I've got some interviews scheduled for a job in Bentonville (yeah, I can hear your collective sigh from here...). Relocation would be necessary, so I'm casually looking at Zillow and trying to get an idea on what I'd be in for if I get an offer and decide to move there. I'm currently on enough acreage that I can safely shoot 100yards on my property now. I'd want something similar if possible. I can't stand developments, HOAs, and living on a postage stamp sized lot, but it seems like thats all thats available in the immediate area.

Hows the traffic on 102 and 49? Going east, is 62 or 12 any better? I want to understand what areas are realistically within 30-45 minute commute of Bentonville - an hour at the most/peak traffic times. Which way to go to escape the city and still be within a commutable distance? Or is that just not possible without a few million to spend?

Seems like nothing there has a basement.  Are basements just not a thing in AR? (high water table?)

Whats the local/statewide political outlook? I assume safely red, with little to no gun control on the potential horizon (???)

Sounds like you would be better off looking at SW MO for a place.
Trying to find land in NWA is amazingly expensive and you will end up being more than 45 minutes out for anything even approaching affordable. SW MO will have more options within your drive time.

Also keep in mind that the population is estimated to hit the 1 million+ mark in NWA within the next 10 years. We were talking with a JBH executive during dove season this year and he had moved due to this and all of his (rich) friends that were gun minded were also moving to SW MO.

Land is just going to keep going up in price; but no one at my level can afford to move.

ETA: Traffic can be hit or miss, rush hour is always busy in the morning and afternoon. However a difference of 15 minutes early and you are in a different world on the bypass.

Cant speak for basement, only a few houses that we looked at had them.

Politics is funky. The state is generally D and R mix; but we go R at a federal level.

A 100 yard range within 45 minute rush hour drive will limit you to SW Missouri and I'm not sure you will find it there.

There was a member here that lived in MO and had a 100 yard hole cut through the limbs of his trees, so he could shoot at that range.

Where are you coming from?  You may be in for a little culture shock.  Although if your looking at WalMart as a culture, you may be fine.

ETA:  you might look at hwy 72 towards Pea Ridge or off I49 around Gravette or Sulphur Springs.

Regarding basements.  The only ones you will find are walk outs on sloping hillsides.

Typically you will find solid limestone at 5-6 feet deep.  It isn't conducive to basements.

Oh yeah, you don't want to be east of Rogers on 62 or 12.  At least not if you have to drive to Bentonville.  It is beautiful out that way but driving through Rogers during anytime of day is miserable

Thanks.  Looking closer at a streetview I can see what you mean about Rogers.  It looks like all kinds of traffic converges at that intersection of 94, 62, and N 2nd.  Too bad - some of the houses around Beaver Lake look fairly nice with decent views, despite the small lots and HOAs.

Where you're trying to get in Bentonville makes a difference on how long it takes. 102 is a nightmare at rush hours.
I'm in Centerton (boarders Bentonville to the west). SWMO would be a good spot for the land you're looking for. Further west from me you can find some inexpensive (for the area) land, but check for active chicken farms in the area. They're pungent.

Shoot me a message if you have any specific questions, I'd love to help out.

Thanks - this is all very helpful.  I love my state, and I have a great place with lots of privacy, but I'm starting to look around to get out before the creeping blue cancer turns it into the state of South NY.  

I read on the forum somewhere else here, the state tax is something like 5%? And county, and city taxes on top of that?  Any insight there specific for Bentonville?  (This would certainly come in handy on salary discussions).

Bentonville is 9.5% total. All of NWA is close to that.

Holy shit!

I think I'm around 5% now for state (PA) and local income tax.  

The 9.5% is sales tax.  We also have income tax.  Max rate is 7%.  So depending on salary you might be 4-5% of total income

I completely misread the question. Sorry about that.

Our sales tax sucks, though.

Oh, don't forget property tax.   Property tax on cars, trucks, RVs.   And on your home and other real estate.

Property tax is likely lower than in PA.   My house is valued at around $300k.  Property tax is $1500 or so.

Three cars and RV.  Property tax around $600

It does all add up

In PA the property tax is based on your "assessed value" which is based on a complex formula starting with the value of your home, divided by a completely random number, multiplied by the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow, multiplied by the mils rate.  So basically the tax assessor pulls a random number out of their ass and shoves it up yours.  I really have no idea how they get to it, but I'm paying more than double your rate of tax per home value.

No property tax on other items though.  Sales tax is 6%, and state income tax is a flat 3.07% They rape us good on gas though.  I think we're up to about $0.80/gallon between fed and state gas tax.

Never thought I'd view PA as a 'low tax' state, but here we are.  For now.  The dems redistricted everything after 2020, and managed to elect a complete retard to the US senate, get control of the state senate, and almost win control of the state general assembly, so I'm pretty sure it won't last.

Arkansas as a entirety is a high(er) tax state. We were SOLID Democrat until 2010. There is a movement to lower income taxes, and i believe you will see that happen in the next 2-3 months.

I would rather see property tax gotten rid of... Being retired, the state doesn't tax social security, so getting rid of it wouldn't affect me and I'd still have to pay property tax on the cars...

We moved here last year from Missouri. I will say Arkansas is extremely friendly to retired military and disabled veterans. They do not tax my military retirement and I am exempt from property taxes. It is much cheaper for us here tax wise than it was in Missouri. Land is high here, partially because of the terrain and the fact that lots of it is national forest. The NW corner of the state is dominated by the Boston Mountains. It seems to me that Fayetteville to Bella Vista is pretty much forced into a narrow corridor. At least by the mountains in the West.   We live rurally near Van Buren but go up to Bentonville/Fayetteville frequently. Bentonville has some nice attractions and is a relatively affluent area. Fayetteville has a nice area downtown near the University.  Finding the amount of land you want here will be a challenge. We gave up 40 acres in Missouri and had hoped to find that here. Have settled on 15 but we back up to the mountains so have a lot of privacy.

We have found that Arkansas gov seems to be better run and funded than Missouri. Roads seem to be better here.

Late to the party, but I'd be looking near Siloam Springs to the west and everywhere between there and Farmington.

I’m considering moving to NWA from Florida to be closer to my 80 yr old dad in Oklahoma. The insurance on homes and cars along with rising property taxes is getting out of control down here but it appears that Arkansas has its own issues with high taxes. On a $50k yr state pension. How hard am I going to get slammed on Arkansas state income tax?

It will depend on adjustments to your income.  Deductions etc.

Assuming no deductions tax on $50k is $1850 ish

Arkansas income tax table

Thank you.

Probably a little late but...
I think you get to take a $3000 (or is it $6000?) deduction from your pension, plus any federal deductions (medical at 100%) and a few other small deductions... SS isn't taxed but RMD's are... and after your first year property tax increase (from paying 10x more for your house than it last sold for) you can claim a homestead exemption (takes a couple of hundred off IIRC) and if you're over a certain age (maybe 65?) you can have the property tax frozen for as long as you live there (but if the local millage goes up then so does your tax... gotcha).
In AZ I paid about $500 PPT for a fairly new vehicle and here is about $350 for a similar ride.
I haven't compared what the state charges to what I was paying in AZ, but my general impression is that they nickle and dime you here for everything...

NW Arkansas is not your place given what I bolded and underlined.

I have a friend who is still up there who told me there are no "starter homes" in NWA anymore.  

I left Fayetteville in 2009.  I've only been back to visit a couple of times, but from what I've seen, the area is "red" but has gone full on commie at the local political level.  Especially Fayetteville.  

I'd look in SW Missouri if you HAVE to move there.  Otherwise I'd avoid it.  It was a neat place before the explosive growth in the early 2000's.  Now it's just another giant suburbia with less charm each year, but lots more chain restaurants.

NE Arkansas/ Jonesboro is sadly moving the same way, just a couple of decades behind NW Arkansas.

The bad thing about the "it" places to live, is everyone moves there, and then the place is ruined.