Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety19#751/924
Economy15#788/925
Housing89#99/925
Health13#802/925
Healthcare23#715/923
Environment16#766/917
Education17#768/925
Infrastructure10#837/925
Community4#889/925
Leisure & amenities4#892/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Malvern, AR micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Rent-burdened households · low34.3%
96/100Arkansas 44.8%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Rent as share of income · low24.4%
93/100Arkansas 27.6%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Distance to an Amtrak station · low7 mi
93/100Arkansas 60 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Pharmacies · high2.4 /10k
90/100Arkansas 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.430
81/100Arkansas 0.479United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Effective property tax rate · low0.58%
74/100Arkansas 0.56%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090

Weaknesses

Access to exercise opportunities · low19.7%
0/100Arkansas 63.4%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Restaurants and bars · low4.2 /10k
2/100Arkansas 7.7 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
New homes permitted · low0.1 /1k
2/100Arkansas 4.7 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Primary care physicians · low24 /100k
3/100Arkansas 69 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Traffic deaths · high35.0 /100k
3/100Arkansas 20.8 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties
Voter turnout · low46.4%
3/100Arkansas 52.5%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureWorsening
17% (2021) → 79% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+62 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
64.8% (2015-2019) → 82.6% (2020-2024)
+18 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Flu vaccinationsWorsening
52.0% (2019) → 39.0% (2023)
−13 pts4 yearsUS 48.0% → 44.0%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
45.8% (2015-2019) → 34.3% (2020-2024)
−12 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Suicide rateImproving
45.3 /100k (2021) → 20.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−56%5 yearsUS 14.5 /100k → 14.1 /100k
Property crime rateImproving
1,890 /100k (2021) → 939 /100k (2025)
−50%4 yearsUS 1,782 /100k → 1,535 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Malvern, AR micropolitan area improved on 15 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 7 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved15

Broadband+18 points64.8% → 82.6%
Rent burden−12 points45.8% → 34.3%
Rent / income−4.4 points28.8% → 24.4%
Suicides−34%30.2 /100k → 20.0 /100k
Restaurants+15%3.6 /10k → 4.2 /10k

Declined3

Grocery stores−26%1.2 /10k → 0.9 /10k
Pharmacies−12%2.7 /10k → 2.4 /10k
Price / income+0.5×2.2× → 2.7×

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of Malvern, AR micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.1 /10k2020	2.7 /10k2025	+27%	Improved	84%
Average commute time	26.6 min2015-2019	29.9 min2020-2024	+3.2 min	Within the margin of error	4%
Average weekly wage	$7682020	$9662025	+26%	Improved	72%
Bachelor's degree or higher	13.3%2015-2019	17.5%2020-2024	+4.2 points	Improved	82%
Broadband subscriptions	64.8%2015-2019	82.6%2020-2024	+18 points	Improved	95%
Child poverty rate	24.1%2015-2019	18.3%2020-2024	−5.9 points	Within the margin of error	82%
Distance to an airport	46 mi2020	46 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	17.7 /100k2020	12.9 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−27%	Improved	54%
Effective property tax rate	0.57%2015-2019	0.58%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	6%
Firearm deaths	20.5 /100k2020	21.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+2.9%	Little change	44%
Grocery stores	1.2 /10k2020	0.9 /10k2025	−26%	Declined	6%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.6 /10k2020	0.6 /10k2025	−1.1%	Little change	38%
High school diploma or higher	85.8%2015-2019	89.8%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Within the margin of error	90%
Home price to income ratio	2.2×2015-2019	2.7×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	41%
Homicide rate	8.1 /100k2020	6.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−19%	Improved	42%
Income adjusted for local prices	$38,3832019	$49,7792024	+30%	Improved	34%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4282015-2019	0.4302020-2024	+0.002	Within the margin of error	49%
Median household income	$43,8892015-2019	$55,4052020-2024	+26%	Improved	46%
New business applications	6.7 /1k2020	10.0 /1k2025	+49%	Improved	54%
Pharmacies	2.7 /10k2020	2.4 /10k2025	−12%	Declined	40%
Poverty rate	18.0%2015-2019	15.1%2020-2024	−2.9 points	Within the margin of error	86%
Public libraries	0.6 /10k2019	0.6 /10k2024	+1.5%	Little change	74%
Rent as share of income	28.8%2015-2019	24.4%2020-2024	−4.4 points	Improved	97%
Rent-burdened households	45.8%2015-2019	34.3%2020-2024	−12 points	Improved	98%
Restaurants and bars	3.6 /10k2020	4.2 /10k2025	+15%	Improved	88%
Suicide rate	30.2 /100k2020	20.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−34%	Improved	95%
Traffic deaths	36.9 /100k2015-2019	35.0 /100k2020-2024	−5.2%	Improved	72%
Unemployment rate	6.1%2020	4.4%2025	−1.7 points	Improved	14%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.8%2015-2019	8.7%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	46%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 786 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Malvern, AR micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Malvern, AR micropolitan area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Malvern, AR micropolitan area itself moved +3.1 points in standing on average over the same 28 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

33,180 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

12,310 households (±358)

Malvern, AR micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k20%2,460
$25k–50k24%2,948
$50k–75k19%2,326

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

12,310 households (±358)

Malvern, AR micropolitan area
United States share

Own76%9,414
Rent24%2,896

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

13,190 workers (±714)

Malvern, AR micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone81%10,691
Carpool11%1,485
Public transit0.4%†50

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Malvern, AR micropolitan area.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Malvern, AR has 513 employer establishments, 154 for every 10,000 residents (0.62× the US rate of 248), with 5,761 paid employees at an average annual pay of $46,873. The Census Bureau also counts 2,172 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 513; 2,172 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 154; US 248
Paid employees: 5,761
Average annual pay: $46,873; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Malvern, AR by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	46	13.8	0.89×About typical	149	$45,846	275
Ambulatory health care services	42	12.6	0.61×Fewer than typical	245	$75,176	135
Restaurants and other eating places	34	10.2	0.56×Fewer than typical	447	$18,251	9
Religious organizations	32	9.6	1.74×More than typical	124	$20,105	—
Building equipment contractors	20	6	1.00×About typical	43	$44,419	58
Limited-service restaurants	17	5.1	0.64×Fewer than typical	365	$17,151	3
Truck transportation	17	5.1	1.01×About typical	533	$59,311	75
Automotive repair and maintenance	16	4.8	0.96×About typical	58	$33,845	62
Offices of other health practitioners	16	4.8	0.79×Fewer than typical	31	$30,000	43
Offices of physicians	15	4.5	0.70×Fewer than typical	122	$92,639	11
Gasoline stations	14	4.2	1.30×More than typical	167	$27,671	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	14	4.2	0.96×About typical	44	$40,455	51

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 33,214 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated -$35.9K on contracts performed in Malvern, AR micropolitan area: -$1.07 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: -$35.9K; −128% vs FY2025
Per resident: -$1.07; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

PADGETT AG AIR INC$00.0%
STEELCASE INC.-$83.890.0%
CRAFT MANUFACTURING AND TOOLING INC-$35.8K0.0%

Spending by fiscal year

1.1MFY2017
358KFY2018
243.5KFY2019
172.7KFY2020
332.4KFY2021
218.9KFY2022
168.6KFY2023
305.4K

Largest awards

FURNITURE FOR THE HOTSPRINGS COUNTY NRCS OFFICE (MALVERN, AR)$62.9K
STEELCASE INC.· Hot Spring County, AR· Other equipment & supplies· Sep 21, 2023 – Mar 17, 2026· 12FPC123F0249
AR-FWS WHITE RIV NWR-AERIAL GUNNING$25K
PADGETT AG AIR INC· Hot Spring County, AR· Facilities & utilities· Sep 3, 2025 – Jul 13, 2026· 140FS325C0018
8510714391!SUPPORT,STRUCTURAL$6,025
CRAFT MANUFACTURING AND TOOLING INC· Hot Spring County, AR· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Jul 2, 2024 – Mar 16, 2026· SPE4A724PD715
8510819933!SUPPORT,STRUCTURAL

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $232.6M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Malvern, AR micropolitan area: $6,953 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $232.6M; −0.7% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,953; US $12,955
Loan face value: $9.7M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$125.9M54%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$31.9M14%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$22.3M9.6%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$14.5M6.2%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$14.4M6.2%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$8.4M3.6%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$3.1M1.3%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$1.9M0.8%

Top recipients (organizations)

ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$19.9M8.5%
LITTLE ROCK, AR
ASU THREE RIVERS$2.3M1.0%
MALVERN, AR
MALVERN HOUSING AUTHORITY$794.8K0.3%
MALVERN, AR
PERFECT HARMONY, LLC$402.6K0.2%
MALVERN, AR
COUNTY OF HOT SPRING$288K

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$180.6M78%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$25.5M11%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$20.2M8.7%
Department of Transportation
Department of Education$2.3M1.0%
Railroad Retirement Board$1.4M0.6%

Assistance by fiscal year

204.6MFY2021
202.6MFY2022
222.1MFY2023
211.6MFY2024
234.2MFY2025
232.6MFY2026

County aggregates

89%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Malvern, AR

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Hot Spring CountyCentral county1333,451

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

MalvernPrincipal city10,953

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Arkansas

Areas based in Arkansas, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M31680

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved15

Declined3

Metro and micro areas like Malvern, AR micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Malvern, AR

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Arkansas

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved15

Declined3

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Largest awards

What was bought