Any help is greatly appreciated (Joplin, Neosho: lease, crime rate, new house)

[aragx6]

I would definitely suggest Columbia. It is centrally located in the middle of the state, the university adds a lot of culture and interest to the area. Its got about 100k people (including students). There is always plenty to do, whether it be going to the movies or the mall or more artsy stuff like visiting an art gallery or seeing a play.

The economy is pretty good there, jobs are plentiful because of the university and hospitals. the capital of Missouri, Jefferson city, is a half hour drive away so there are also plenty of government jobs available.

And the best part? It's cheap! My boyfriend and I shared a 2 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath apartment in a great neighborhood for $450/month! (I live in the suburbs of Chicago now and pay twice as much for an apartment half the size!) My brothers bought a 4 bedroom 3 1/2 bath condo right near the university for less than 90k!

The schools, from elementary through high school are well-regarded as the town places an emphasis on education because of its connections with the university.

If you have any other questions about anything in Missouri, feel free to ask. I've lived in the suburbs of both St. louis and Kansas City, spent 4 years in Columbia, and traveled and visited extensively throughout much of the rest of the state so I can either answer what you need or find someone who can!!

And congrats and good luck with the little one!!

[Swanns6]

Thank you, I will definately look up Columbia. Does anyone have any information on Gainesville? I have been looking up affordable apt. rentals and the area looks affordable. Any info on the city would be great though.

[aragx6]

I didn't even know Gainesville was a place in MO until I looked it up. Wikipedia says there 650 people there! I'm actually quite surprised there are rentals available there.

It looks like it's just over an hour to Branson and an hour and a half or so to Springfield, which would probably be two of the only areas to find gainful employment in.

One thing to consider is availability of health care. With a little on on the way you won't want to be too far out from a hospital. On a quick google search the closest hospital I found was in Mountain Home Arkansas, about 40-45 minutes away. Definitely something to consider.

My guess would be you could find something in a similar price range a little closer to basic services.

What is your price range by the way? that would help us make suggestions.

[ahoffelt]

I would give Columbia a try. It has everything that you are looking for. It is a nice, medium sized university town and is generally very affordable. There is some crime, but tends to be targeted rather than random. I love it here.

[Swanns6]

Thanks I'll check out Columbia. and thanks for the information about Gainesville. We are moving with $5000, of course going to have jobs lined up first, so we aren't living off of the $5000 for too long. Thank you and any more ideas would be great.

[aragx6]

I would also suggest looking into job prospects in Kansas City and St. Louis as there are many more of them. if you got a job in one of those areas, I know we could find you a nice town not too far away that you would love. There are very nice suburbs in both cities that range from inner-ring to small towns outside the area. there's definitely something for everyone.

[MoNative34]

Originally Posted by Swanns6

Thank you, I will definately look up Columbia. Does anyone have any information on Gainesville? I have been looking up affordable apt. rentals and the area looks affordable. Any info on the city would be great though.

Careful with the remote areas. Rent may be cheap, but poverty rates are high and jobs are low paying and scarce.

[thevez2]

May want to look into Lee's Summit. It is on the far outskirts of Kansas City and is growing quickly. I don't have any first hand knowledge of it to gove specifics, but I know a couple people there and they like it. I'm moving to MO soon (33 days now!), about 45 minutes from there.

[Swanns6]

thanks I have a list of cities with hospitals in the city and near other cities. I'll have it up Tuesday, any help I can get with it would be great.

[Swanns6]

Heres that list everyone.

Savannah, Lamar, Adrian, Columbia, Mountain View, Carthage, Lexington, Mount Vernon, Hannibal, Neosho, Rolla, Doniphan, Dexter, Hollister, and Springfield.

Thanks for any help that you guys can provide for me.