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Nature lovers often want to retire in Colorado. But Arkansas — unknown to many — can be a low-key version of Colorado, especially in the Ozarks Mountains-framed Northwest corner. Plus, the Natural State is cheaper than most states you have in mind. It has a median listing home price of $299,000. If you love a warm climate, don’t look further. That said, you will certainly need a warm, welcoming community with access to decent hospitals. If that is the case, discover nine towns that are welcoming to retire in Arkansas.

Bella Vista

Northwest Arkansas. That is the delicious part of Arkansas everyone idolizes. It is framed by the Ozarks National Forest, along with many gleaming lakes and streams. Bella Vista itself provides doorstep access to many lakes, including Lake Windsor, Lake Norwood, and Lake Ann, the go-to spot for speed boating. Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel draws tourists from across the nation — and is loved for providing an overwhelming sense of peace and calmness.

In August 2024, the median listing home price in Bella Vista, AR was $389,000. Considering what this town offers, this is a price point that one should run for. Rogers, just 15 miles down the road, hosts Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas, ranked among America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Prostate Surgery. One last thing: Bella Vista residents aged 60 and above comprise 40% of the population.

Mountain Home

With a fantastic school system, warm and welcoming residents, and a delicious range of outdoor fun and adventure opportunities, Mountain Home’s retirement appeal is pretty hard to beat. Moreover, Mountain Home is affordable, with an August median home listing price of 274,900. It is perfectly positioned near two deep lakes: Norfork Lake to the east and Bull Shoals Lake to the west. This is in addition to trout-filled tailwaters, tons of hiking trails, and a great creek for fishing. The Buffalo River, the first national river in the United States, is a short drive away.

If worried about healthcare, Baxter Health, ranked among America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery, is right in town. As to the social scene, 1 in 3 residents here is a fellow empty nester, meaning you will have peers to share experiences with.

Russellville

Russellville is a homey, slow-paced town that does not needlessly ruffle residents. It offers a delightful range of outdoor activities, including hunting, mountain biking, and hiking. A retiree can split time between camping at Lake Dardanelle State Park (it has hot showers), jogging every evening at the Bona Dea Trails & Sanctuary, floating down the Arkansas River, and enjoying shows at UEC Theatres 11, whose recliners provide comfort to those with angry backs.

If those are not enough enticements, the median listing home price in Russellville is just $260,000, making it a top contender for the most affordable retirement places in the state. Although one can prefer Conway for healthcare access, Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center is right in town. Plus, you will find folks in the same age bracket, especially considering that 16% of the population here are aged 60 and above.

Mountain View

Mountain View is cool and charming — and often ranked among the best places to live in Arkansas. If you are an outdoorsman, you will have the aptly named Mirror Lake, Blanchard Spring Trailhead (and caverns), and White River. The Ozark Folk Center State Park is always a ground zero with tourists, but you will now have it whenever you feel like it. You know a place is welcoming to retirees, especially if retirees comprise a sizeable proportion of its population. Mountain View lives up to this hypothesis, considering residents aged 60 and above comprise 31% of its population. Plus, there is no need to break the bank here. The median listing home price in Mountain View was $263,500 in July 2024. For that meddlesome flu, Stone County Medical Center is right in town.

Heber Springs

Heber Springs has the small but cozy Gem Theatre, an awesome train museum, Greers Fery Lake (meaning access to a cute beach), multiple churches, and the trout-filled Little Red River. Although the highly rated Baptist Health Medical Center is in town, White River Medical Center, ranked among America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Joint Replacement Award, is just down the road in Batesville. Regarding what it costs to own a home, the median listing home price in Heber Springs was $339,900 in July 2024. The good part is that an empty nester will effortlessly find a crowd to roll with, especially because residents aged 60 and above comprise 31% of the town’s population.

Harrison

Backdropped by the awe-inspiring Ozark Mountains, a retiree in Harrison has views she will want to wake up to every morning. Harrison’s line-up of yummy Mexican restaurants, including the iconic El Mexico Lindo Restaurant, residents who are invested in the well-being of each other, and a median listing home price of just $279,000 — earn it a spot among the most welcoming towns to retire in Arkansas. There is the North Arkansas College, Harrison Country Club, where one can occasionally enjoy a round of golf; an airport, meaning you can hop on a plane and get to your destination on a whim, Crooked Creek, and the Boone County Heritage Museum, where one can be coming for stories about the history of the area.

Moreover, North Arkansas Regional Medical Center is right in town, so no hassle of making a 3-hour trip to access a hospital. Finally, Retirees love Harrison, going by the fact Harrison residents aged 60 and above comprise 30% of its population.

Batesville

Batesville is a family-oriented town with a small-town feel, green spaces, and a National Register Historic District with awesome architecture. The price points here are just as enticing. Consider that in August 2024, the median listing home price in Batesville was just $244,900. With Lyon College in town, political views here are relatively more balanced. Lyon College was founded in 1872 and is among the oldest institutions of higher learning in Arkansas. Wondering where you will be spending time? No need. You have the White River, Poke Bayou, Miller Creek (on the northern periphery), Old Independence Regional Museum, and a community center with water slides and a lazy river.

For healthcare access, White River Medical Center is right in town. It is a 2024 winner of the America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Joint Replacement Award. What’s more? Empty nesters aged 60 and above comprise 23% of the town’s population, meaning one will not feel out of place.

Greenbrier

The great thing about retiring in Greenbrier is that an empty nester will be 15 minutes from Conway and 40 minutes from Little Rock. Make no mistake. Although just about everyone sings praises for Northwest Arkansas, Central Arkansas is just as cool — with an advantage that it is often bypassed.

An outdoor enthusiast will have a blast enjoying a yummy range of venues here, including the nearby Beaver Fork Lake, Greenbrier Creek, which flows through the town, and the dog-friendly Woolly Hollow State Park. As to hospitals, Conway Regional Health System is a 2024 recipient of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Prostate Surgery Award. Also, you will not feel out of place. Greenbrier residents aged 60 and above comprise 21% of its population. Finally, Greenbrier home prices are not anything outrageous. The median listing home price was $310,000 in July 2024.

Hot Springs Village

Retiring just an hour from Little Rock — and on a quiet, lively spot with immediate access to Lake Desoto, Lake Cortez, Lake Coronado, and Lake Balboa — seems too good to be true. Plus, you will have a 650-seat theatre with enough legroom so your knees are not cramped, at least three immaculately maintained golf courses, and a breezy community center where you can catch up with local news.

Moreover, CHI St. Vincent, recently feted with the Vascular Surgery Excellence Award, is minutes away in Hot Springs. In August 2024, the median listing home price in Hot Springs Village was $340,000. Here’s the best part: Residents aged 60 and above comprise 68% of the population. Good luck if you can find this demographic in your next town.

Arkansas presents a retirement appeal that will delight most retirees. It is cheap, beautiful, and way slower than many other states in the United States. You can enjoy your golden years floating down rivers, wandering through quiet forest trails, and chatting with friendly locals. If looking for warm, welcoming communities in Arkansas, especially those that offer ready access to amenities, including good hospitals, check out the treasures highlighted here, from Bella Vista in Northwest Arkansas — to Hot Springs Village in the central quarters.