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You don't just want to retire next to some gleaming body of water, even if that is one of the Ozarks' most enticing draws. As you prepare to bloom in your golden years, you will be happy to find a safe and peaceful neighborhood where you don't have to worry about your purse being snatched, a friendly and close-knit community where everyone takes care of one another, and a town with most desirable amenities, including good hospitals and shopping venues. Thinking of the Ozarks? Find below some of the most welcoming retirement destinations in one of America's most beautiful and affordable regions.

Searcy, Arkansas

A previous winner of the Season 4 of the Small Business Revolution Main Street Competition, Searcy is a quiet peaceful town with a nice, reasonably priced theatre, a Walmart, a university (Harding University), and just about everything a retiree would need. Also, Searcy is home to Unity Health's White County Medical Center and Specialty Care campuses, just in case one is concerned about healthcare access. Unity Health provides 24-hour emergency care. Rialto Theater is a historical landmark and, hence, a piece of Searcy's identity. Then again, Spring Park is a nice, lovely place to take kids or pets. In July 2024, the median listing home price in Searcy, Arkansas, was just $255,800, qualifying Searcy as one of the most affordable retirement destinations in the area. Searcy residents aged 60 and above comprise 23% of the town's population.

Van Buren, Arkansas

With its movie theaters and skating rink — a kind and caring community — and a large, family-oriented park, Van Buren has a lot of features a retiree would love. Malco Van Buren Cinema has comfortable seats and an excellent sound set-up and serves fresh and delicious popcorn. An empty nester will find a lot to do at Freedom Park, Lee Creek Park, and Peer Park, including one of the most underrated pastimes: People-watching. On healthcare access, Baptist Health Van Buren is at your doorstep. Alternatively, the award-winning Mercy Hospital Fort Smith is a heartbeat away. Van Buren is also fairly affordable, with homes fetching a median listing price of only $267,000. Finally, the median age of Van Buren residents is 36, meaning one can easily link up with the young and old.

Branson, Missouri

Although one may not like that Branson is sometimes overrun with tourists, this town has all the amenities a retiree needs. A welcoming community, one of the best theme parks in the nation, the aptly named Sunset Park (and several others), an exceptional entertainment and retail scene, especially on the Strip, and fantastic shopping venues, including the Landing and Tanger Outlet. If you are an avid movie-goer, there is Sight and Sound theater, although it focuses on Biblical stories. Need some urgent medical treatment? Cox Medical Center Branson is at your doorstep. No need to spend three hours on the road. Do you have a thin bank balance? No worries. The median listing home price in Branson, Missouri, was just $262,800 in July 2024. Finally, folks aged 60 and above comprise 32% of the population. The truth is, It rarely gets this high.

Bella Vista, Arkansas

Time slows but does not stop at Bella Vista, Arkansas — a small, safe, and welcoming town with a lot of trees and beautiful hiking trails. Bella Vista Arts & Crafts Festival, which takes place in October every year, is among the premier arts and crafts shows in Northwest Arkansas. One of the most exciting parts of retiring in Bella Vista is that Rogers, Arkansas, is just 20 minutes down the road, meaning access to big-city amenities is unmatched. Bentonville, home to Bates Medical Center, is even closer. A retiree can float on the waters of Lake Norwood, Lake Avalon, or Lake Windsor, sniff some fresh air at Tanyard Creek Nature Trail, and bike on the trails that run through Blowing Springs Park. In July 2024, the median listing home price in Bella Vista, Arkansas was $389,900. But wait for this: Bella Vista residents aged 60 and above comprise 40% of the town's population.

Clarksville, Arkansas

Clarksville may not boast a high-tempo entertainment scene, but it is enticingly friendly, close-knit, welcoming, and fairly safe. Plus, the environment is slow-paced and laid-back, though backdropped with amazingly beautiful scenery, with mountains surrounding the town and lots of hiking trails. There is a Walmart, a small private university (University of the Ozarks), a nature trail, and an aquatic center where one can swim when the weather is balmy. There is also Lake Dardanelle and the Arkansas River, sites of numerous recreational activities. Johnson Regional Medical Center is right in town, so no need to travel several miles to see a doctor. But it is on affordability that Clarksville steals the show. The median listing home price in Clarksville, Arkansas, was $182,500 in July 2024. Finally, Clarksville residents aged 60 and above comprise 22% of the population. This means a retiree will easily find peers in the same age bracket to link up with.

Bolivar, Missouri

If you dream of retiring next to a university campus, in a town that has Woods Supermarket (for groceries), hospitals (Citizens Memorial Hospital Emergency Medical Services), an awesome art gallery (Dunnegan Gallery of Art Inc), several parks, a great trail for biking (Frisco Highline Trail), one of the best Dairy Queens for miles, and several inviting restaurants, you are probably thinking of Bolivar, one of the most welcoming retirement destinations in the Ozarks. In July 2024, the median listing home price in Bolivar, Missouri, was $279,900, which is a fair price point considering what the town offers. Bolivar residents aged 60 and above comprise 23% of the population.

Mountain Home, Arkansas

Many retirees would love the fact that a destination provides access to a river, a lake, or even a tiny brook. Mountain Home, however, provides access to three rivers: White River, North Fork River, and Buffalo River, the first national river in the United States. Just when you thought that was enough, Mountain Home also provides access to two lakes: Norfork and Bull Shoals lakes. Plus, expect an awesome school system, safe neighborhoods, and friendly communities. If you think you will be prized out, you are mistaken. In July 2024, the median listing home price in Mountain Home, AR was just $289,900. On the social landscape, Mountain Home residents aged 60 and above comprise 33% of the population, meaning empty nesters are well represented. Baxter Health, ranked among America's 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery, is right at your doorstep.

The Takeaway

As a retiree, you need a beautiful retirement destination, perhaps a gleaming lake, a pine-speckled mountain, waterfalls, or daffodils. But you also need a warm, homey environment where neighbors meet, have fireside chats, and check on each other. Of course, access to a good hospital is non-negotiable. Many towns in the Ozarks have these features, at least most of them. Just check Mountain Home, Arkansas — and the rest of the towns highlighted here.