countyscore

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

1Newton County
64.8
baseline 65.3
2Montgomery County
64.6
baseline 63.3
3Sharp County
64.4
baseline 65.6
4Madison County
63.5
baseline 57.2
5Searcy County
62.5
baseline 64.2

All 75 Retirement-Ranked Counties in Arkansas

RankCountyCounty Fit Scorebaseline CountyScoreDelta
1Newton County, AR64.865.3-0.5
2Montgomery County, AR64.663.3+1.3
3Sharp County, AR64.465.6-1.2
4Madison County, AR63.557.2+6.3
5Searcy County, AR62.564.2-1.7
6Grant County, AR61.156.2+4.9
7Pike County, AR60.262.4-2.2
8Perry County, AR58.256.3+1.9
9Woodruff County, AR57.757.6+0.1
10Izard County, AR56.656.4+0.2
11Stone County, AR56.257.5-1.3
12Bradley County, AR56.153.9+2.2
13Clay County, AR55.855.7+0.1
14Lincoln County, AR55.852.8+3
15Calhoun County, AR55.655.4+0.2
16Cleveland County, AR55.553.3+2.2
17Scott County, AR55.249.2+6
18Dallas County, AR5557.6-2.6
19Van Buren County, AR5556.7-1.7
20Nevada County, AR54.652.1+2.5
21Little River County, AR53.752.3+1.4
22Boone County, AR5353.2-0.2
23Drew County, AR5347.2+5.8
24Hot Spring County, AR52.951+1.9
25Johnson County, AR52.752.70
26Polk County, AR52.451.5+0.9
27Marion County, AR52.148.3+3.8
28Sevier County, AR51.950.4+1.5
29Lawrence County, AR51.551.8-0.3
30Randolph County, AR51.551+0.5
31Howard County, AR50.653.6-3
32Franklin County, AR50.552.4-1.9
33Fulton County, AR49.851.4-1.6
34Conway County, AR49.549.50
35Clark County, AR49.443.8+5.6
36Logan County, AR49.148.5+0.6
37Prairie County, AR48.851.1-2.3
38Cleburne County, AR48.748.2+0.5
39Yell County, AR48.650.9-2.3
40Columbia County, AR4849-1
41Lafayette County, AR47.446.5+0.9
42Chicot County, AR47.250.6-3.4
43Independence County, AR47.245+2.2
44Carroll County, AR4745.1+1.9
45Monroe County, AR4749.1-2.1
46Ouachita County, AR46.747-0.3
47Baxter County, AR46.544.5+2
48Saline County, AR45.944+1.9
49Ashley County, AR45.646.7-1.1
50Lee County, AR45.642.1+3.5
51Desha County, AR45.447.4-2
52Poinsett County, AR45.343.7+1.6
53Pope County, AR45.344.9+0.4
54Hempstead County, AR44.743.1+1.6
55Greene County, AR44.241.3+2.9
56White County, AR4441.7+2.3
57Crawford County, AR43.843.7+0.1
58Jackson County, AR43.642.3+1.3
59Faulkner County, AR42.240+2.2
60St. Francis County, AR41.536.9+4.6
61Garland County, AR41.438.6+2.8
62Union County, AR41.140+1.1
63Lonoke County, AR4140.2+0.8
64Benton County, AR40.638.7+1.9
65Cross County, AR40.541.4-0.9
66Craighead County, AR4038.8+1.2
67Phillips County, AR39.237.8+1.4
68Arkansas County, AR3937.4+1.6
69Jefferson County, AR38.733.8+4.9
70Washington County, AR38.637.2+1.4
71Miller County, AR36.934.6+2.3
72Mississippi County, AR36.538.3-1.8
73Pulaski County, AR33.229.1+4.1
74Sebastian County, AR33.135.1-2
75Crittenden County, AR32.732.3+0.4

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for retirement in Arkansas?

Based on the Retiree lens, Newton County ranks as the top retirement county in Arkansas with a County Fit Score of 64.8. 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.

Also Browse Arkansas Counties For

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Retirement Rankings by State

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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.