The Town FilesMagnet Cove, Arkansas
Community in Hot Spring County · population 692 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $156,700
- Jan low / Jul high
- 29° / 92°
- Snow a year
- 1 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 24
- Median age
- 34.0
Magnet Cove is a community of 692 people in Hot Spring County, Arkansas. The median home is worth $156,700, above the typical Arkansas town ($128,600). It ranks more of a college town than 99% of Arkansas towns, better for a vacation home than 99% of Arkansas towns, better for first-time buyers than 98% of Arkansas towns.
How Magnet Cove 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 Magnet Cove is worth $156,700, above the typical Arkansas town ($128,600). 64.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Magnet Cove | Typical Arkansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $156,700 | $128,600 |
| Median rent | — | $792 |
| Median household income | — | $50,408 |
| Home value ÷ income | —× | 2.7× |
| Homeownership | 64.2% | 64.9% |
| Median year built | 1975 | 1980 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 16.5% | — |
Who lives in Magnet Cove
| People | Magnet Cove | Typical Arkansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.0 | 37.8 |
| Age 65 and over | 13.0% | 17.2% |
| Under 18 | 19.5% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.7% | 16.5% |
| Below the poverty line | 34.5% | 19.7% |
| Veterans | 5.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 11.7% | 5.3% |
| Average commute | 31.6 min | 22.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 74.6% | 84.4% |
Weather in Magnet Cove
July highs average 91.9°F and January lows 29.4°F. About 57.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 1.2 inches of snow (typical Arkansas town: 2.6 in). Expect about 73 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 68 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
24 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Magnet Cove since 1950, compared with 24 for the typical Arkansas town. 10 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on March 1, 1997 about 10.0 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 74 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on June 14, 2023.
Severe weather in Hot Spring County since 1996
Hot Spring County has been included in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3636: Severe Winter Storm |
| May 21, 2025 | Flood | DR-4873: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| May 8, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4865: Severe Storms And Tornadoes |
| April 5, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3627: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| August 27, 2020 | Hurricane | EM-3541: Hurricane Laura |
Jobs and pay in Hot Spring County
Hot Spring County had 7,969 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $48,229 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in Magnet Cove itself the ACS puts it at 13.9%.
Towns near Magnet Cove
- Rockport, AR3.5 mi · 676 people · home $140,300
- Malvern, AR5.3 mi · 10,867 people · home $104,500
- Haskell, AR11.9 mi · 3,956 people · home $160,600
- Hot Springs, AR12.4 mi · 37,930 people · home $165,500
- Lake Hamilton, AR13.7 mi · 2,084 people · home $405,900
- Hot Springs Village, AR16.2 mi · 15,861 people · home $272,000
- Rockwell, AR16.9 mi · 4,548 people · home $289,800
- Benton, AR17.5 mi · 35,014 people · home $212,700
Magnet Cove questions
Is Magnet Cove, Arkansas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Magnet Cove scores better for retirees than 69% of Arkansas towns and quieter than 69%. 13.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 34.0).
How much does a house cost in Magnet Cove?
The median owner-occupied home in Magnet Cove is valued at $156,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of —. Median rent is — a month.
What is the weather like in Magnet Cove?
July highs average 91.9°F and January lows 29.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 57.5 inches of precipitation a year and 1.2 inches of snow.
Does Magnet Cove get tornadoes?
24 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Magnet Cove since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on March 1, 1997. 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)