When I wanted to move out of Chicago, I could have moved anywhere in America. And I looked all over, in North Carolina, Alabama, Idaho, Montana, Texas, Colorado, Arizona –everywhere! I considered all these places but ended up in Northwest Arkansas for six reasons.
I chose Northwest Arkansas over everywhere else because of its many large economic drivers and investments, the available outdoor recreation, and the affordable housing. NWA is also centrally located and has a growing airport offering nonstop flights nationwide, making for easy travel.
Many other places I looked at had a few perks in moving there. But only Northwest Arkansas encapsulated all of these different things. Moreover, it’s doing a fantastic job at every single one. Keep reading as I share more about these six specific reasons why I chose Northwest Arkansas over any other place in America.
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The Major 5 Economic Drivers
One of the biggest reasons I chose Northwest Arkansas is because it has five huge economic drivers in the area.
First, there are three major companies here: Walmart, JB Hunt, and Tyson. Walmart is consumer goods and transportation, JB Hunt is also transportation, and Tyson is food production. Together, these three are a big powerhouse for jobs and economic growth.
In addition, the Northwest Arkansas Council is a group of business owners and other influential people in NWA. This group complements what the three big companies are doing in terms of economic growth, as they have a lot of money and initiative to invest and ensure that Northwest Arkansas continues to be the best place to live in America.
Lastly, there is the University of Arkansas, which brings in 30,000 students yearly. This is a substantial economic driver between education, football, and everything else. But on top of that, it also drives more small and mid-size businesses and headquarters here.
They see the area’s development and how these five economic drivers are an overwhelmingly positive way to make the area a great place to live and invest back into the community, which is rare for many big businesses.
Outdoor Recreation is Supported and Encouraged
The second reason I moved to Northwest Arkansas over any other place in America was the outdoor recreation. When I lived in Illinois, I was often trapped indoors during winter because going outside when it’s negative 20 degrees sounds awful. But moving here made it so I could be outdoors all year.
I like outdoor activities. And outdoor recreation is highly loved, focused on, and encouraged here in Northwest Arkansas. The big corporations, the NWA Council, and the university are all proponents of it. Many companies have moved here because of it. We also have numerous community groups that are focused on outdoor recreation.
We have 500 miles of trails, rivers, lakes, and more dedicated to outdoor recreation. There’s so much you can do here, including:
- Hiking
- Biking
- Running
- Swimming
- Fishing
- Kayaking
- Parasailing
- Rock climbing
Plus, anyone you meet is likely participating in some outdoor recreation, and it’s nice to be part of a community that focuses on that.
NWA Is Centrally Located
The third reason I moved to Northwest Arkansas is it’s centrally located.
Many other growing cities in America are located so many hours away from anything else. But NWA is in a great spot that lets you go to several different places relatively quickly. If I want to go to Tulsa, it’s an hour and a half; Kansas City, three hours tops.
Even if I want to go to Dallas, I can drive there in four and a half or five hours. Head out to Hot Springs or Little Rock. If you really wanted to, you could even take a day trip to the ocean. New Orleans is about 10 or 11 hours from here.
If you’re still on the fence about moving to the area, check out my article on who NWA is perfect for, especially if you enjoy the outdoors. [Northwest Arkansas Is Perfect For…]
Big Investments Moving Here
The fourth reason I moved to Northwest Arkansas is that I knew of the significant investments moving into the area. Undoubtedly, one of the next big focuses in America is Northwest Arkansas.
There have been headquarters, developers, startup companies, hedge funds, portfolio managers, and investment groups all moving into NWA, one after another because they see the growth and development of this specific area.
Plus, so many different franchises and small businesses have grown exponentially. They’ve been wise with their money and continue to add on more locations because the economic development has been so good for them.
So, if you own a small business here, you’ll do just fine because there’s so much economic development. It’s genuinely driven by small businesses.
There are also events like the annual Bentonville Chamber event, organized by the Greater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce, to help support all types of businesses. To learn more about the Chamber event, check out my article about the Chamber’s background and what you can gain from becoming a Bentonville Chamber of Commerce member.
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
Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA)
XNA is what I would consider a decent size airport. It currently has one terminal, and they’re adding more terminals and lanes, so it’s growing.
Yet, what I love about it is that I can go anywhere I want in America just from this airport. This differed from other places I looked at because the airport was too far or too small and didn’t have connecting flights. Whereas I can go nonstop to LAX, Dallas, Houston, Denver, Chicago, Indianapolis, New York, or anywhere from XNA.
Best of all, you can park your car at the airport and within 30 minutes be on an airplane.
Overall, XNA offered convenience, which was a big deal for me since I enjoy traveling.
Affordable Housing
The final reason I chose Northwest Arkansas was because of the affordable housing.
People from California or other expensive areas of America often can’t get ahead in life because it’s so expensive to live. The taxes are so high, or they can’t afford to be there for whatever reason. That’s one of the reasons I moved out of Chicago because my dollar just went father here.
Another perk I loved about NWA is that it’s not a cookie-cutter place made for one type of person. You can get a new-style house, an older-style house, a barn, or open land; there are so many options with a flavor for everyone here.
And I love that there are so many styles of people here. I love the diversity. It’s great seeing that some people can live in a barn, and some people can live in a million-dollar home, and we can all go to downtown Bentonville, Fayetteville, or Rogers and just hang out. It’s one big community with people from various walks of life that come together and live here.
Final Thoughts
I chose Northwest Arkansas over everywhere else in America for all these reasons. It was such an easy choice to make, and I truly believe this is America’s number one place to live, work, and play!