Northwest Arkansas is rapidly making a name for itself through a growing community of incredible people. And recently, the area gained the attention of the Wall Street Journal.
The Wall Street Journal published a big spread about Bentonville, Arkansas, on March 15, 2023. The article provides a broad overview of NWA, focusing on home prices, local investments, and the general growth in the Bentonville area compared to a decade ago to forecast its economic future.
The Wall Street Journal circulates to millions of readers daily, and the article can provide some excellent publicity for Northwest Arkansas and Bentonville, in particular. In this post, I’ll explain why WSJ published the piece and how I got involved. I’ll also break down what the article is saying overall.
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How I Got Involved
Around late summer 2022, I was eating dinner when I got a text from someone at the Wall Street Journal who wanted to do an article about the luxury market around Northwest Arkansas. (And let me tell you, it was the fastest I’ve ever responded to a text!)
WSJ saw the data sets for home prices, and how those prices in NWA have gone from nothing to something, so they wanted to check out this area for a real estate piece.
However, this idea quickly morphed once I talked with them about what was happening out here. I told them about the Walmart, JB Hunt, and Tyson startups; I spoke of the flocks of people moving here; I went on about the trails, biking, and outdoor activities galore.
After I shared all of this, WSJ decided to scrap the luxury article and turned it into a full spread about all things NWA, specifically focusing on Bentonville.
NWA Was Nothing 10 Years Ago
One overarching theme in the article is that NWA –Bentonville, specifically– was nothing 10 to 15 years ago. Nothing. Fayetteville was something because it has a college town. Yet Bentonville only had a small town with small homes, and nothing was going on, per se, other than it somehow held one of the biggest companies in the world.
The article talks about some of the home prices from 10 to 15 years ago, then goes on to explain how the whole area has grown exponentially in a good way over the last decade. For instance, it mentions the Crystal Bridges expansion and all the different things we currently have in the works throughout Rogers, Fayetteville, Springdale, and, of course, Bentonville.
It’s interesting for the WSJ to point out the fact that NWA wasn’t even on the radar 10 years ago, and now it’s gaining the attention of not only the people moving here but also of the Wall Street Journal and people worldwide. The area went from nothing to one of the most sought-after destinations to move to in America.
Local Investments
What truly put NWA on the radar for the Wall Street Journal was what I told them about the investment factor. This is another overarching theme of the article, discussing the investments of businesses in the area.
What kickstarted much of the growth here was the Walton Family Foundation alongside the JB Hunt and Tyson families. These three big corporations have invested heavily in the NWA area, providing grants for building and fixing up downtown sections, restaurants, bridges, and roads.
In addition, the University of Arkansas is drawing in lots of people for sports, education, and other reasons. And, of course, the NWA Council is deploying funds and getting people here. (If you aren’t familiar with the NWA Council, read my post WHO and WHAT is the Northwest Arkansas Council to learn more.)
All these major factors have been continuously developing for a decade, and now we’re seeing the actual flywheel happen. It’ll be very interesting to look back on the history of Bentonville and Northwest Arkansas, in general, to see how an area can be built from nothing into something magnificent. In the meantime, I’m excited to live here and see all the developments!
For more information, you can check out my article discussing the next big projects starting in Bentonville.
Also, I have a 3-day itinerary that can help you decide what activities to do if you’re overwhelmed by everything Northwest Arkansas has to offer.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a foodie, a sports person, a sightseer, or want to spend quality time with your kids; I have something for you. Check out the link below to learn more:
https://www.allthingsnwa.com/3-day-itinerary-northwest-arkansas
New Standards
You need to read between the lines a little for the article’s third point. Nonetheless, the Wall Street Journal presents the idea that Bentonville and the Northwest Arkansas area, in general, are setting the living standards for future developments, not just here but across the world. And I don’t mean the living standards of actual housing; I mean the living standards of outdoor recreation.
It truly goes back to the awesome phrasing I use all the time: Live, work, play. Many areas in America and across the world have different perks and peaks, yet you can’t do all those things in larger cities. But here, in Northwest Arkansas, there’s an ecosystem that allows you to do all three.
Community-Driven
The last thing the Wall Street Journal pointed out also requires you to read between the lines to notice, but it’s clear, and I recognized it. The article highlights how Walmart, JB Hunt, Tyson, and several other factors have worked to grow Northwest Arkansas to where it is now. However, those factors won’t be what continues to advance the area necessarily.
Instead, it’s going to be the growing community that drives NWA forward. As of posting this article, an average of 35 people or more per day move here, so it’s quite obvious that the growth is coming from many in the community and not only a few entities. So, a big part of the WSJ article discusses all the incredible people who have moved here and are helping grow Bentonville and the general Northwest Arkansas area.
Final Thoughts
If you’re considering moving to Bentonville or anywhere in the NWA area, believe me when I say you’re more than welcome here! You’ll fit right in with the community and find many groups of people doing fun, crazy, amazing things, helping to push the envelope forward in Northwest Arkansas. As I always say, this truly is a great place where you can live, work, and play!