Is there a good nearby lake where I could keep a ski boat? How close by, and how many acres?

If so, yes. I'd be there in a NY minute.

The people screaming no because of the supposed lack of diversity are probably just as narrow minded and insular in their own way as the those they judge for living in non-diverse places

OP, only way to find out if you'd like Bentonville is to actually move there. Go for a visit as a test. Just as with everything else in life, some people will love it, others will hate it. Some people don't mind being a liberal minority just as others don't mind being a conservative minority, while the reverses would hate it. Some people will walk through life feeling that they're being judged and stared at all the time for not being the conventional stereotype of the area, others will quickly find their peers (LGBT, Jewish, atheist, liberals, artists, etc) in the same area and never look back. Others simply don't care and happily live their life the way they want.

Anonymous wrote:We're an interracial and intercultural family, and no, we wouldn't move to the deep south.

LOL. Bentonville AR is 10 miles from Missouri. Not the deep south.

I could live there. I spent some time in Joplin, Missouri not too far away. As smaller town living goes, you're not too far from several bigger cities. A couple of hours drive from Lake of the Ozarks. If you are going to live in smaller-town midwest or plains states it's one of the better places to live I think.

Anonymous wrote:I would do it. It would be an interesting experience for your family, the schools are good and given the divide of urban vs. the non-urban politically, it would be so interesting to get a peek into a different side of life in America. I think it would be good for your kids to get to experience both. It's not like the Bentonville area (which has several multi-national headquarters there - Wal-Mart, Tysons and JB Hunt) doesn't have employees who they've moved there from all over so it's not a rural, insular place, but it would certainly be different from DC. Crystal Bridges is a very well regarded museum and they definitely have money to do interesting things so it sounds like it could be an interesting professional move, too. Keep us posted!

it is very insular and rural. Large houses in planned communities surrounded by cow farms. Picture box stores, lots of bbq places and restaurants attached to gas stations. Most of the buildings are these weird trailer buildings. There are chickens everywhere. Wait until you are stuck at red lights behind a truckload of chickens staring back at you. Schools are not good and look ok on the surface, but really they aren't. Lots of football, lots of it. Those hogs are everywhere. Cultural dead zone. Travel is very difficult too. You are landlocked-no water or mountains... and the airport is tiny and so expensive to fly out of /into. I would never move school age children there,much less tweens/teens.

I would do it. It would be an interesting experience for your family, the schools are good and given the divide of urban vs. the non-urban politically, it would be so interesting to get a peek into a different side of life in America. I think it would be good for your kids to get to experience both. It's not like the Bentonville area (which has several multi-national headquarters there - Wal-Mart, Tysons and JB Hunt) doesn't have employees who they've moved there from all over so it's not a rural, insular place, but it would certainly be different from DC. Crystal Bridges is a very well regarded museum and they definitely have money to do interesting things so it sounds like it could be an interesting professional move, too. Keep us posted!

phuck no

LOL I love how people are trying to negate our actual experiences as an intercultural and interracial family that has lived all over. You're not entitled to insist we're wrong. It's our experience. It's not something I'll subject my kids to.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, please tell us all how we too can move there. I’ll go jogging on those trails with you, and then we will drink mint juleps on the porch.

Count me in!

ewww, you should see the size of the flies and spiders there. Copperheads too.

Anonymous wrote:For Walmart, yes. It's the type of company where you don't have to stay forever if you end up not liking the job or AR. Leader in the CPG space -- you can then get other jobs in the CPG space in other locations. If the job is something like in house lawyer -- also yes -- firms love courting ex-WMT people bc they view it is an in to getting even a small % of WMT's business.

There is a Jewish community there -- amongst the WMT transplants. From what I've heard WMT transplants are like an ex pat community -- all living in the same areas, socializing together, kids in the same schools etc. -- so your day to day social interactions are not all that different from the east coast.

NO!!!!!! We are a jewish family that lived there. WORST YEARS of MY Life. No it is nothing like the east coast-we live in Boston now and there is nothing comparable. The schools are terrible, there are very few restaurants, church is central to life there, very little cultural experiences. Do not do it.

I never would but I’ve got a few acquaintances that moved there—they all work for Walmart. Their pictures on social media look nice, if a bit cookie cutter. No different than any midwestern suburb, I’d guess.

Because I am a big city/east coast gal (NY, Boston, DC), no amount of $$ could.get me to move there. Not for any reason. But your family is not mine. Do what works for you.

Anonymous wrote:We're an interracial and intercultural family, and no, we wouldn't move to the deep south.

All the Walmart money and transplants mean there's a decent amount of diversity. It is also only 30 minutes away from Fayetteville, where the University of Arkansas is located (major college town). The area is quite diverse and most people are educated.

Anonymous wrote:OP, please tell us all how we too can move there. I’ll go jogging on those trails with you, and then we will drink mint juleps on the porch.

I don't see a porch on either of the above houses.

Anonymous wrote:OP, please tell us all how we too can move there. I’ll go jogging on those trails with you, and then we will drink mint juleps on the porch.

Count me in!

Sure, for 8 figures/year. Enough so that I could retire in 5 or fewer years and never work again, and get the hell out of Arkansas.