Moving TO KS ... Help Deciding Where (Wichita, Overland Park: foreclosures, to live, safe)

[BartA]

Hello Jill,

I can safely say that Burlingame (pop. 1500?) is extremely safe to children, the schools have been/in the progress of being updated, the town is extremely quiet and peaceful, and there is manufacturing just 7 miles away (at the closest).

The two manufacturing facilities are: Noreseman Plastics (whom would consider someone who has mechanical experience) and a mobile home manufacturing facility (sorry, can't remember their name off-hand) and both reside in Osage City....another small town of about 3000.

If your husband doesn't prefer those types of employment, Topeka is 30 minutes away.

I cannot advise Osage City, as it has problems with the young adult population being a bit too rowdy.

Burlingame (and the entire Osage County, for that matter) is going through a slow period of selling real estate. You could find many homes in the area that are pleasing to the eye and easy on the wallet.

To top it all off, there are two federally-operated lakes in the county. If your husband and you are into fishing/camping/boating, this area is for you.

Good luck!

[Firefly12]

Jill,

I noticed you are also considering Illinois as a possible place to relocate. And you currently live in Missouri? Wow, my husband and I live in Missouri and are deciding between the Overland Park, KS area and the Metro East Illinois area. I was wondering in your research, have you been able to discern which of the two states has a lower tax base?

[ljkbsb]

We moved from Wichita last summer and I miss it every day. I only lived there 5 years, but it has great shopping, a pretty community, great cost of living and great schools. I wish we were considering returning, because the cost of living in SC is expensive.

[ladygemini]

Would anyone recommend Witchita as a family friendly city to relocate to from AZ? I'm a single mom with a K.-2nd grade kids. I was considering KC area but didn't know that Witchita population was greater which I assume means more jobs and reasonable cost of living. I work in the medical field in billing and have dental front office experience and customer service so finding a job is not my main concern. I want to live where there are good schools and affordable housing but a slower pace than Phoenix. I am also looking for diversity and I am a black female prior military and want my kids to know all people.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[mysky]

Why would anyone want to live in Kansas??!! Very cold winters, very hot summers (which I don't mind), extremely high taxes - including the property taxes you have to pay on your vehicles every single year!!! I live here only because I went through a divorce and came back here (where I was born & raised) to be near friends - but will get back to Texas just as soon as I possibly can where people are nice and cost of living is affordable!!!

Honestly, though, I can only speak for southern counties in Kansas where unemployment, taxes, living expenses (incredibly high gas & electric bills), crime is high and decent paying jobs and affordable housing choices are low. Education is okay till middle school then goes to pot.

Don't mean to be so negative but I truly hate it here - my kids (ages 14, 15, and 22) also hate it. But, alas, as a single mom - it's not too easy just to pick up and move. I will someday, though!

I have heard Kansas City area is nice, though, so perhaps that is a good choice. Hope so! Best of luck to you!

[xscape]

Would anyone recommend Witchita as a family friendly city to relocate to from AZ? I'm a single mom with a K.-2nd grade kids. I was considering KC area but didn't know that Witchita population was greater which I assume means more jobs and reasonable cost of living. I work in the medical field in billing and have dental front office experience and customer service so finding a job is not my main concern. I want to live where there are good schools and affordable housing but a slower pace than Phoenix. I am also looking for diversity and I am a black female prior military and want my kids to know all people.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated


I live in Andover, which is a small city on the Butler county/Sedgwick county line. I would say that Wichita is a family friendly city and it is diverse. The city that I live in is not very diverse, but the schools are really good. I have lived here for 7yrs and I like the area. I would definitely say that the pace is slower in Wichita than in Phoenix. But, I prefer bigger cities so I am moving back to Texas. Good Luck with your move to Wichita. (BTW, i am also a black female.)

[xscape]

but will get back to Texas just as soon as I possibly can where people are nice and cost of living is affordable!!!


Im counting down the days til I move back to Texas...

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by jillstrading

We want to move to KS, but can't decide where. We are an older couple, with a boy age 8, and a girl age 5. I am a sahm, but would like to find something, I can do at home. My dh is working for a manufacturer of small engines as a machine operator. He is expecting to loose his job, along with many others, and was told that they will not be called back to work (company moving overseas). He just turned 50, and is looking to find a job with a company (manufacturing) until he is ready to retire. This is some of the areas we a interested in.


Leavenworth
LEAWOOD
LENEXA
Mission
Prairie Village
Shawnee

My main concern is that we find a safe, and kid friendy area. Any information is greatly appreciated.

There isn't a town or school in Johnson County that I would even hesitate to call safe or kid friendly. That encompasses pretty much the last 5 on your list above plus Overland Park. This is not to say that other places are bad or worse....just saying that you pretty much cannot go wrong in Johnson County on those items. Some of the parts of the county can be pricey or have cookie cutter suburban sprawl etc. but those are another set of criteria.

[Carter3]

I have lived in Kansas City all of my life and lived in all of the suburban areas--Lenexa, Overland Park, Leawood, Olathe and now Shawnee. Of all of the areas, Shawnee has the most affordable cost of living as opposed to the more costly Leawood and Overland Park areas for or the same middle to upper class homes and atmosphere, quality of schools and things to do. Olathe has some nice, newer areas that are very affordable, but is further out from everything and has some really icky areas peppered through the nicer parts, so you don't know what you're going to get. My suggestion would be look around the Western part of Shawnee, off Shawnee Mission Parkway between 435 and k-7 highways. It is still kind of rural feeling becasue of all of the trees and natural beauty, but it is expanding and, yet, is still relatively close to KC, MO. It is certainly a more quick drive to most places, as it isn't as a congested area as the others. You can pretty much get anywhere in the city in 20 minutes from that area.

[kubaby1]

With the young kids I would recommend staying away from Leavenworth. Not that it isnt a good place. However, the schools are better in JOCO and it is safer. More kids go off to college in that area, so for the young ones they would have better examples growing up. i know a lot of kids from Leavenworth and I do not know one that was thrilled to grow up there. Just my input