When buying real estate in Arkansas, consider the deep past the land has seen. It was inhabited by groups like the Quapaw, the Osage and the Caddo for thousands of years before European colonization. In fact, the name ‘Arkansas’, is derived from ‘Akansa’, which was what the Quapaw people were called in Algonquian. 

The Spanish explored the region in 1541 and 1542, but the expedition ended in disaster. The French settled a trading post in a Quapaw village in 1686. The French sold the territory to the Americans in 1803. The region became the ‘Territory of Arkansaw’ in 1819, and ‘the state of Arkansas’ in 1936.

According to the 2020 census, just over 3,011,000 people live in the state of Arkansas, up from 2,915,000 in 2010. As of 2019, there were just under 1,390,000 individual housing units in the state of Arkansas, and just over 65% of them were owner-occupied. More than 12,000 building permits issued in 2020. With the population rising steadily it is a great time to buy or rent a condo in Arkansas. 

 Roughly 87% of Arkansas residents over the age of 25 have high school diplomas, and just under 24% have a Bachelor’s degree or higher. The median household income was $77,790 as of 2020. 

The weather is one of the things that sells Arkansas real estate. It is technically a Humid Subtropical climate, largely due to its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico. Arkansas is known for warm, humid summers and dry, cool winters. However, it is a large state with plenty of microclimates. You can find just about any kind of weather you like somewhere in the state. 

In the region of Little Rock, for instance, summer highs get up to an average of 93 degrees, with average overnight lows in January around 32 degrees. Most of the state gets between 40 and 60 inches of rain in an average year. When it rains, though, it pours. Arkansas is known for its storms, and hail, snow and ice are common. In the summer, tornadoes are not unheard-of, either. Keep that in mind if you’re buying mobile homes in Arkansas

Hillcrest

If you have decided to buy or rent a condo in Arkansas, consider looking in the Little Rock neighborhood of Hillcrest. It is a bit upscale, but you can afford that in Arkansas. Hillcrest offers everything you might want, from dining culture to wide, green yards. 

The Heights

The Heights is a great place to live if you want to spread out a bit, but still want easy access to downtown and the business district. If you are going to buy land in the state of Arkansas, The Heights in Little Rock is a good place to look.

Riverdale

Riverdale is hiding some of the best Arkansas real estate for sale today. Located on the beautiful Arkansas river, and connects to both Murray Park and the Arkansas River Trail. 

Chenal Valley

Chenal Valley is a recently developed neighborhood in west-central little rock, named after Shinall Mountain. It is heavily wooded, but many large homes and condo complexes peek out from the forest. There is plenty of room, and a great deal of Arkansas real estate for sale there.

River Market

If you are buying real estate in Arkansas, look in the River Market neighborhood of Little Rock. The River Market boasts attractions like the Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden in Riverfront Park, the H.U. Lee International Gate and Garden and a thriving dining and nightlife scene.

The cost of living is very low. Your housing budget will stretch much farther in Arkansas than it will on the coasts, and with low property tax rates and living expenses, you’ll find it a very inexpensive place to be. Living can be between 10% and 15% cheaper in Arkansas than the national average – depending on what city you choose. 

Even the big cities have small town charm. Arkansas has plenty of individual small towns, but even its half-a-million-strong metropolitan areas avoid the oppressive, overgrown feel of big midwestern cities like Chicago or Minneapolis.  

The real estate is dirt cheap. The median home cost in Arkansas is just a shade over half of that for the US as a whole. If you’re selling off somewhere else, that means you could afford nearly twice the house for the same price. Or you could buy 2 and rent one out…

The local culture is great. There is always something going on in one part of Arkansas or another. Examples include the Spanker Creek Farm Arts and Crafts Festival, the Arkansas Folk Festival, the Hope Watermelon Festival, the Depot Days Music Festival, the Bikes, Blues and BBQ Festival, the Arkansas Scottish Festival, the Ozark Folk Festival and the Magnolia Blossom Festival.

Well, now, that all depends. Arkansas real estate is very affordable, so you can probably afford a better home in, say, Fayetteville than you could in LA… but the size of your home isn’t everything. 

 The best thing you can do to make sure you end up happy buying real estate in Arkansas would be to visit, and see how well you and your family fit into the local culture. Once you know you can be happy there, you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a suitable home.