Finding the Best Places to Retire Since 2006!
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Tucked in Northwestern Arkansas' Lush Ozark Mountains, Eureka Springs is a Lively Victorian Village, an Artists' Retreat and a Fun Tourist Destination All Rolled into One
Eureka Springs (population 2,200) sits in northwestern Arkansas' scenic Ozark Mountains. and receives raves reviews from just about everyone. Small but lively, it is a Victorian village, an artists' retreat and a fun tourist destination all rolled into one.
The town came to be during the mid-1800s when the local spring waters were said to cure everything from blindness to gout. People, including Jesse James, Bonnie and Clyde and Carry Nation, traveled from all over the country to drink the water, and at one point Eureka Springs was nearly as large as Little Rock. After the railroad arrived in 1882, local leaders promoted their town as a retirement and vacation destination for the upper classes who came and built grand homes. Today, all of Eureka Springs is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The cost of living is 20% below the national average. More than half of residents are age 45 or better. Thirty-two percent of locals have a four year college degree. Politics lean to the right. The population has remained steady within the last decade. The crime is slightly above the national average.
The median home price is $295,000, reflecting a 3% increase from a year ago, and homes include cabins, cottages, ranch ramblers and more. Holiday Island is a lakeside vacation resort with a wide range of home prices.
The center of town is a step into an earlier time, with commercial stone buildings and stylish Victorian residences lining steep winding streets. In fact, much of Eureka Springs looks like a 19th-century movie set.
Interesting local architecture includes the Basin Park Hotel. It is built on a hill but all of its eight stories have a ground floor entrance. Penn Memorial Baptist Church connects to three different streets at three different levels and has three addresses. St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church is the only church with a bell tower entrance. The stunning Thorncrown Chapel, nestled in the woods, has 425 windows and has won numerous top design awards. And homeowners must adhere to strict building codes so that Eureka Springs' architectural aesthetics remain intact.
Events and festivals are many. The Blues Weekend, the Ozark Folk Festival, the Food and Wine Festival, the Bikes, Blues and Barbeques Festival, the Kite Festival and the Victorian Classic Run are just a few of dozens. There are studio and gallery tours, including the Gallery Stroll each Saturday, as well as holiday parades and street markets. Many of these activities are geared to tourists, but residents enjoy them as well.
One particular claim to fame is the Great Passion Play, which has been running since the mid-1960s. It is a lavish annual production that has attracted hundreds of thousands of attendees and brings together hundreds of actors and animals to tell the story of Jesus Christ's last days on earth, his death and resurrection. The theater is also home to a seven-story tall, white concrete statue of Jesus known as Christ of the Ozarks.
Seven miles west of town, the 66-year-old Opera in the Ozarks presents three productions each summer season, and recent productions have included Carmen, Tosca and Don Giovanni. The Eureka Springs School of the Arts offers classes to emerging artists.
Downtown is charming with coffee shops, boutiques, bookstores and restaurants, and there are nearly two dozen art galleries. Numerous musicians have also settled here, and when the sun goes down, music from numerous taverns wafts onto the streets. Eureka Springs continues to be a place of healing as 20 or more spas and massage therapy establishments provide a way to relax and rejuvenate.
The Eureka Springs Carnegie Public Library, a classical revival-style structure built with money donated by industrialist Andrew Carnegie, has computers with Internet access.
The public transportation system consists of a trolley, which caters to tourists, but it covers most of the town and runs year-round, although operating days are limited during winter months.
Eureka Springs Hospital is not accredited by the Joint Commission, but Medicare patients are accepted. Mercy Medical, 10 miles away in Berryville, is accredited.
For outdoor lovers, the surrounding mountains, rivers and lakes provide great venues for abundant fishing, boating, camping, birding, hiking and more.
On average, the area receives 45 inches of rain and 12 inches of snow each year, and ice storms happen occasionally. Summer temperatures are in the 80s and 90s, and winter temperatures are in the 20s, 30s and 40s. The risk of a tornado is 145% higher than the national average.
Recommended as a Retirement Spot? Yes, but... | Is Arkansas Tax-Friendly at Retirement? Yes
Eureka Springs has a lot going for it. It is reasonably priced, artsy, beautiful and protective of its architectural and cultural heritage, but its higher than average crime rate and tourist crowds should be considered before retiring here.
Arkansas:
On June 15, 1836, Arkansas became the 25th state to enter the Union. It was the 9th to secede from the Union and enter the Confederacy on May 6, 1861. Its name comes from a French misinterpretation of the Sioux word for "downstream place" - acansa.
Officially known the Natural State, Arkansas has an abundance of mineral, gas, and petroleum resources. After mining, agriculture ranks high in the state's economy. With the exception of citrus fruits, Arkansans grow a wide variety of crops. Broilers, rice, soybeans, cattle, and cotton are some of their best selling products.
Arkansas contains mountains, caves, lakes, and 9,700 miles of streams and rivers. The state is also home to six national parks, ten scenic byways, and 50 state parks. Although late summers can be hot and humid, Arkansas has mild climate with four distinct seasons.
Arkansan Hattie Caraway became the first woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate in 1932. Other famous natives include Johnny Cash, Iris DeMent, and Billy Bob Thornton.
Webwerxx, Inc. Copyright (c) 2006-2024. All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced in any way without the express written consent of Webwerxx, Inc. Reproducing any original part of this publication without written permission from Webwerxx, Inc. is plagiarism. Numerous attempts were made to verify the accuracy of the information contained in this website, but some information may have changed since each article and/or report went online, and Webwerxx, Inc. is not responsible for inaccurate information contained in its articles and/or reports.