Fayetteville, Arkansas


TAC

New member
Fayetteville, Arkansas

My wife has taken an interest in Fayetteville Arkansas and is thinking about it as a possible location to move to when our daughter graduates from High School in another 3 years. So, sinc e she has already started looking at houses (yes, I realize that none of these houses are still going to be on the market in 3 years, but she wanted to get an feel for the area and this is one of the things she looks at) for pricing what you get for the money. She has found a couple of very nice houses at very reasonable prices.

So, partly so that I can speak to her about it from a partially informed point of view, I have decided to start doing my own homework. I was hoping that maybe I could start here with a few questions.

First, How is the humidity? I have been in Colorado for the past 20 years where the humidity is very low. This means several things – no worry about the guns rusting, no uncomfortable sweating during the warm summer months, VERY dry skin and sinuses. Fayetteville look to be about 400 miles from the gulf coast so I would not expect the same level of humidity as in New Orleans or Miami, but how bad is it?

Second, how is the culture? Is it a gun friendly area? Are the people there generally welcoming of outsiders? I know that the University is there ans so there is going to be a large seasonal population of college age people there, but is it the kind of place that you feel like you “just can not get away from the kids”, or is it a more relaxed area?

Third, and I think most important….. How is this area in terms of retirement? I am will probably be retiring within the next 10 years or so and would hate to move someplace only to have to move again to retire. For those of you who are near, or at that age, how do you like it?

Thanks.
 

Fayetteville, Arkansas

My wife has taken an interest in Fayetteville Arkansas and is thinking about it as a possible location to move to when our daughter graduates from High School in another 3 years. So, sinc e she has already started looking at houses (yes, I realize that none of these houses are still going to be on the market in 3 years, but she wanted to get an feel for the area and this is one of the things she looks at) for pricing what you get for the money. She has found a couple of very nice houses at very reasonable prices.

So, partly so that I can speak to her about it from a partially informed point of view, I have decided to start doing my own homework. I was hoping that maybe I could start here with a few questions.

First, How is the humidity? I have been in Colorado for the past 20 years where the humidity is very low. This means several things – no worry about the guns rusting, no uncomfortable sweating during the warm summer months, VERY dry skin and sinuses. Fayetteville look to be about 400 miles from the gulf coast so I would not expect the same level of humidity as in New Orleans or Miami, but how bad is it?

Second, how is the culture? Is it a gun friendly area? Are the people there generally welcoming of outsiders? I know that the University is there ans so there is going to be a large seasonal population of college age people there, but is it the kind of place that you feel like you “just can not get away from the kids”, or is it a more relaxed area?

Third, and I think most important….. How is this area in terms of retirement? I am will probably be retiring within the next 10 years or so and would hate to move someplace only to have to move again to retire. For those of you who are near, or at that age, how do you like it?

Thanks.

Hello, TAC

I attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in the 90's. For sure, the town has changed much since then. But it's still a nice enough place to prompt me to return frequently. I'll try to address your questions in order.

Weather: Fayetteville is not as humid as other towns in Arkansas, but it's still pretty rough in June, July, and August. The weather usually comes from the Plains instead of the Gulf. But there the town is surrounded on all sides by forest. Those trees put lots of moisture into the air. You'll still want to take precautions when storing weapons. The region also gets more snow than the rest of Arkansas, but not enough to faze a fellow from Colorado. Summers are hot. Winters are mostly wet. But you won't find a more beautiful place in Spring and Fall.

Fayetteville is the more liberal of the cities in Northwest Arkansas. But it's still gun-friendly. Bentonville, and Rogers are more conservative. But these cities all sort of blend together. There are some west coast transplants in Fayetteville who would like to infest the town with their California way of thinking, but they have not been able to change it completely. The town is very welcoming to newcomers because most of the folks came from somewhere else themselves.

It's a college town, but you don't notice it so much. The college scene is mostly confined to Dickson Street, which is a fun place for old and young alike. But that's a relatively small area.

I'd call the area a good choice for retirement. There are quality hospitals, and designated retirement communities. The NWA region is pretty spread out, but still has a small-town feel.

Personally, I liked it better in the nineties, before it grew up. But I'd live there again, even now.

I hope this helps.

By the way....some of the best food in world is in this area.
 
Hi, Tac. I've lived in Colorado Springs for the last nine years, but spent February through June in Little Rock, Arkansas in both 1994 and 2005. Additionally, I've been TDY to Little Rock numerous times throughout the year.

Is Arkansas humid? You bet. But it's not as bad as New Orleans, S. Korea, or Jacksonville, Florida, three other locations I've lived for two or more years. In fact, I found it to be rather pleasant throughout most of the year.

As for gun culture, my first time through I brought my weapons with me, storing them in a safe in the off-base hotel for four months I went shooting with friends on several occasions at a local range. Arkansas has straightforward CC permit laws and is a "gold star" OC state - no permit required. You can't OC in an airport and some other areas, though. I guess even in Arkansas, sometimes the locals can be skittish.

As for the local culture, I always felt welcome by others. It's Southern, so the hospitality factor is up there, but it's a bit hard-working, too, kind of like "Show Me" Missouri.

As for Fayetteville, I can't say, but I did live in a college town myself for seven years. Yes, the young adults dominate throughout the school year, but it's dead during breaks and very low-key during the summer months.

As for retirement, I suggest you Google something like "Cost of Living City Comparison" and compare it to several other cities in which you've lived or were considering.

Do get up to Gaston's White River Resort. It's the heat!
 

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