Top 10 Worst States to Retire In. All but 1 are Southern conservative states.

[bvar22]

83. Hi.

I'm surprised this turned up on Google.

There were a number of reasons why we chose this area, but affordability and stretching the dollar was one of the biggest.
We would have preferred the Pacific North West, but the buy in was Off-the-Dial, and all the good stuff was already taken.
We could find cheap land there, but none of it had all the necessary ingredients, like
Water, Southern Exposure, distance from Industrial or Urban Pollution.

There are some downsides to Arkansas.
Roads are bad, as are Social Services.
Ignorance & Poverty are depressing,
especially if you've been living in Connecticut.
Most people are genuinely nice, but poorly informed.

The last two Summer Droughts/HeatWave have been pretty bad, but we have a Spring Fed Well that has never quit, for which we are grateful.
We can run this well 24/7, irrigate our gardens, wash our clothes, and take baths,
and it has never even coughed,
and we have adopted a work schedule for dealing with the heat:
Get your work done EARLY, and get OUT of the sun and relax until it cools off in the evening.
(not the only thing we have stolen from our Mexican neighbors.
We also LOVE the spicy food).

WATER is the #1 thing I would advise you to put on the top of your list.
Our spring is "above ground" during the rainy season, but goes underground during droughts.
We have a shallow well (60') and submersible pump that accesses this spring during dry spells.
Without this, our life here would not be tolerable.


While springs are common in the Ouachita Mountains, they are not everywhere.
Not everybody has one, and it is painful to watch your neighbors veggie garden dry up and blow away because they can't water their crops.

We have been informed by the locals that the HeatWave/Drought is cyclical and won't last,
and we pray they are right,
because if THIS is the Global Warming "New Normal",
then things are going to be tough.
There is evidence supporting the cyclical view.
Our rainfall so far this Spring is above normal,
and we are excited about the new growing season.
Our Fruit Trees are budding, and we are expecting our first Asparagus any day now.


The Ozarks, further north, are a bit more scenic, but also more developed.
Land prices for good property there are higher, but there are more amenities too.
They are also in a different Growing Zone.
We can plant two weeks earlier in the Ouachitas, and have out first Fall Freeze about 2 weeks later.
That is important for us because we depend on our Veggie Garden for much of our food, and are still finding ways to stretch our growing season, the Two week before and two weeks after = a full month longer growing season.
The land in the Ouachitas is not quite as rocky as further north...
more top soil, easier to grow stuff.

We are on the west edge of Arkansas, about 10 miles from the Oklahoma border, north-west of Mena, close to Lake Wilhelmina, and it sound like you are familiar with this area.

The area is still fairly depressed, "undiscovered", and property is inexpensive.
Polk County is also a "Dry County", though that is going to change in the near future. When it does, this place will BOOM with resorts and vacation spots.
Highway 71 runs through this area, and land is available for about 5 miles either side of Hwy71. Everything else is national Forrest, expert for that corridor.
So land here is surrounded by extensive National Forest, plenty of wild game, good, clean air... pristine environment.

I would suggest that you come stay for a few days in a motel or rental cabin in Mena, and explore the area for available property. You can find a bunch listed with the realtors,
but, in my opinion, the best stuff is "For Sale by Owner", and you have to explore some to find it, ask around, check the local papers, (Mena Star & The Pulse),
or "The Trader", or even EBay for auctions and private sales.
(We actually found our place on EBay).

Things to look for:

[font size=3]1)A Spring...or spring fed well,
creek or river frontage is nice too, but the well is more important!!![/font]

2)Southern exposure.
You definitely want the sun.
Avoid anything on the north side of a mountain or ridge.
(The Ouachitas and Ozarks run East/West, the only mountains in the US that do so.)
Northern exposures are colder, damper, and less sun for growing stuff,
though some have magnificent views, they aren't worth it.

3) Some flat spots with top soil.
Even if you are not interested in growing food,
you might at a later date.
Health reasons aside, we would grow food for the taste only.
We grow the best Asparagus and Strawberries I have ever tasted.
My Wife is an excellent Italian cook, so we grow all that Italian and Mexican Salsa stuff too.
(San Marzanos, Garlic, Basil, Onions, Chives, Sage, Tyme, Rosemary Peppers,....)

4) The ONLY "industry" in the area are Tyson Chicken farms.
There are a few stashed back in the countryside.
You don't want to be anywhere close to one of these Chicken Concentration Camps. They STINK during hot weather. If you find a place you are interested in, check the Satellite Photos (Google Maps) to make sure you are at least a mile away.
and that you will not be to the East or South East of one of these. (Prevailing winds North-Westerly)
The people who own these places say "It smells like money",
but everybody else says, "GACK. How can you stand to live there"?



You can find some other photos and text here:
Early Honey Bounty in Central ARkansas
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1182412

Happy Birthday to Blossom the Rescue Fawn
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1182456

Veggie Garden Porn Season 3
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=280x57204

August Update
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=268x2747

Good Luck with your research.
We also found some interesting and affordable places around the Smokey Mountains
before we decided on this place.