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City · 10,953 residents · Hot Spring County, Arkansas

Malvern , Arkansas

In Malvern, a typical home is worth $104,500 and typical rent is $764 a month. Compared with all of Hot Spring County, the typical home value is 31% lower, typical household income is 17% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 26 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $104,500

    31% below the county

    44% below Arkansas

    • Malvern
    • Hot Spring
    • Arkansas

  • Typical rent

    $764a month

    About the same as the county

    19% below Arkansas

    • Malvern
    • Hot Spring
    • Arkansas

  • Typical household income

    $46,250a year

    17% below the county

    24% below Arkansas

    • Malvern
    • Hot Spring
    • Arkansas

  • Households that own their home

    50%

    26 points below the county

    16 points below Arkansas

    • Malvern
    • Hot Spring
    • Arkansas

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$139,410
3.2% less than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$1,200 a month

From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Malvern is in Hot Spring County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Hot Spring County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Malvern apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Malvern has the smallest share of rent-burdened renters of the 65 cities in Arkansas with more than 5,000 people: 27%.

  2. 50% of households in Malvern own their home, against 76% in Hot Spring County.

  3. According to Zillow, in the 12 months to September 2026 the typical home value in Malvern fell 3.2%; in Arkansas, it rose 3.4%.

  4. The typical home in Malvern is worth $104,500, 31% less than in Hot Spring County as a whole ($151,100).

  5. The typical household income in Malvern is $46,250, 17% less than in Hot Spring County as a whole ($55,405).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024); Zillow (September 2026 data). Zillow data

The homes here

Housing in Malvern

What homes there are in Malvern, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

The detached house is the most common home in Malvern: 69% of homes, near the figure in Hot Spring County (69%).

Year built

Homes in Malvern are older: the typical year built is 1969; in Hot Spring County, 1979.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$862 a month

Hot Spring County: $1,177 a month

Without a mortgage

$373 a month

Hot Spring County: $391 a month

Owners with a mortgage

40%

Hot Spring County: 46%

In Malvern, 40% of owners have a mortgage, and their typical cost is $862 a month, against $1,177 in Hot Spring County. Without one it drops to $373.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

The typical home value in Malvern stayed about the same since 2015–2019: the Census sees no clear change.

Since 2015–2019, the typical rent in Malvern rose 31%, more than in Hot Spring County (24%).

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureMalvernHot Spring CountyArkansasUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate6.4%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1.1%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate2.7%2.7%3.4%
People per household 2.502.512.462.53
Drive alone 84%81%79%69%
Carpool Unreliable estimate11%9%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate0%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate2%3%
Work from home Unreliable estimate4%9%15%
Other means Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate10 to 19 minutes20 to 29 minutes

By size, households in Malvern look like those in Hot Spring County: 2.50 people on average.

To get to work, 84% of workers in Malvern drive alone; in Hot Spring County, 81%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Malvern?

A typical home is within reach of the typical income

We start with a typical home in Malvern, worth $104,500, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 22% of the typical household income in Malvern, which is $46,250 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Hot Spring County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Malvern. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $3,658 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$830

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$102,607
Total interest
$147,627
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $1,765 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,079 a month

    Your payment · 22%

  • Tight

    $1,079 to $1,388 a month

  • Hard

    more than $1,388 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Malvern ($46,250 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$830
Principal & interest$695
Property tax$45
Home insurance$44
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$46

You need at least $3,658 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Malvern and Hot Spring County

Malvern is in Hot Spring County, Arkansas. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Malvern's own numbers

Typical home value
$104,500
Typical monthly rent
$764
Typical yearly household income
$46,250
Households that own their home
50%
Effective property tax rate
0.52%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Hot Spring County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$916
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+53%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
2.7%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Hot Spring County.

Everything about Hot Spring County

Buying

Buying a home in Malvern

A typical home in Malvern is worth $104,500: 31% below the county and 44% below Arkansas. With the typical household income in Malvern ($46,250 a year), a typical home costs 2.3 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Malvern 2.3 years
  • Hot Spring 2.7 years
  • Arkansas 3.1 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Hot Spring County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Hot Spring County rose 75% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Hot Spring County.

Period County Arkansas U.S.
Last year (2025) +1.2% +3.4% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +53% +52% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +75% +79% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Malvern next to Hot Spring County, Arkansas and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Malvern $104,500
  • Hot Spring $151,100
  • Arkansas $188,000
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Malvern $764
  • Hot Spring $768
  • Arkansas $947
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Malvern $46,250
  • Hot Spring $55,405
  • Arkansas $60,773
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Malvern next to Hot Spring County and Arkansas
Measure Malvern Hot Spring County Arkansas U.S.
Typical home value $104,500 $151,100 $188,000 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $764 $768 $947 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $46,250 $55,405 $60,773 $80,734
Households that own their home 50% 76% 66% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $541 $724 $1,040 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.52% 0.48% 0.55% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 27% 34% 45% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Hot Spring County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Malvern

For a typical $104,500 home in Malvern, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Malvern's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $830a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $3,658
    Cash to close
    $6,793
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $46

  • Conventional, 5% down $811a month

    Down payment
    $5,225
    Cash to close
    $8,360
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $50

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $655a month

    Down payment
    $20,900
    Cash to close
    $24,035
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $752a month

    Down payment
    $15,675
    Cash to close
    $18,810
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Malvern and for Hot Spring County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Malvern

0.52%of the home’s value each year

$541 a year for the typical owner in Malvern.

  • Malvern 0.52%
  • Hot Spring 0.48%
  • Arkansas 0.55%

What Arkansas publishes Homestead property tax credit (Arkansas General Assembly (Act 174 of the 2026 Fiscal Session))

Exemptions and deadlines in Arkansas

Flood risk in Hot Spring County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Hot Spring County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
2.7%
361
Of those, with NFIP insurance
13%
County Arkansas U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 2.7% 3.4% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 13% 17% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Malvern

Typical rent in Malvern is $764 a month: about the same as the county. In Malvern, 27% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Hot Spring County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($916 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $17.62 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Hot Spring County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $638 $12.27 $25,520
1 bedroom $700 $13.46 $28,000
2 bedrooms $916 $17.62 $36,640
3 bedrooms $1,174 $22.58 $46,960
4 bedrooms $1,284 $24.69 $51,360

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Malvern

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Malvern is in ZIP code 72104.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,040: $124 more than the fair market rent for Hot Spring County ($916).

  • 72104 $1,040$1,390

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Malvern when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Malvern

HUD lists 7 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Malvern. These are the largest.

  • Gloster Court 1704 Bailey Pl, Malvern 72104 169 low-income homes · Run by Housing Authority of the City of Malvern · Average payment: $386 a month · Average wait: 5 months (501) 332-3652
  • Malvern Manor Apartments 718 Sulphur Springs Rd, Malvern 72104 50 homes, 48 low-income · For families (501) 337-9568
  • Reach Out II Apartments 2605 Canine Rd, Malvern 72104 21 homes, 20 low-income · For people with disabilities (501) 291-4700
  • Birch Leaf Apartments 341 Babcock St, Malvern 72104 20 low-income homes · For people with disabilities (501) 303-3112
  • River Park Apts 1750 W Moline St, Malvern 72104 20 low-income homes · For older adults (501) 337-1600

See all 7 buildings in Hot Spring County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Malvern

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Hot Spring County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

Two women and a girl laugh together at the bus stop.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Malvern

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Malvern or Hot Spring County. The ones below are statewide in Arkansas: they work in Malvern the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Arkansas

  • ADFA Down Payment Assistance Loan Program

    Statewide in Arkansas

    Arkansas state authority second mortgage of $1,000 to $15,000 for the down payment and closing costs, over 10 years and at the same rate as the ADFA first mortgage (Move-Up or StartSmart). Offered by Arkansas Development Finance Authority (ADFA).

    Repayable

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Malvern

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Malvern, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Southern Bancorp Community Partners

    206 Airport Rd, Hot Springs · 17 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 6 more
    501-406-6000-2863

  • In Affordable Housing, Incorporated

    3224 Shackleford Pass, Little Rock · 34 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 4 more
    (501) 221-2203

  • Southern Bancorp Community Partners

    3999 W 12th St, Little Rock · 38 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 5 more
    (501) 406-6000

All counseling agencies in Arkansas

Help in Spanish near Malvern

2 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Malvern

HUD’s record names them for Malvern or Hot Spring County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • Housing Authority of the City of Malvern Public housing (501) 332-3652

All housing agencies in Arkansas Source: HUD

Cities

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Malvern, with the typical home value.

Everything about Hot Spring County Housing in Arkansas

Neighboring counties

If Hot Spring County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Malvern.

All guides
A father, a mother and their daughter smile among the avocado trees by their home in Somis, California.

Questions

Housing questions about Malvern

Short answers with the numbers for Malvern and all of Hot Spring County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Malvern?

The typical home value in Malvern is $104,500, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Hot Spring County it is $151,100.

How much does it cost to rent in Malvern?

Typical rent in Malvern is $764 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Hot Spring County is $916.

What is the FHA loan limit in Malvern?

Malvern uses the FHA limit for all of Hot Spring County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Malvern?

The typical homeowner in Malvern pays $541 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.52% of the home’s value; in Hot Spring County, the rate is 0.48%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Malvern?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Hot Spring County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).