The Town FilesLake Hamilton, Arkansas
Community in Garland County · population 2,084 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $405,900
- Household income
- $73,696
- Jan low / Jul high
- 32° / 93°
- Snow a year
- 1 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 20
- Median age
- 37.9
Lake Hamilton is a community of 2,084 people in Garland County, Arkansas. The median home is worth $405,900, above the typical Arkansas town ($128,600). It ranks better for a vacation home than 100% of Arkansas towns, hipper than 92% of Arkansas towns, better for retirees than 85% of Arkansas towns.
How Lake Hamilton ranks
Percentile among Arkansas towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Arkansas towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Lake Hamilton is worth $405,900, above the typical Arkansas town ($128,600). Homes cost about 5.5 times the median household income of $73,696, which is more affordable than 2% of Arkansas towns. Median rent is $1,129 a month. 73.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Lake Hamilton | Typical Arkansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $405,900 | $128,600 |
| Median rent | $1,129 | $792 |
| Median household income | $73,696 | $50,408 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.5× | 2.7× |
| Homeownership | 73.0% | 64.9% |
| Median year built | 1989 | 1980 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 40.2% | — |
Who lives in Lake Hamilton
| People | Lake Hamilton | Typical Arkansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.9 | 37.8 |
| Age 65 and over | 24.8% | 17.2% |
| Under 18 | 27.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.4% | 16.5% |
| Below the poverty line | 12.5% | 19.7% |
| Veterans | 7.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.2% | — |
| Work from home | 14.8% | 5.3% |
| Average commute | 22.2 min | 22.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 90.4% | 84.4% |
Weather in Lake Hamilton
July highs average 93.1°F and January lows 32.0°F. About 58.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 1.1 inches of snow (typical Arkansas town: 2.6 in). Expect about 77 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 59 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lake Hamilton since 1950, compared with 24 for the typical Arkansas town. 11 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on March 5, 1967 about 3.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 7, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 136 times; the largest was 4.50 inches on March 29, 1976.
Severe weather in Garland County since 1996
Garland County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, tornado.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3636: Severe Winter Storm |
| May 21, 2025 | Flood | DR-4873: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| April 5, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3627: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| August 27, 2020 | Hurricane | EM-3541: Hurricane Laura |
| April 3, 2020 | Biological | DR-4518: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in Garland County
Garland County had 38,005 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $46,226 a year. Unemployment was 3.7% in 2023; in Lake Hamilton itself the ACS puts it at 1.1%.
Towns near Lake Hamilton
- Rockwell, AR4.1 mi · 4,548 people · home $289,800
- Hot Springs, AR4.4 mi · 37,930 people · home $165,500
- Piney, AR6.4 mi · 5,238 people · home $134,400
- Mountain Pine, AR11.1 mi · 585 people · home —
- Magnet Cove, AR13.7 mi · 692 people · home $156,700
- Malvern, AR15.0 mi · 10,867 people · home $104,500
- Rockport, AR15.4 mi · 676 people · home $140,300
- Hot Springs Village, AR16.9 mi · 15,861 people · home $272,000
Lake Hamilton questions
Is Lake Hamilton, Arkansas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lake Hamilton scores better for retirees than 85% of Arkansas towns and quieter than 50%. 24.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.9).
How much does a house cost in Lake Hamilton?
The median owner-occupied home in Lake Hamilton is valued at $405,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $73,696, so homes cost about 5.5 times income. Median rent is $1,129 a month.
What is the weather like in Lake Hamilton?
July highs average 93.1°F and January lows 32.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 58.0 inches of precipitation a year and 1.1 inches of snow.
Does Lake Hamilton get tornadoes?
20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lake Hamilton since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on March 5, 1967. The typical Arkansas town has had 24.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)