[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Tyryztoll

I won't go on Craigslist for anything anymore. They don't police that site and let scammers run amok, even when the postings are obviously not legitimate. We stuck with legit sites like Zillow and Realtor.com the last couple times we house shopped.

Traffic was pretty light in Hot Springs last weekend. The horse track was obviously not running, which always has a big impact on how packed the town is. Last time we went they were running and the traffic was bumper to bumper up and down Central. We've been to HS several times but my wife and I have still not had a chance to walk the streets downtown. We're working on that.

Even though NWA is much more career oriented for someone like me, I would still live in Hot Springs if I could find a job that paid enough. Unfortunately, my research revealed that HS area pays one of the lowest average wages not only in Arkansas, but the entire nation.

Which is why retiring there is such a great idea, OP!

Yes, the track closed about a month ago. It closes a few weeks before the derby. Hubby is a huge follower of the races so we know about when every major track in the country runs. As for walking the streets down town, it is super fun and the downtown area is so pretty.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by justinjj1

I lived in Hot Springs for over a year, it's a surprisingly affordable town to live. Just factor in that Arkansas state income tax is one of the highest in the country, and there is a high sales tax and they even tax groceries. You get taxed to death in Arkansas to pay for the massive amount of people on welfare in that state.

I would defopinitely prefer to live in Hot Springs rather than Arkadelphia or Malvern. Benton is a fairly wealthy suburb of Little Rock and would be much more expensive than any of the others mentioned. Mount Ida is also a nice little town that sits deeper into the Ouachitas and is more scenic than the rest.

The tax situation has been discussed here many times but it needs to be remembered, the overall cost of living in AR is one of the lowest in the country, so that offsets the higher taxes. BTW, the taxes are not just high because of the number of people living on welfare, there are a number that do live below the poverty line and do depend on our taxes to help support them. The positive thing about our higher taxes is: we do have a balanced budget. Many states and as we all know, our federal government can't say the same thing. We also have lower insurance rates, lower yearly car renewal costs etc. The government will gets us one way or the other.

[Luvvarkansas]

Nita, aren't retirees in Arkansas exempt from the state income tax or something like that? Seems like someone has mentioned that before.

[jimnelson1]

Also, the tax structure in Arkansas is beneficial to retirees, higher income taxes, low property taxes. We lived in Texas for 8 years before moving here and the 3x to 4x higher property taxes in Texas, plus higher fees on everything from car tags to fishing licenses makes it about a wash.

[DeanGuitarist]

I also live in Louisiana, SW region. Me and my wife are looking to relocate. Silly question....does it snow here? We are looking for a place with 4 seasons and want a change from the hot all year round weather here.

[Luvvarkansas]

Originally Posted by jimnelson1

Also, the tax structure in Arkansas is beneficial to retirees, higher income taxes, low property taxes. We lived in Texas for 8 years before moving here and the 3x to 4x higher property taxes in Texas, plus higher fees on everything from car tags to fishing licenses makes it about a wash.

Bear with me here, jim, but I don't quite understand your post. Are you saying it ended up being about even to live in Texas and Arkansas because of higher taxes in one case and lower in another? Or are you saying it is cheaper to live in Arkansas as far as taxes go?

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Luvvarkansas

Nita, aren't retirees in Arkansas exempt from the state income tax or something like that? Seems like someone has mentioned that before.

not totally but our SS isn't taxed plus our property taxes are frozen when we turn 65.

[biscuitmom]

For those considering relocating to AR and wondering about the taxes, we found this to be an excellent resource:

Moving to Arkansas - A Tax Guide for New Residents

[jimnelson1]

Originally Posted by Luvvarkansas

Bear with me here, jim, but I don't quite understand your post. Are you saying it ended up being about even to live in Texas and Arkansas because of higher taxes in one case and lower in another? Or are you saying it is cheaper to live in Arkansas as far as taxes go?

When you factor everything, income taxes, property taxes, licenses and fees ... It's a wash, for us anyway.

[elkotronics]

When you factor everything, income taxes, property taxes, licenses and fees ... It's a wash, for us anyway.

This is what I was thinking about taxation in Arkansas...overall it will be awash. It sounds ta me like, overall, Arkansas is a great place economically to retire in. If one participle of cost is a titch high then another cost will be lower than it would be in Arizona, etc.


So far it still goes like this: 1) Hot Springs, AR 2) Tucson, AZ.