Mountain Home, AR
- Thread starter Rick Flair
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Not useful but growing up in Texas, Arkansas was the butt of many jokes.
They were Florida before Florida was
They were Florida before Florida was
I live near-ish to there and used to deliver into Northern Arkansas daily. I am about 65 miles straight north of Harrison off 65 Hwy. What do you want to know? I have dealers in Mountain Home and have been there many hundreds of times.
OP
So found a house there. I’m curious if you know, schools? Work? How does the tax structure work there? From what I read, it’s reasonable.
crime? People? Would you PERSONALLY live there?
many better areas to look for in AR?
Visited my relatives that moved there for a bit. I was a kid and all I remember was it seemed like a good place to make “people of Walmart” memes.
Also knew a guy who refused to even be in a plane that flew over Arkansas airspace.
I’m sure it’s a nice place but if you are concerned with schools I’d go for the upper Midwest
Also knew a guy who refused to even be in a plane that flew over Arkansas airspace.
I’m sure it’s a nice place but if you are concerned with schools I’d go for the upper Midwest
Years ago I drove to Branson, Mo for a vacation from Houston. Was my first time driving up through Arkansas and I thought it was awesome. Might've been the time of day, etc. but I saw some incredibly beautiful scenery. Made me look at Arkansas differently ever since.
We have been to that area on several motorcycle trips and it is beautiful country. Kind of like a Smaller Smoky Mountains, but without all the tourism and people. Most of that area is very rural. We were on Triumph Bonnevilles, so not the largest of fuel tanks and there were times that we thought we were going to run out of gas, due to not being able to find a gas station.
As far as schools I don't know a lot, but it's very conservative country up there. We had a friend with us on one of our rides. His dad was a band teacher in Harrison, AR. He was an older guy who rode a Honda Goldwing like a sport bike. He was a good dude. If he was any indication of the kind of people that teach the young people up there you will be in good hands.
If I didn't already have a cabin in the Northeast Alabama mountains, the Western North Carolina mountains or the North Arkansas mountains would be my next choices.
Once you move out into a beautiful, rural area with a lower population density and friendly, helpful mountain folks, you will never want to go back.
Back to your original question: I love that area and would move there in a heartbeat and never look back.
As far as schools I don't know a lot, but it's very conservative country up there. We had a friend with us on one of our rides. His dad was a band teacher in Harrison, AR. He was an older guy who rode a Honda Goldwing like a sport bike. He was a good dude. If he was any indication of the kind of people that teach the young people up there you will be in good hands.
If I didn't already have a cabin in the Northeast Alabama mountains, the Western North Carolina mountains or the North Arkansas mountains would be my next choices.
Once you move out into a beautiful, rural area with a lower population density and friendly, helpful mountain folks, you will never want to go back.
Back to your original question: I love that area and would move there in a heartbeat and never look back.
I’d look at Tennessee, not sure where your at in terms in retirement but they are very favorable + good wheeling around
Mountain Home and Arkansas is a beautiful place. You get all 4 seasons here. I live about 3.5 hours away from MT in NEA. It’s pretty flat and boring here in NEA but Mountain Home is getting you much closer to the Ozarks. Mountain Home also has a few really good and clear lakes including Lake Norfolk and Bull Shoals. You are also only about 1.5-2 hours away from SMORR ( Southern Missouri Off Road & Recreation). 2.5 hours from NWA which is full of Ozark mountain and camping trails.
I will start by saying, come here and look around and spend a little time. See what you think, talk to some locals in the area you are considering buying a home and make your own mind up. I am biased, lived here all my life, but have traveled more than 99% of the people I know, so I have seen some things. Keep in mind I live 2h 15min from Mountain Home and in a different state but I have visited often. I like Springfield MO a lot better than Mountain Home, but I am acclimated to my home town. I grew up here. Mountain Home is a small community, approx 12k people. Springfield is nearly 500k in the metro, but feels smaller to me. Maybe check out some of the surrounding small towns here too? Just depends on what you are looking for, and how much you depend on the city for opportunities and amenities.
Taxes are low, so are housing costs and everything else. But it aligns with the income levels. Its an affordable place to live, or retire. You can stretch your money here, but you might not earn as much if you are still working. Do some research. Make up your own mind.
I hate to bring this part up, but its something you should know. It's not very ethnically diverse in rural AR for the most part. The KKK is literally headquartered in North Central Arkansas near Harrison. It creates some conflict as you would expect, but this is an organization that 99.9999% of the people living here do not support or endorse. Somehow they still exist, but I feel they are on the ropes more than ever. There are areas with drugs, meth has been a real issues for some areas, and there are rednecks but that's pretty much all of the country. Including parts of California, I have seen it first hand and it blew my mind. Northern California is a weird place. Just find an area that you are comfortable with. Most people here are pretty mellow, but they like to put the hardcore rednecks on the news and make us all look like savages. This area is very conservative. You will see many American flags, Armed Forces flags, Trump flags. People seem to be more patriotic here. Freaks some people out when they come here. Folks are not militant about it, but they are proud.
It is beautiful here, and I am not just saying that. Countless hills and valleys, rocky bluffs, lakes, rivers, and activities outdoors. Bass, Crappie, Catfish, Trout, Spoonbill, etc. Lots of fishing here on dozens of lakes within an hour or two. Branson is a tourist town about an hour away, you should visit and make your own call. Family focused with lots to see and do. We have an awesome theme park (Silver Dollar City) with first class rides. I am talking epic rollercoasters with an old world feel. Its based on pioneer era living. White Water is a huge water park there as well, great for kids with huge slides and lots of activities. Springfield MO is the home of Bass Pro Shops. Its still a private business and has deep roots in the community. This area is amazing if you are a sportsman. Deer, hog, and and turkey hunting are big too. Not my bag, but many of my friends are avid sportsmen.
Summers are hot and humid with thunderstorms and the potential for tornados and hail in the spring. Winters are hit and miss. Sometimes it snows, sometimes we get a crippling ice storm. Sometimes its 70 in December are we take the boat out. The old saying around here is "If you don't like the weather, wait 15 minutes, it'll change".
SMORR is a great offroad park in Seymour MO. About 1h 30 min from Mountain Home. You also have 3B in Eureka Springs (another interesting tourist town) and Rush Springs in Jane Mo. There are others, but those are the ones I have visited. SMORR is by far my favorite due to size (1000 acres) and layout. Its really well marked and has good amenities.
Come for a visit, let me know when you do. I'd be glad to show you around a little.
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Have you looked around Johnson City, TN?
I'm from western NC. I would love to move to somewhere around Brevard, NC, but if I was going to go back I'd look at eastern TN too.
I'm from western NC. I would love to move to somewhere around Brevard, NC, but if I was going to go back I'd look at eastern TN too.
Have we met? Because I've used that exact line about Arkansas many, many, times since working there 20 years ago.
I live about 2 hours south of Mountain Home. I've not spent a ton time up there, but this is accurate.
RiverDawg24
TJ Enthusiast
I’ve lived in Arkansas almost 50 yrs. And I’m a HS principal. Everything in this post is pretty accurate.
I’ll also add Superlift ORV is in Hot Springs Ar about 3:00 south of Mt Home and Byrd’s Adventure Center is about 2:30 West. Tons of wheeling from as Hard Core rocks as ya want to two track overlanding.
PM me if you want to talk Arkansas education.
Get used to dry counties, bottle clubs, being asked if you have a church home (and it should be Baptist), panic and terror over 1" of snow, complaints that MLK day is on Robert E Lee's birthday, poverty, humidity, racial backwardness, mosquitos, chiggers, snakes, more snakes, excellent crappie and good bass fishing, deer the size of dogs, telling family and coworkers in advance which hospital they should take you to and which one to avoid, excellent trout fishing that mostly only tourists take advantage of, not using foul language around ladies, excellent beef in restaurants, mountains that really aren't, children calling you sir, just driving up to the drive through window so you can see their lips move, personal property tax, and true take you in and feed you kind of hospitality ... once they determine you aint no Yankee.
RiverDawg24
TJ Enthusiast
Don't let anyone steer you away based on schools and the stereotypes of midwest or southern dumb rednecks. The high school graduation rates are around 10 percent higher than Oregon or Washington state, or D.C. for that matter. 88% versus around 78-79%.
So around 10% more of AR's population has a high school diploma as some of the "progressive" states.
Better than NY or NYC too.
So around 10% more of AR's population has a high school diploma as some of the "progressive" states.
Better than NY or NYC too.
RiverDawg24
TJ Enthusiast
The thing most don’t realize about Arkansas is it’s really 3 states. The northwest corner/ North Central to include Harrison and Mountain Home, which is Wal mart, Tyson, and J/B Hunt. One of the fastest growing places in the USA and lots of $$$$.
Then the River Valley/ I-40 corridor. Ft Smith to Little Rock. Probably the most “normal” and average part of the state.
Then the Eastern, South Central and Southern Eastern part of the state. Otherwise known as “The Delta”. You’d be hard pressed to find a more poverty stricken part of the US.
If you stay in the first two places, aside from some hillbilly rednecks around The foothills of the Ozarks in Newton And surrounding counties, you really won’t find a better place to live and raise your children.
Arkansas is pretty conservative ( Fayetteville and Eureka Springs not withstanding). We love God, Guns, and the USA.
OP
Thank you all for the advice and kind words. I’m going to reach out to a few of you who have offered to help and chat about the area and state in general. A bit busy right this sec to dive in, you all gave me a TON of info I’m reading through!!