Posted on 02/22/2025 4:56:03 PM PST by Mama Shawna
I live in Washington state (yeah, I know, don’t start, been here all my life). The politics/crime/liberal insanity is about to the point hubby and I are seriously considering moving after 30+ years in our home. So, we looked up the lowest cost states to live in, and Arkansas is either #1 or #2, depending on the website. We started looking at real estate and are blown away at what you can get verses what the costs are in this state. I just wanted input from any Freepers who live in Arkansas about what it’s like during the summer/winter, any insider info on the people, politics, best places to live, what it’s like for building permits, etc. It would be a few years, but I’m curious as to what we could expect.
Check out the demographics of the place you’re interested in. You certainly don’t want to be a minority.
And for the Love of God..... Stay far away from Pine Bluff.
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Pine Bluff, Arkansas has a high poverty rate and is one of the fastest shrinking cities in the United States.
Poverty rate
The poverty rate in Pine Bluff is high, with some estimates ranging from 26.8% to 39.5%
The poverty rate in Pine Bluff is higher than the state average and 1.3 times the rate in the Pine Bluff Micro Area
Factors contributing to poverty
Lack of economic opportunity
Businesses have closed, and people have moved away for better jobs and education
Low housing stock
The city has a low housing stock, which has prevented others from moving in
Social determinants of health
These include access to health care, food, resources, housing, and transportation
Other challenges
Crime
Pine Bluff has been plagued by crime, and has been ranked as the least safe small city in the United States
Decline
Pine Bluff has been declining for decades, with businesses closing and people moving away
Demographics
Pine Bluff is predominantly Black or African American, with 77.4% of the population identifying as such
You’re going to be pretty much confined to north west and west central hilly areas to avoid demographic challenges
Parts of Little Rock far superior to my hometown of Jackson Mississippi in that regard but still Little Rock has its issues
I like Little Rock but…
I would never presume to do that. There’s NOTHING in this state to brag about, except maybe the beauty of it, and access to salt water. I do love crabbing on the Puget Sound. And the beaches on the coast, razor clamming etc.
First serious love of my life was a cotton planters daughter from marmaduke in the northeast delta of Arkansas
I think Piggott and Kennett MO and Paragould were their go to towns
She was good as gold and looked like Olivia newton John
Very belle
I’ve shopped, at THE cutest dress store, in Paragould!
This was years ago....such good people.
First serious love of my life was a cotton planters daughter from marmaduke in the northeast delta of Arkansas
I think Piggott and Kennett MO and Paragould were their go to towns
She was good as gold and looked like Olivia newton John
Very belle
KD sorority gal
I grew up in western Oregon. The general absence of nasty bugs and snakes isn’t to be under-rated. Too bad one can’t eat scenery or Californians.
Allrighty then! Won’t be going anywhere NEAR there. WOW!
Oregon is probably WORSE than Washington. Won’t even consider moving there.
Or a summer vacation in the South 😂
I told my husband we need to visit in August, just to see if we can handle it.
Low cost living and good, rich land to be had, low cost living provided you stay out of Northwest Arkansas.
I’m not suggesting Oregon at all for anyone who finds Washington uncongenial-although there is much to be wisdom in post 9.
I would prefer being on the right side of the Mississippi at least, but that hasn’t been my lot. The various sorts of critters in the South, especially of the insect and snake variety is a potential adjustment for some one from the Northwest. Not my cup of tea, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t someone else’s.
Problem with North Arkansas is more snow and colder, mountainous. South and West Arkansas good land, lower cost overall, more sparce population wise.
I have a WA state ID card, CCW license, and voter card,
WA sends absentee voter ballots to me.
I have a Hawaii drivers license and I pay Hawaii county
home taxes.
I own a home in Hawaii, which is where I spend most my time
but I also have an Address in WA state, I could have two,
or even ones in FLA or Missouri.
I don’t know what your resources are.
If you have family in other states leverage that.
Addresses, drivers licenses, what ever.
You could stay much cheaper in your home if you
improvise.
Arkansas has very fertile farm land. it rains a lot more than N. Texas where I grew up but you’ll generally have a longer growing season than in Washington. But different veg and fruit obviously due to the hotter weather.
It’s like anywhere else. Most places are OK but there are bad areas.
Someone suggested spending a winter there. I’d recommend the opposite when going to a Southern state. May and June will be like the summer you’re used to. Take a trip exploring in July or August. Ask yourself, would you go outside in the heat and can you deal with mosquitoes the size of pigeons?
One thing would be the same. Remember the movie, “The Legend of Boggy Creek”? It happened in Arkansas. Yep, they call their Bigfoots “Wood Boogers”
The western coast is far more mountainous than anything one is going to find in Arkansas.
Copy that! My dad once said, when living in Arizona, the things they call ‘mountains’ in AZ, we call ‘hills’. You want a MOUNTAIN? Try Mt. Rainier. I used to be able to see it from my kitchen window until the neighbors trees grew.
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