Are you considering moving to Bella Vista and wonder what it’s like to live here? In this episode of
Naturally NWA, I’m going to give you the pros and cons of living in Bella Vista, Arkansas. We’ll explore
everything from trails and nature to housing options so you can decide if this community is right for you.
The Pros
So much has happened since I did my original pros and cons video of living in Bella Vista a couple of
years ago. I decided it was time to do an updated version to see what makes the list this year in
2022—starting with the pros.
POA Amenities
The first pro of living in Bella Vista would have to be all the great POA amenities. This includes the seven
golf courses, the seven lakes, the many miles of private trails, and the RV park. The POA—or Property
Owners Association—maintains and operates all the recreational facilities in Bella Vista.
POA members enjoy exclusive discounts on green fees at the golf courses, and they also have access to
the many clubhouses. These offer various fitness activities, classes, and dining options.
Mountain Biking
The next pro of living in Bella Vista is that the mountain biking scene is booming here. There are multiple
trailheads and places to park if you want to go enjoy the Back 40 trails—which are over 40 miles of soft
surface rolling trails.
You can also check out Blowing Springs Park, which has over six miles of trails. It’s highlighted by a 30-
foot bridge with a rock shelf connecting to the trail below that winds to a natural air-conditioned cavern
that releases 60-degree air. It’s pretty cool. These trails can be accessed by the paved Razorback
Greenway, a trail system that runs all the way down to Fayetteville.
Location And Landscape
Despite the remote, vacation town feeling of Bella Vista, you still have access to great grocery stores and
restaurants. Additionally, Mercy Hospital has a satellite medical clinic with an emergency room in Bella
Vista. You’re also only 15 minutes or less to downtown Bentonville and roughly 20 minutes to Rogers.
Another pro of living in Bella Vista is the landscape. Winding hills create a sense of privacy for a lot of the
homes in Bella Vista, and most of the lots back up to POA land that is not buildable. This means it’s
pretty rare to have a house directly behind you. If you want privacy and seclusion, Bella Vista has more
options than most of the other towns in Northwest Arkansas.
Affordable Housing
The last pro of living in Bella Vista is the affordability of housing. Bella Vista has a good mix of older
homes, new construction, and everything in between. As of the filming of this video, the average three-
bed, two-bath, 1,700 square foot home in Bella Vista is selling for around $285,000.
Of course, that number is rapidly increasing with the addition of more mountain biking trails, adding to
the desirability of living in Bella Vista. This is probably shocking to most of the current residents in
Northwest Arkansas, as the average home price in 2020 was under $200,000.
The Cons
Now that we know some of the pros of living in Bella Vista, let’s talk about the cons. If you’re serious
about living here, these are some things you need to know.
The Roads
When talking about the cons of living in Bella Vista, we’ll have to start with the curvy and confusing
layout of the roads. Even some long-term residents can get turned around, so don’t forget your GPS.
Due to the terrain, the city cannot be laid out in a grid pattern like most cities.
Instead, it looks like trees branching out in different directions—or maybe more like the veins in the
human body. Not only that, but a lot of the road names are hard to pronounce. Additionally, sometimes
there will be a Drive, Circle, and Place all with the same name. So like I said, GPS is your best friend when
trying to navigate through Bella Vista.
Lot Sizes
Another con of living in Bella Vista is that there aren’t many options for getting large, flat lots here. The
average lot in Bella Vista is around a third of an acre, and most of them have a pretty decent slope to
them.
It’s also somewhat rare to have grass in the yards, which is considered a pro to a lot of the residents of
Bella Vista. Because this area was originally a retirement community, the retirees didn’t want to take
care of the grass. So if you were looking for some land to have a house and a shop or maybe a pool, this
is probably not the best place for you to consider looking for a new home.
Nightlife
The last con I’ll mention is that there isn’t any nightlife in Bella Vista. You also can’t purchase alcohol
here on Sundays. Bella Vista is known for its active, outdoorsy lifestyle, but it pretty much shuts down
around 8:00 pm.
The good thing for those of you who want to live that active, outdoorsy lifestyle but also want access to
nightlife and entertainment is that Bentonville and Rogers are right down the road. Also, you can buy
alcohol right on the other side of the Missouri lines seven days a week.
Make Bella Vista Your New Home
I hope this gave you some insight as to whether or not living in Bella Vista is right for you. If you have
any additional questions about the area or our local real estate market, please reach out and ask. My
team and I will be happy to be your natural choice for any real estate needs you may have.
Thanks for watching another episode of Naturally NWA, my show all about living in Northwest Arkansas.
For more information on living in Bella Vista or any other city in Northwest Arkansas, be sure to
subscribe so you never miss a video. Stay tuned to see what I feature next!