Single Mom and Ft. Dodge (Des Moines, Cedar Rapids: apartments, house, income)

[kellyandlorelai]

I am a California native and lived in Jackson Minnesota for almost 2 years before deciding on a divorce and having to move home. I really loved Iowa when I was there. I loved Spirit Lake. Anyways, I am looking for a fresh start somewhere awesome to raise my daughter that meets all of the requirements of a good place to live. While living in Minnesota I met my best friend in the entire world and she is from Ft. Dodge. She says it is the greatest place but being from Sunny San Diego I am kinda nervous. I would like to hear all the wonderful things Ft. Dodge has to offer. I also have a dog so no pet restrictions. I have been trying to do apartment searches but ave had no luck. Can anyone point me in the right direction with some good websites. I am a little worried about the recent floods to. This will be our final move so I need to be in a place where I wont be loosing my home to weather even though life happens and you can not 100% control that. We have been truly blessed with the fires in San Diego starting less tht 5 miles behind our house in the canyons and not loose our home. I really appreciate all the feedback I hope to be getting.

[DMRyan]

See this thread for my opinion on Fort Dodge:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/iowa/...ea-advice.html

Not really a glowing review, but it helped me find out that small town living is not for me. If I had to live in NW Iowa again, I think I'd rather live in Spencer/The Iowa Great Lakes or Spirit Lake if the isolation from bigger places isn't a problem. It would be tough to come from an area like San Diego and all it has to offer and live in a place like Fort Dodge.

Newer apartments are tough to come by in Fort Dodge unless you're income can meet the criteria (read lower income). Once again I reiterate, do not judge all of Iowa on Fort Dodge because it's not the same as it is in the larger cities or better small towns. I recommend looking at Des Moines, Ames, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids or the Quad Cities. They're so much smaller than San Diego, you won't miss out on the quality of life/child raising concerns many in big cities seem to have.

About the flooding, it was an extreme occurence and not something that happens every decade (on this scale). Just be sure to stay out of flood plains if you rent/buy. As you'll probably remember, the weather is extreme here and hardly forgiving like the San Diego climate, but it keeps things interesting.