Cherokee Village, AR

Set in the rolling Ozark foothills of northern Arkansas, Cherokee Village is a relaxed community built around seven scenic lakes and the South Fork River. Life here naturally revolves around the outdoors, especially on Lake Thunderbird, which offers over seven miles of shoreline for boating, kayaking, and fishing. Founded in the 1950s as Arkansas's first planned resort town, it has evolved into an affordable, peaceful place to settle down, complete with two 18-hole golf courses, quiet wooded neighborhoods, and an easygoing small-town rhythm.