Best Counties for Retirement in Arkansas 2026

75 counties ranked with the Retiree lens of the County Fit Score.

Top 5 Retirement Counties in Arkansas

1Montgomery County

All 75 Retirement-Ranked Counties in Arkansas

Rank	County	County Fit Score	baseline CountyScore	Delta
1	Montgomery County, AR	66.4	65.3	+1.1
2	Newton County, AR	64.9	65.4	-0.5
3	Madison County, AR	64	57.9	+6.1
4	Searcy County, AR	63.1	64.6	-1.5
5	Sharp County, AR	63.1	63.8	-0.7
6	Grant County, AR	60.9	55.7	+5.2
7	Pike County, AR	59.2	61.2	-2
8	Cleveland County, AR	57.5	55.4	+2.1
9	Perry County, AR	57.5	54.7	+2.8
10	Stone County, AR	57.5	59	-1.5
11	Calhoun County, AR	57.3	57.6	-0.3
12	Woodruff County, AR	57.2	56.7	+0.5
13	Izard County, AR	57.1	57.1	0
14	Clay County, AR	56	56	0
15	Little River County, AR	55.8	55	+0.8
16	Lincoln County, AR	55.7	52.6	+3.1
17	Van Buren County, AR	55.5	57.3	-1.8
18	Bradley County, AR	55.3	53.1	+2.2
19	Scott County, AR	55	48.9	+6.1
20	Nevada County, AR	54.5	52.8	+1.7
21	Hot Spring County, AR	53.8	52.1	+1.7
22	Boone County, AR	53.7	53.7	0
23	Johnson County, AR	53.3	53.1	+0.2
24	Dallas County, AR	53	56	-3
25	Marion County, AR	52.8	49.1	+3.7
26	Polk County, AR	52.6	51.5	+1.1
27	Drew County, AR	52.3	46.6	+5.7
28	Lawrence County, AR	52.1	52.5	-0.4
29	Randolph County, AR	52	51.1	+0.9
30	Sevier County, AR	52	50.4	+1.6
31	Howard County, AR	51.9	54.5	-2.6
32	Franklin County, AR	50.2	52.3	-2.1
33	Fulton County, AR	49.3	51	-1.7
34	Yell County, AR	49	50.4	-1.4
35	Clark County, AR	48.6	42.7	+5.9
36	Logan County, AR	48.6	48.2	+0.4
37	Cleburne County, AR	48.5	47.8	+0.7
38	Chicot County, AR	48.4	51.8	-3.4
39	Conway County, AR	48.1	48.3	-0.2
40	Columbia County, AR	48	49.7	-1.7
41	Independence County, AR	46.7	44.1	+2.6
42	Carroll County, AR	46.6	44.3	+2.3
43	Prairie County, AR	46.6	49.3	-2.7
44	Baxter County, AR	46.4	44.3	+2.1
45	Lee County, AR	46.4	42.8	+3.6
46	Desha County, AR	46.3	48.4	-2.1
47	Monroe County, AR	45.9	47.9	-2
48	Saline County, AR	45.8	44	+1.8
49	Lafayette County, AR	45.7	44.9	+0.8
50	Pope County, AR	45.7	45.6	+0.1
51	Ouachita County, AR	45.5	45.5	0
52	Poinsett County, AR	44.9	43.4	+1.5
53	Ashley County, AR	44.7	45.7	-1
54	White County, AR	44.2	42	+2.2
55	Crawford County, AR	43.6	44.1	-0.5
56	Greene County, AR	43.6	40.6	+3
57	Jackson County, AR	42.8	41.7	+1.1
58	St. Francis County, AR	42.6	38	+4.6
59	Faulkner County, AR	42.5	40.4	+2.1
60	Hempstead County, AR	42.4	40.8	+1.6
61	Cross County, AR	42.2	43.4	-1.2
62	Garland County, AR	41.9	39.2	+2.7
63	Benton County, AR	41.1	39	+2.1
64	Lonoke County, AR	40.7	39.9	+0.8
65	Union County, AR	40.5	39.6	+0.9
66	Craighead County, AR	39.9	38.8	+1.1
67	Arkansas County, AR	38.7	35.9	+2.8
68	Washington County, AR	38.5	37.3	+1.2
69	Jefferson County, AR	37.7	33.1	+4.6
70	Mississippi County, AR	37.2	38.6	-1.4
71	Miller County, AR	37.1	34.7	+2.4
72	Phillips County, AR	36.1	35.3	+0.8
73	Sebastian County, AR	33.2	35.1	-1.9
74	Pulaski County, AR	33	29	+4
75	Crittenden County, AR	32.1	31.8	+0.3

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for retirement in Arkansas?

Based on the Retiree lens, Montgomery County ranks as the top retirement county in Arkansas with a County Fit Score of 66.4. The baseline CountyScore remains visible for context.

How many counties in Arkansas are ranked for retirement?

We rank 75 counties in Arkansas with the Retiree lens, using independent importance values for health, safety, taxes, cost, disaster risk, water, and weather.

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Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019-2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.