If you’re a native Arkansan you likely won’t be too surprised to know that the Natural State isn’t as politically red as it used to be. Those from out of town might be a bit taken back by the amount of potential natural disasters that could occur in their backyard. Tornadoes, weapons, political protesters and health maintenance are issues that those who are looking at moving to Arkansas should definitely take into consideration. Arkansans love our beautiful state and consider it a utopia compared to the rest of America, but we’ve got troubles that could possibly scare away new, uninitiated residents.
Many people see Arkansas as a politically red state, but there's more than a fair amount of Natural State residents who decisively differ from the majority of the state's views. In recent years, the most vocal of both sides have brought up excellent arguments and even went as far as holding protests from the Capitol to the clinic to air political grievances. Arkansas is a political hotbed, and only the coolest of minds will prevail in order to get their thoughts heard.
It isn't uncommon to hear a story about a small earthquake in Arkansas. Usually only the ones who are closest to the fault line are the ones who feel any tremors at all. The northeastern part of the state is located on the New Madrid Fault Line. Earthquakes aren't a major worry in Arkansas, but if you're paranoid about the plate tectonics theory you might want to relocate yourself.
In 2015, Arkansas was ranked by national researchers at Education Weekly as 36th out of the 50 U.S. states. A report released by Education Weekly earlier this month placed the Natural State at a disappointing 41st out of 50. There's no doubting that the schools in Arkansas have great teachers and students, but clearly some reform needs to take place to put our students where they need to be when it comes to education.
Arkansas just isn't the place for you if you're not comfortable around weapons. It's also not a good place for you to live if you own a weapon and aren't properly trained on how to handle it. Social data site qz.com gathered information from 2015. Out of all 50 states, Arkansas ranks 5th in residents who own the most weapons and 5th in gun deaths.
It can't be said enough, Arkansas: Drive to arrive alive. A significant amount of accidental Arkansas deaths are a result of car collisions that could have been avoided. You can tell someone's simply not paying attention when an Arkansas State Trooper vehicle takes a rear-ending like this one.
If you're a young and upwardly mobile college graduate, the once-popular practice of putting down roots in Arkansas and starting/raising a family after graduating from a college or university is becoming obsolete. Though bright young people still keep ties with their families, the Natural State is seeing a lot of these students go on to complete their studying at an institution in another state or country.
We joke about Arkansas and its notoriety for obesity, but when it comes to your personal health there's no laughing matter. Arkansas is full of opportunities to get fit (no matter if you prefer a brisk outdoor hike or a high tech gym). It's not easy in general to stay healthy, but Arkansans are surrounded by great, tempting, and often unhealthy food. The sedentary lifestyle is easy to fall into when you stop hiking the state parks or hitting the gym. Staying fit and healthy means staying motivated. As seen in recent U.S. obesity studies, Arkansas needs more motivation for fitness.
The diversity of land formation in Arkansas means that we'll have as many lowlands as we do peaks and mountains. The lowest areas are very vulnerable to severe and sometimes deadly flash floods, which occur often in the Natural State.
Pick your spots carefully when choosing where to live in Arkansas. We love it here but there's an undercurrent of danger and high crime in several towns.
Cotton Rohrscheib's video of the 2014 tornado that touched down in Vilonia and Mayflower was an example to the world of how frightening a tornado can be and how quickly it moves. Many Arkansans find themselves watching weather changes closely because of the frequency of tornadoes in the Natural State.
If you’re a real Arkansan, these surprising facts aren’t anything to get you down or hurt your feelings. It’d take someone who shies or runs away from putting effort into living well, healthy and fearless. Despite what the gathered data states, Arkansans are proud of our home state and it’d take a lot more than controversial facts to convince us to leave this great state. For those who haven’t lived long in Arkansas; What have you found here that would make an out-of-towner feel like a fish out of water? How did you finally become comfortable and accepting of what we have here in Arkansas? Leave a comment on how you feel!
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