I grew up in Michigan but have lived in several different states and 3 or 4 towns in Kansas. There are many misconceptions about moving "out" this way. This is not a safe haven away from it all - it is like most places not so do your research. Kansas is illegal immigrant friendly, gets ice storms (and doesn't have the equipment or money to take care of it the way they do in the north or northeast, the cost of health insurance is high, wages are low especially in the smaller towns, housing is cheaper but know what you are getting and just like everywhere else in the big city - you really don't want to live in a cheap house but smaller towns are fine. This is informative about the drug problems:
Methamphetamine - Kansas Drug Threat Assessment. Right now, we are in Fort Scott, a little, financially depressed area that wants to be big and wants taxpayers to finance that so watch the taxes and the plans they have for the future. The small towns can be charming and if you like old houses, especially fixer-uppers - best prices in the country. You get a lot of complainers on here that there is nothing to do but not everyone needs a mall, theme park, even movie theaters, and such. A really good resource is from the Kansas library system:
Blue Skyways - a service of the Kansas State Library. I hope the provided links are appropriate because they really are helpful. There are going to be trade-offs no matter where you go - make a list of your priorities in a new town and then research and be careful not to "settle" because moving is expensive and risky with this economy.
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Moving To Kansas From Another State?
Yes wages in small towns are low. However there are things small towns have to offer. Good schools, safe streets, and drug houses are few and far between. 
One of the major ingredients of the drugs can be found on the farms. Some people, cooking drugs, move to small towns in Kansas thinking that they can disappear into the community. Wrong they are, they stick out like a sore thumb. We don’t want them in our town around our children and we call the cops. In the big cities no one wants to get involved they look the other way and hope the problem will go away. Until one night their child is killed in a drive-by. Then they want the cops to do something. 
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