Home to good weather, affordability, and rich history and culture, Arkansas is an excellent place to live. Whether you’re looking at homes for sale in Little Rock or apartments for rent in Fort Smith, you’re in for a treat. Redfin has the top 7 reasons to move to Arkansas, in no particular order, and why you should make this beautiful state your new home.
1) Affordable living
When it comes to the cost of living, Arkansas emerges as an exceptional place to reside, offering a desirable balance between affordability and quality of life. Housing costs in Arkansas are notably lower than the national average, In fact, Arkansas has a median sale price of $258k, compared to the national median of $418K. When we look at specific cities, the cost of living in Little Rock is 4% less than the national average, and housing costs are 17% less than the national average. The cost of living in Fayetteville is 8% lower than the national average and housing costs are 20% lower.
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2) Access to nature
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Arkansas is surrounded by natural beauty and boasts more than 600,000 acres of lakes and 9,700 miles of streams and rivers. From the Ozark National Forest and the Buffalo River Valley to the bubbling hot springs, there are so many places with stunning beauty across the state. In fact, it’s home to one national park, three national forests, and 52 state parks.
3) Traffic
If you’ve lived in high-traffic areas such as New York City, Chicago, or Atlanta, you know the struggle of getting to and from work or making it on time for your dinner reservations. Whether you’re in the city or a small town, Arkansas sees an average commute time in metropolitan areas of 15 to 20 minutes.
4) Arkansas’ thriving food scene
Arkansas has become a melting pot of BBQ styles and flavors. If you live in Arkansas, you definitely won’t have to go hungry for lack of good food. Some popular dishes famous in Arkansas included fried catfish, baked beans, fried chicken, cheese dip, and deviled eggs.
5) Arts and culture
Arkansas is home to excellent performing arts venues such as the Walton Arts Center, King Opera House, and TheatreSquared. Be sure to check out art museums like the Arkansas Arts Center, which houses paintings on display from masters such as Rembrandt, Picasso, and Degas.
6) Things to do
Whether you’re living in Little Rock or living in Springdale. Arkansas is packed with outdoor activities. The options are endless from fishing bass, catfish, and trout to hiking, biking, boating, camping, and water sports. Soak at the Hot Springs National Park, Head Down into Blanchard Springs Caverns, and walk Beautiful Downtown Eureka Springs.
7) Weather
A comfortable climate is part of life in Arkansas, with mild springs, hot summers, dry autumns, and cool winters. Summer sees an average high of 91 degrees in July, the perfect weather for residents to indulge in outdoor activities. Winters see a low of 28 in January.
Methodology: Median home sale price data was pulled from the US Housing Market resource during June 2023.
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