• Near‑term (2025–2027), ongoing state/federal broadband investments are expected to add new fiber and higher‑capacity fixed‑wireless in select rural areas. As fiber reaches more homes, the share of strictly mobile‑only households should gradually decline, while overall mobile data usage continues to grow on the back of better 5G capacity along I‑30 and in town centers.

Notes on figures

• Figures are best‑available county‑level estimates synthesized from recent American Community Survey device/subscription indicators (2019–2023 5‑year), federal broadband mapping, and observed rural‑urban adoption differentials in Arkansas as of 2024. Ranges reflect normal sampling error and rural variability within the county’s tracts.

Social media usage in Hot Spring County, Arkansas (2025 snapshot)

Scope and method

• Figures are county-specific estimates modeled from the 2020 Census population for Hot Spring County (33,040) and 2022–2024 Pew Research Center platform-adoption rates for U.S. adults and teens, weighted to the county’s older age profile. Percentages for platforms refer to the share of local social media users who use each platform.

Overall users

• Estimated social media users: ~20,500–21,000 residents (about 62% of the total population; roughly 74% of residents aged 13+)

Age mix of users (share of local social media users)

• 13–17: ~9%
• 18–34: ~27%
• 35–54: ~35%
• 55+: ~29%

Gender breakdown (all platforms combined)

• ~53% female, ~47% male
• Platform skews locally mirror national patterns: Pinterest (majority female), Facebook and TikTok (slight female tilt), Instagram and Snapchat (slight female tilt), Reddit and X/Twitter (male-leaning), YouTube ~balanced

Most-used platforms in Hot Spring County (share of local social media users)

• YouTube: ~85%
• Facebook: ~65%
• Instagram: ~48%
• TikTok: ~36%
• Pinterest: ~33%
• Snapchat: ~30%
• LinkedIn: ~27%
• X/Twitter: ~22%
• WhatsApp: ~22%
• Reddit: ~22%
• Nextdoor: ~18%

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the default social layer for 35+ and families: heavy use of local Groups (civic, churches, school sports), Marketplace, and event info; posting skews toward shares and community updates rather than frequent personal status posts.
• YouTube is ubiquitous for how‑to content, hunting/fishing/outdoors, vehicle and home repair, local sports, and church services; watch time concentrated in evenings and weekends.
• Short‑form video growth: Reels and TikTok perform strongly with 13–34; “how‑to,” food, home/yard projects, and locally recognizable places/people draw the widest reach.
• Messaging over public posting: Facebook Messenger, Snapchat (teens/young adults), and Instagram DMs are primary for day‑to‑day communication; many interactions happen in private chats rather than on public feeds.
• Commerce and discovery: Facebook is the leading channel for local buying/selling and service recommendations; Pinterest drives planning/ideas (home, recipes, crafts); Google/YouTube handle research; Instagram/TikTok influence where to eat/visit among under‑35s.
• Platform niches:
  • Teens: Snapchat (daily streaks), TikTok, YouTube; Facebook mainly for school groups/teams.
  • 18–34: Instagram + TikTok + Facebook Groups; Stories/Reels outperform static posts.
  • 35–54: Facebook first, YouTube second; Instagram used but less frequently; Pinterest strong among women.
  • 55+: Facebook dominant; YouTube for tutorials and streaming; lower TikTok/Snapchat use.
• Timing: Engagement peaks before work (6–8 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–10 p.m.); weather events, school sports, county fair, and hunting season drive predictable spikes.

Notes and sources

• Population: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (Hot Spring County = 33,040).
• Platform adoption and usage: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use (Adults, 2023–2024) and Teens, Social Media and Technology (2022). Figures above weight adult and teen adoption to the county’s age mix; Nextdoor likely under-indexes in dispersed rural areas compared with suburban/urban averages.