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Vol VI Issue 65
September 6, 2011
Previous Issues
Rural Arkansas and Inviting
Russellville Draw Retirees Seeking A Peaceful Setting, Lake
Recreation and an Appetite for Life's Simpler Pleasures
Cost of Living: Below the National Average
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Tucked away in lush, rural west central Arkansas,
about an hour outside of Little Rock, the town of
Russellville (population 29,000) sits along the Arkansas
River in rolling hills between the Ozark Mountains and
the Ouachita Mountains. The town started out
in the 1820s, and throughout the years, when it
experienced an economic boom, it was usually due to the
introduction of new infrastructure (the railroad in the
1870s, Interstate 40 in the 1950s, a dam in the 1960s
and a nuclear power plant in the 1970s). Through
all of this, Russellville has gone about its business,
quiet and unpretentious. In the last decade,
however, it has been somewhat discovered as a great
place to retire, and its population has
mushroomed by 20%. Conservative, safe and
amiable, Russellville has a very affordable cost of
living, roughly 15% below the national average, and a
location that entices even the most ardent homebody out
into the natural world. Of the population, 32% is
age 45 or better.
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The median home price is $125,000, also well below the national
average, and a housing dollar goes a long way here. Cozy
single family homes, even new ones, are for sale in the $65,000 to
$95,000 range, but inventory really opens up in the $100,000s
($150,000 will buy a large new 4 bedroom, 2 bath single family
home made of brick). Homes in the $200,000s often have
four to 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, a 3 car garage and maybe a pool.
Million dollar residences are not the norm.
Arkansas is a tax-friendly state when it comes to
retirement. Social Security and up $6,000 of other
retirement income is exempt from state income tax. Regular
income is taxed on a sliding scale from 1% to 7%. When
it comes to property taxes, all households are eligible for a tax
refund of up to $350, and homes are assessed at 20% of fair market
value. On a $125,000 home, the annual taxes are
roughly $785. Overall, Arkansas has some of the lowest
property taxes in the country.
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The idyllic Arkansas River Valley, where Russellville makes its
home, is gaining a reputation as a recreation oasis and attracts tourists
during the summer. Nearby 35,000-acre Lake Dardanelle, clean and
sparkling, and Lake Dardanelle State Park both provide plenty of areas for camping,
hiking, canoeing, rock climbing, boating, picnicking and bicycling (some of
the best bicycling trails in Arkansas are here). Russellville may be
best known for its fishing, though, with fishing tournaments (particularly
bass) big business, attracting anglers from around the region.
And when not on the Lake, residents enjoy one private golf course (at the
Russellville Country Club) and two public courses within a few miles of town.
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Cultural amenities are not in great supply, but
the Arkansas River Valley Arts Center is here and promotes the
arts through exhibits, classes and workshops. Its downtown
Arts Walk is held every three months and gives locals the chance
to enjoy live music, great food and art displays.
Russellville is the site of Arkansas Tech University, a four-year
public institution with 7,000 students, not enough to have an
overwhelming presence but big enough to provide a fun venue for
attending athletic competitions, concerts and plays.
Perhaps the biggest event in Russellville is the summer's end Pope
County Fair, an event full of music, livestock auctions,
fattening food and carnival rides.
Russellville is off the beaten track, but
retailers include Wal-Mart, a Lowe's and a J.C. Penny's. For
more in-depth shopping, including shopping malls, Fort Smith
(population 85,000) is 75 miles away and Little Rock (population
190,000) is 65 miles away. The city has a small
airport with connecting flights to the airports in Little Rock,
Fort Smith, Hot Springs and Harrison. There is, however, no
public bus system.
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This is an interactive map.
Click on the arrows in the upper left hand
corner to move the map to the East, West, North or South, and
click on the +/- signs (more than once if necessary) to zoom
in and out.
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The downtown is small, real and populated with locally owned clothiers, banks and restaurants. The library, a
branch of the Pope County Library System, dates from 1937 and was a Works
Progress Administration (WPA) project. It is not large but has recently been
remodeled, and the staff is helpful. There are downloadable books and a
book club but no public access computers.
St. Mary's Regional Hospital, with 120 beds, is the primary
health care facility and is accredited by the Joint Commission. It has a
solid reputation and meets or exceeds national averages in nearly all
areas. Medicare, but not Medicaid, patients are accepted.
For military retirees, Russellville has a CBOC. The nearest VA hospital
is in Little Rock.
The Russellville Senior Center is a branch of the Arkansas
Division of Aging and Adult Services, which oversees all services and programs
for more mature Arkansas residents and offers AARP tax assistance, guidance
and referrals for Russellville retirees.
This part of the country has hot and humid summers,
with temperatures into the 90s and three to six inches of precipitation per
month. Winter temperatures are in the 20s and 30s, and there may
be a couple of inches of snow in January and February. On the comfort
index, a combination of temperature and humidity, Russellville comes in under
the national average. The sun shines 215 days of the year. Both
the water quality and air quality are well above the national averages.
It must be mentioned that the nuclear power plant, Arkansas
Nuclear One (Arkansas' only nuclear power plant), built in 1974, is still
here. It has a clean safety record, and the taxes it pays help
keep Russellville's property taxes low. The National Regulatory
Commission has calculated that the chances of an earthquake affecting the
plant are 1 in 243,902. Residents seem to take the power plant in
stride.
For all that Russellville has going for it, a few things
should be kept in mind if considering retirement here. Community spirit is a Russellville
point of pride, and residents are welcoming, but it is best to
accept Russellville as it is, a down to earth place with respect for
traditional, working class values and life's simpler pleasures. Newcomers
who come with ideas of changing Russellville usually do not stay
long. And Russellville is
not a place for anyone seeking a retirement full of hustle and bustle (it
is sometimes called "RussVegas," an inside joke about how completely
unlike Las Vegas it is). The crime rate is above the
national average but not worryingly so. The tornado risk is 165% above
the national average.
So for people seeking an affordable, easygoing retirement in
a scenic setting with lakes and mountains and lots of outdoor recreation, this
peaceful place might be just the ticket. When sitting on the
porch watching the sun set over the lake after a long day of fishing, with the
last flickers of light dancing on the nearby mountain tops and the air sweet
and fresh, Russellville seems just about perfect.
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