Need Info On Southwest Iowa (Pella, Red Oak: for sale, crime rates, house)

[DianeOnTheGo]

Does anyone have any info on Shenandoah, Clarinda or Red Oak? I would like to change jobs and perhaps live in one of these towns. My main questions are.....Is there alot of job opportunities? Are they safe and friendly towns? I work in a fast paced factory with long hours and getting at the age (40's) I would like to slow it down a bit. I live in south central Iowa where there is not many good paying jobs. Thanks!

[EdwinW]

Pella corporation is located in Shanendoah,,they are one of the fortune 500 companies named best to work for, far as benefits, good working conditions. They manufacture windows I believe, look them up on the net to be sure. My daughter lives in Red Oak, There is a little more manufacturing in that area but not alot. Finding a job would be somewhat difficult but could be done i'm sure. Property values are reasonable there thats for sure. That is all info. I can give you that is somewhat accurate. Good Luck

[peach49]

what are the people like in southwest iowa.

[southwestiowa4020]

if you can get some kind of nursing education, you would be able to find work in this area pretty easy. most good manufacturing jobs in the area are hit and miss,as folks tend to hold on to those jobs since it's all that's here. starting your own business is another way. i am a jack of all trades which makes it easier to stay around here.the prison in clarinda is a good place to work. good wages and state benefits. i know a few folks that work there.they have jobs for women i'm sure.as far as the communities go, you will have a hard time finding places to live with lower crime rates and where your kids can roam free without worry. there is an element of boredom that seems to hang around here though. not alot to do other than outdoor recreation,like the lakes near corning,creston etc.

[jack7y]

Shenandoah's downtown has been renovated recently and Shenandoah High Schools athletics are doing better since the athletic districts were redrawn. Featherlite is leaving town. Pella is relatively new to town. Green Plains is building an ethanol plant. A Canadian company opened a small plant in town. You can find a house for a reasonable price. It is a buyers market in "Shen" as many call it. Its the same in Clarinda and Red Oak. Shen has had two great homes with a lot of character that were for sale that I remember specifically, but you're too late. I'm sure there are others. The Wabash Trace Nature Trail goes through Shen.

Red Oak has more large old homes with character than any other town of similar size that I've seen in the region. Red Oak did lose one manufacturing plant, but others remain. Viking Lake and the surrounding park are nearby.

Clarinda has the state correction facilities as mentioned. My aunt had a career there, so they do hire women. She was a guard. My mother did some brief social work there or an internship of a sort.

The people are basically normal in the towns mentioned above. They are somewhat conservative as expected because the area is not so densly populated and is not far enough east in Iowa to be a progressive rural area, but progressive people live in the area still too. People are generally nice or at least treat you as you treat them. What's more important is if they are of good character in the long run, and they basically are in my opinion. There is help for people who need it to get by, I think. The towns are loosing some population or staying about the same, so newcomers will probably be welcome.

[two cats]

Are you still considering? Or have you moved? We are very glad that we made the move to Red Oak.

[Steve_W]

Eaton Corporation in Shenandoah pays 18/hr starting wage for factory work. Im not sure what they make however.