Some thoughts and questions about Kansas...

[briansgi]

Originally Posted by KevK

Oklahoma is a very poor state. Kansas isn't which is why the roads are better.

Oklahoma is NOT a poor state:
BBER-UNM: United States: Per Capita Personal Income

We generate a great deal of revenue which goes to the state's coffers via oil/gas production:
The best and worst states for taxes - MSN Money

We also have the lowest tax burden in the nation, plus we have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country:
Unemployment rates - Unemployment rates by state from CNNMoney

What does this add up to? An extremely affordable place to live!

[chele123]

Originally Posted by 2112

Time to revisit this thread... just spent the last 3 weeks driving all over Kansas... about 3,500 miles worth. My favorite towns (no particular order) were Pratt, Ottawa, Russell, Concordia, Newton, El Dorado, and Winfield.

I visited taxfoundation.com to check on the tax burden imposed by state & local taxes in Kansas as compared to my home state of Oklahoma. Last year, Kansas was 15th overall, Oklahoma was 45th. This seems to explain the vast superiority of Kansas's highway system to Oklahoma's.

Do Kansas cities and towns levy income taxes on their residents or workers?

What is this "intangibles" tax?

At any rate... sometime within the next five years I can see me looking to find a nice two-story farmhouse (complete with basement!) somewhere out in nice flat Kansas countryside so I can see for miles around, surrounded by nothing but the quiet waving wheat. :-D

Of those you listed I would pick Pratt. It's a very nice little town! Very very nice hospital, McDonalds AND Wal-mart!
I've lived in Kansas since 1985 and honestly, I just don't pay enough attention to taxes to be able to answer any of your tax questions! Tagging a car is more expensive here than in CA, as another poster noted. Property tax doesn't seem all that high, but then, property values are not high either. I'm not sure what an "intangibles" tax is, unless it is the tax we pay on our golf cart? Or is that a luxury tax? Beats me. My husband and I each make less than $10 bucks an hour and yet still live comfortably, if that addresses any of your concerns!

[2112]

Explored more of Kansas this week... Hays, Hutch, Greensburg, and Pratt again.

Starting to feel like I don't like the whole brick road thing in Pratt, kinda bumpy. Also had some not-so-great Chinese buffet there at the Red Dragon (not that a single restaurant would kill me). Pratt has alot, but it also feels somewhat tired compared to some others places I've seen. It seems to have a nice hospital, though...

Greensburg's coming along... enjoyed the spirit there and saw some of the rebuilding going on... the art center was pretty neat. The single expanded C-store was BUSY!

Hays is nifty, but I couldn't see what I wanted to see (seems like all museums in the state are closed on Mondays). Did have dinner at the Whisky Creek steakhouse... very tasty.

Drove around Wilson Lake and saw the Dinsmoor House in Lucas. Wilson Lake is nice, but the new houses going up there are pricey.

Drove through Sterling and thought that it was nice also, but didn't see much of it.

Hutchinson is starting to grow on me some. I dig the attractions (Cosmosphere, Salt Mine, etc.), there seems to be one of everything store and restaurant-wise, lots of railroads in town (I like watching trains), and it's not far from Wichita, which could be good for work.

All in all it as nice as usual to visit. Looking forward to going back and exploring some more. Maybe this fall there'll be more to come...

[prairie guy]

I'm a big city transplant, so taxes are absurdly low to me--tho all the neighbors insist that the Kansas tax burden is just terrible. I too find property tax runs about 3 percent of the house's assessed value--but since the price of real estate is so low (in my view) I find the taxes very reasonable and getting good value in public services. (Politicians would love me.) A few years ago I appealed a very high increase in my home valuation, and won! I had never done that before, but it was pretty painless. The car tax--tags--are ridiculous, however. I imagine life here is not too different from rural Oklahoma (I'm talking rural areas of Kansas). And in the areas you are visiting real estate should be very cheap. Enjoy your search, and travel through southeastern Kansas at some point, too.

[2112]

The property taxes on my rural Oklahoma house are about 1.1% of assessed per year, and that's not too far from OKC. Of course, 3% isn't bad either, considering what I was used to when I lived in Ohio (where they tax you to death). Considering what I've seen in some places, I agree that Kansans seem to get good value for what they pay.

Tagging a new car is expensive in Oklahoma, too, but the cost goes down with each year of the car's age.

I guess I didn't post about it before, but I have been to some towns in southeast KS over the years... I've been through Caney, Sedan, Coffeyville, Cottonwood Falls, Council Grove, Independence, Moline, Elk City, Ottawa, Arkansas City, and so on. Seen some of the Flint Hills. It was nice to see some of the green and hills that I used to have in Ohio, but I think I prefer the flatter terrain out toward the west. I'm one of those guys that likes to be able to see forever around him.

Any particular suggestions, Prairie Guy?

[2112]

In another thread, I'm hearing that a statewide social health plan is being considered and that taxes fund higher education for illegals. Is this so?