Community

The storied history of Native American tribes runs deep in our region, and The Museum of Native American History (MONAH) is a living example of keeping that history alive. Founded by David Bogle, a registered member of the Cherokee Nation born and raised in Bentonville, the museum houses over 10,000 of the finest Native American artifacts, and is recognized as a thriving cultural center representing indigenous communities through storytelling, song, art, language, dialogue and more. Connecting with and paying respect to the Native American tribes of our region and our state, including the Osage, Caddo, and Quapaw people is a critical element of the past and future.

More than 80,000 Northwest Arkansas residents are Hispanic, making up about half of the school districts in Rogers and Springdale. Not only has the LatinX community fueled incredible growth in Northwest Arkansas over the past two decades, it is a cultural force, inspiring vibrant cultural and culinary offerings across the region. Among them: a LatinX film festival at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, annual music festivals at the Walmart AMP and Springdale Civic Center, and the Arkansalsa art and music festival benefitting local scholarship funds. Arts organizations engage dialogue and movement including LatinX Theatre Project, committed to continuing an inclusive conversation about community identity, and Latin Arts Organization of Arkansas, promoting Latin heritage in the community through dance, music, and arts programs. There are events year-round, especially lively during Hispanic Heritage Month, where you are sure to witness dancing in the streets and marches in our downtowns, featuring arts organizations like Dancers from Ballet Folklorico or Chinelos Morelenses Unidos en Arkansas.

Underscoring the strength of the African American community in our region, organizations like the Northwest Arkansas Black Heritage Association, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Council, and Black-Owned Northwest Arkansas spearhead cultural events, leadership awards, and education across the region. Celebrating the vital contribution of Black artists to American art and history, the U.S. debut of Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power took place at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville. Crystal Bridges was one of only two U.S. venues to host Soul of a Nation. Following its debut in Bentonville, the exhibition traveled to the Brooklyn Museum in New York.

Pacific Islanders make up a large percentage of the Asian population in Springdale, with the largest population of Marshallese in the continental U.S. The flourishing, nationally recognized Farmers Markets across our downtowns are anchored by our incredible Hmong farming community. To support a growing Southeast Asian population, Indian-American Srividya Venkatasubramanya founded the Ra-Ve Cultural Foundation, providing opportunities to access the richness of Indian arts and culture, through traditional dance and classical music.

There is a vibrant and thriving LGBTQI community in Northwest Arkansas. According to ABC News, “Northwest Arkansas is one of many regions in red states trying to build an oasis for LGBTQI visitors from rural America,” with specific mention of Eureka Springs, where locals say over 30 percent of residents are LGBTQI and playfully remark their town has “no straight streets.” The Human Rights Campaign consistently lists Fayetteville at the top of its Municipal Equality Index for Arkansas. The index is an evaluation examining cities’ laws, policies and services, and rates them on the basis of their inclusivity of LGBTQI people who live and work there.

Find out what you get for your money in Northwest Arkansas. Use the Northwest Arkansas Cost of Living Calculator to find direct salary comparisons and a breakdown comparison of our five top household expenses. Paychecks go further in Northwest Arkansas, considering the region’s high per capita personal income coupled with a low cost of living— about 14% lower than the national average.