Hope, AR: Local News, Events & Neighbors

Hope is a city in Hempstead County in southwestern Arkansas, United States. Hope is the county seat of Hempstead County and the principal city of the Hope Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Hempstead and Nevada counties. As of the 2010 census the population was 10,095, and for the 2020 census, the population was 8,952. Hope is the birthplace of three Arkansas governors: Bill Clinton (also president of the United States from 1993 to 2001), Mike Huckabee (who ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016), and Sarah Huckabee Sanders (the incumbent governor and daughter of Mike Huckabee).

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Hope ranks

All →

#12Most affordable in AR #15Most walkable in AR #21Lowest property tax in AR All AR rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code71801, 71802

Area code870

Living in Hope

Housing in Hope

$123K▲ 3.8% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Hope home is worth about $123,000, up 3.8% in a year, 46% below the Arkansas typical home.

Only 3 sales in May 2026, too few for a market read. The typical value is the steadier guide.

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Hope

D⁻

Safety Grade D-

Hope reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 96% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Hope 9.1

Arkansas 5.4

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Hope 26

Arkansas 16.7

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Health in Hope

Compared with Arkansas

1better than AR·13worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 18 are too close to call.

Conditions 1▲ 4▼ 7 close Habits 1▼ 3 close Care 2▼ 5 close Mind 2▼ 3 close Everyday needs 4▼ 0 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

6.4%Fewer adults who have had cancerAR 8.2% · better 30.7%More adults facing food insecurityAR 18.5% · worse

Care nearby

Southwest Regional Medical CenterHope · 1.3 mi · ER

Hope Family Practice CenterHope · 0.5 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthNo shortage

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Hope · CMS · HRSAHealth in Hope →

Schools in Hope

All Hope schools →

C⁻

School Grade C-

The public schools Hope’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 84% of Arkansas’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

See how Hope’s schools compare in AR →

DistrictHOPE SCHOOL DISTRICTSchools8

WM. Jefferson Clinton Primary School DElementary · Grades PK–6 · 929 students Hope Academy of Public Service BMiddle · Grades 5–8 · 217 students Beryl Henry Upper Elementary School DMiddle · Grades 5–6 · 198 students Yerger Junior High School DMiddle · Grades 7–8 · 188 students Hope High School DHigh · Grades 9–12 · 611 students Ua Hope Texarkana Technical CenterHigh · Grades 9–12

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within AR. Ratings are from neighbors.