I f you are considering retirement in Arkansas, do your homework It's true that some homes are cheaper here than in many other places. However, food and everything else is about the same as it was in South Florida (where we came from). Your home owners taxes, insurance, auto insurance etc. will probably be lower, but this also depends on the price of your home and the make and model
of your car(s).
If you are in the retirement age bracket you will probably want access to good and
quick medical care etc. This narrows down your geographic choices rather quickly. My husband and I are putting our “paid for” home on the market in Arkansas in order to relocate to Mexico. We have been researching the wheres, whys and how to stuff for a long time. We have an income that, in Mexico, would provide us with, a gracious and comfortable lifestyle, though not one of luxury. The dollar goes no further here in Arkansas (other than home prices) than it does in other US states. Our reason for leaving is that medical insurance, co-pays, RX's and so on are way too expensive! If you don't want a supplement for Medicare and you get sick, you could end up with some serious bills. If you don't elect a supplement within the
set time constraints, you may have to wait until the following November to do so. At that time, you may and may not HAVE A PROBLEM WITH “PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS (some of which you might have been unaware of). Thus, going without good insurance means taking a risk. Buying the insurance means taking a financial hit! Last night it was 8 degrees F and minus 11 degrees F with the wind chill factor. Don't get me wrong! There is plenty of wood from last years “now historical” ice storm. We know because we are still cleaning and cutting up downed trees! Now if you don't want to put wood on the fire all night (sounds romantic but it's not when it's this cold) then think twice.
We have a wood burning fireplace in the garage/workshop and a gas one in the house, along with central heat and air.That stuff is not free!
We are in a lovely tourist town with lakes all around us. The summer months are very busy, also very hot and humid! Air conditioning is, again, not free! In short, if you add up medical insurance, utility bills and gas for your car (everything is spread out here), two people could, most likely, live in parts of Mexico on that amount for nearly a month in a home they owned!
It is beautiful here. As for retirement . . . it's not working for us. If we buy a very, very moderate priced home in Mexico (135,00 or under) we could make up the difference in less than four years.
One more thing, homes for $50,000 in Arkansas might not be what or where you think they are. Reasonable neighborhoods don't have much to offer in the very
low (50,000) price range. Keep in mind that you will want to eat, stay warm in
winter and cool in summer!
If you have dreams of working part or full time, well, that is not an easy one here. Walmart does hire seniors! If you are in the medical profession and a local, much younger person is not competing for the job, you might get lucky. Nothing is impossible, though extremely improbable! There are not many jobs here in the
best of times (maybe Little Rock, but homes are higher there and so is crime!).
Our information is current as of 2010.
If you are an adaptable person and want warm weather, peace of mind and affordable medical insurance and/or care, Mexico wins hands down! Whatever you decide, Good luck to you. Most of all, stay well!

Thanks for your thoughts!