thinking of moving to Missouri (Springfield, Washington: community college, live in, law)

[theresnoplacelikehome]

Can I ask what state you came from and why you are leaving Missouri?

[caturpilar]

St. Joe has about 73k pop. a little less than you are looking for but the city is growing. In the past 5 years the city has developed a lot. On the north side of town they have built strip malls that rival any in KC. Tons of new restaurants that are always packed, and the mall is getting a complete multi million dollar make over as we speak. 400 a month can get you a decent apt. Old downtown buildings are getting made over all the time into new loft apts. There is one that use to be the old Mead paper manufacturing facility that has been converted into apts and has its own stores, and I believe a movie theater inside the building. In fact the city is growing too rapidly for me that's why I'm in the process of getting out. I'm not sure what statistics say about crime but living here I've never noticed it too bad. There are some pockets but overall the city is nice. I'm not sure what you do for work, it's really non of my business, but there have been layoffs happening around here. Cost of living is pretty good here. A new pork plant was built here and are always hiring. There are definitly a four season state.
The good thing about Missouri is you are almost never too far from anything. We have mountains and lakes down south, amusement parks are all over, every decent city is filled with entertainment and they dot the state.

[christina0001]

I'll ditto any of the above suggestions! I relocated to MO last year from the east coast. It wasn't as big a culture shock as you would think. The humidity can get bad in the summer, but living by the ocean, you've dealt with humidity too. I promise you won't melt. I think KC and StL are both great cities, but if you don't want to deal with the negatives that come with any large city, Springfield would be a great option. It's large enough to have most of the amenities of a city (including an airport, if you want to fly to visit your daughter), but is small enough to avoid the worst of city living (slums, insane traffic). There are a few colleges and 2 large hospitals, too.
Caturpilar suggests St. Joseph...I love St. Joe! The downtown area has some of the most beautiful, historic homes. It's not as large as Springfield, and you'd be an hour or less from Kansas City and all that it offers, should you want to visit or fly out of their airport.
Best of luck to you.

[ozarksboy]

Originally Posted by theresnoplacelikehome

I live in Washington state in a small apartment and my wages have really been diminishing in the past few years and the rent in the Pacific Northwest keeps going up. I have been researching and researching trying to think of where home could be. My daughter lives in the Pacific Northwest and I do not want to move away, but I am just finding it more and more difficult to stay.

I am really thinking about Missouri, even though there is the threat of high humidity, bugs, hurricanes, etc., at least it may be cleaner.

You need to be close to a city. Do NOT move to outstate Missouri. You will never be happy. I am not being harsh, just realistic. Coming from Washington and with an attitude that you don't REALLY want to move to Missouri, but you're only looking for a cheaper place to live, you will never be happy outside one of the cities. I think St. Louis and Kansas City will be outside your price range. Springfield is your best bet. St. Joe and Cape will be too small for you. Cuba, as suggested by someone else, is out of the question; there's definitely nothing there for a city person who doesn't really want to be a Missourian.

Let me suggest another option: Northwest Arkansas. There are a lot of people from other states moving there, and they live in enclaves to themselves, rarely mingling with local people. If you can find some other Northwesterners, and you can find a place in your price range, that might be just the ticket.

Good luck.

[jmlee4777]

My husband & I are also Washingtonians (Spokane) and we moved to Camdenton, MO about 3 years ago by way of Texas. I have read a lot of negative things about Camdenton on here, but my personal experiences are far from the negative remarks posted. When we first moved here it was as if we were moving onto the same street as the Cleavers (Leave it to Beaver), it was so pleasant to have your neighbors greet you and even help move you in, everyone was so nice & laid back around here. As I said, we moved here from Texas (hated every waking moment of my 2 years there). I was transferred with my job & we ended up loving it. Depending on where you are from in Washington this may be alright for you. There are a few down sides. Camdenton & Osage Beach are the two cities in this area. They are about 15 miles apart. This area is a tourist attraction in the summer months (from Memorial Day to Labor Day) during this time you will always have something to do. (You "will" want a boat if you like the water) If you like the bar/club scene there are plenty of good ones in Osage. We don't have a "Mall" but we do have a wonderful outlet mall that I always frequent!!! The closest malls would be Jefferson City (Jeff city) or Springfield. The traffic in these months is what you would expect of a tourist town- very busy expect longer traveling times in & around Osage especially. We get about 100k vacationers every weekend coming through here. Lots of good times in the summer. However, the crime rate isn't bad - we don't have to lock our car doors; but we do anyway. Our neighborhood is great.

When the "season" is over most everything shuts down & you get that small town feel. There are only a few main streets and the remaining roads are called lake roads which mean that they lead you eventually to the lake itself. Most of the roads look like they lead nowhere, however once you get under the beautiful tree tops you will find your housing divisions. I relate it to living in Fern Gully. It doesn't feel crowded, you don't see houses everywhere you look. It's still Green here. Lack of good employment would have to be the biggest downfall here. Because everything shuts down, there are a lot of layoffs come fall. If you have teenagers you will find that most of them get summer jobs on boat docks making good tips or in the local resturants and one of the many, many golf courses. They seem to still understand that working is being responsible even at a younger age. The school systems are great, rent is affordable, the schools are good & most people I have met here are outsiders. Yet, the lifers that I have met are very welcoming & pleasant to be around. Of course not all of them, but you will get that everywhere. (the same as Washingtonians not liking Californians) I love Washington & would move back if there were stronger employment opportunities, but until then, I will be just fine here with my big city summers & small town winters; the best of both worlds.

If you have been to Spokane, Springfield is a lot like it. Not to big, not to small. The crime rate though is a bummer compared to Camdenton / Linn Creek / Osage Beach.

Beware to ask the landlord about the condition of the rental. Most are fine but here in Lake of the Ozarks some landlords don't clean their units very well so make sure to ask specifics about the true move in rediness of the unit. Carpets cleaned, new paint etc... Then get it in writing. We had problems when we first arrived here & had to stay 5 extra nights in a hotel which was not planned on because it was not clean & we ended up having to clean it ourselves in order to get moved in. Also, if you are house / apartment hunting in this area be ready to claim something you see that you like immediatly because rentals go very quickly so be ready to jump on it.

If you are planning on buying a house, now is a great time. Unfortunatly, there are a lot of very nice houses in foreclosure & you can't beat the deals, I mean STEALS!!! Might be something worth checking into, this area has growing quite a bit even since we have been here. Some larger corporations are said to be coming in, but with this economy issue who knows what will happen. Great investment if nothing else. People rent their homes out here for $1000. a weekend in the summer months. Depends on the size/ quality & location. There is more shorefront property here than the entire state of California so lakehouses are abundant.

Hope this helps some. Let me know if you need any more info & I'll do my best to get you answers.

[theresnoplacelikehome]

Originally Posted by jmlee4777

My husband & I are also Washingtonians (Spokane) and we moved to Camdenton, MO about 3 years ago by way of Texas. I have read a lot of negative things about Camdenton on here, but my personal experiences are far from the negative remarks posted. When we first moved here it was as if we were moving onto the same street as the Cleavers (Leave it to Beaver), it was so pleasant to have your neighbors greet you and even help move you in, everyone was so nice & laid back around here. As I said, we moved here from Texas (hated every waking moment of my 2 years there). I was transferred with my job & we ended up loving it. Depending on where you are from in Washington this may be alright for you. There are a few down sides. Camdenton & Osage Beach are the two cities in this area. They are about 15 miles apart. This area is a tourist attraction in the summer months (from Memorial Day to Labor Day) during this time you will always have something to do. (You "will" want a boat if you like the water) If you like the bar/club scene there are plenty of good ones in Osage. We don't have a "Mall" but we do have a wonderful outlet mall that I always frequent!!! The closest malls would be Jefferson City (Jeff city) or Springfield. The traffic in these months is what you would expect of a tourist town- very busy expect longer traveling times in & around Osage especially. We get about 100k vacationers every weekend coming through here. Lots of good times in the summer. However, the crime rate isn't bad - we don't have to lock our car doors; but we do anyway. Our neighborhood is great.

When the "season" is over most everything shuts down & you get that small town feel. There are only a few main streets and the remaining roads are called lake roads which mean that they lead you eventually to the lake itself. Most of the roads look like they lead nowhere, however once you get under the beautiful tree tops you will find your housing divisions. I relate it to living in Fern Gully. It doesn't feel crowded, you don't see houses everywhere you look. It's still Green here. Lack of good employment would have to be the biggest downfall here. Because everything shuts down, there are a lot of layoffs come fall. If you have teenagers you will find that most of them get summer jobs on boat docks making good tips or in the local resturants and one of the many, many golf courses. They seem to still understand that working is being responsible even at a younger age. The school systems are great, rent is affordable, the schools are good & most people I have met here are outsiders. Yet, the lifers that I have met are very welcoming & pleasant to be around. Of course not all of them, but you will get that everywhere. (the same as Washingtonians not liking Californians) I love Washington & would move back if there were stronger employment opportunities, but until then, I will be just fine here with my big city summers & small town winters; the best of both worlds.

If you have been to Spokane, Springfield is a lot like it. Not to big, not to small. The crime rate though is a bummer compared to Camdenton / Linn Creek / Osage Beach.

Beware to ask the landlord about the condition of the rental. Most are fine but here in Lake of the Ozarks some landlords don't clean their units very well so make sure to ask specifics about the true move in rediness of the unit. Carpets cleaned, new paint etc... Then get it in writing. We had problems when we first arrived here & had to stay 5 extra nights in a hotel which was not planned on because it was not clean & we ended up having to clean it ourselves in order to get moved in. Also, if you are house / apartment hunting in this area be ready to claim something you see that you like immediatly because rentals go very quickly so be ready to jump on it.

If you are planning on buying a house, now is a great time. Unfortunatly, there are a lot of very nice houses in foreclosure & you can't beat the deals, I mean STEALS!!! Might be something worth checking into, this area has growing quite a bit even since we have been here. Some larger corporations are said to be coming in, but with this economy issue who knows what will happen. Great investment if nothing else. People rent their homes out here for $1000. a weekend in the summer months. Depends on the size/ quality & location. There is more shorefront property here than the entire state of California so lakehouses are abundant.

Hope this helps some. Let me know if you need any more info & I'll do my best to get you answers.

I really have no idea what city to choose in Missouri and am not sure if I can even get up the nerve to move there, I only know the Northwest situation with the way the rentals are here, just is not working for me and would like to think about finding a new home.

I am worried about the extreme humidity, but I think I may be able to handle it. Was relocating extremely stressful for you. Did you ever get the feeling it was the wrong decision?

Do people in Missouri really want outsiders? I would not describe the Northwest as overly friendly. Thanks for any and all suggestions.

[OA 5599]

Originally Posted by theresnoplacelikehome

I really have no idea what city to choose in Missouri and am not sure if I can even get up the nerve to move there, I only know the Northwest situation with the way the rentals are here, just is not working for me and would like to think about finding a new home.

I am worried about the extreme humidity, but I think I may be able to handle it. Was relocating extremely stressful for you. Did you ever get the feeling it was the wrong decision?

Do people in Missouri really want outsiders? I would not describe the Northwest as overly friendly. Thanks for any and all suggestions.

The humidity really isn't extreme. I think Missouri is unfairly given the reputation for being very humid, while states like Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida are much more humid and unbearable in the summer. Most of Missouri averages around 40" or rainfall a year, while states in the Southeast get 50-60" a year. It is usually oppressively hot for 2-3 weeks every summer, and the rest of it isn't that bad.

Chances are if you move to a larger city like KC, St. Louis, or Springfield, no one will care too much that you are an outsider. Smaller towns in rural Missouri can be a different story. Some are welcoming to outsiders, and some are very close-knit due to the fact that many of them are multigenerational residents to the town, and they may not want to accept outsiders. It all depends on your attitude though. If you were to look down on the locals and boast about how much better the Pacific Northwest is, you'd have a very hard time making friends, but that isn't exclusive to Missouri...people with an attitude like that anywhere generally don't do to well.

People are generally pretty friendly in the rural parts of the state. I'm back in MO right now for Christmas, and after living in cities for the past few years, had to adjust to people saying "hi" and smiling in stores if you make happen to make eye contact with them in a store. The urban areas are of course less openly friendly like that, but I've also noticed that the drivers are much more courteous in Missouri cities than in Texas.

[phonelady61]

have you considered lebanon or sedalia ? check those out my parents live in lebanon and I grew up there and they love it . my mom was a school teacher there and she retired from the school system there . I remember their schools being very good and i also know that rents are much cheaper in columbia , lebanon and sedalia . check those three cities out and also what do you do for a living ? that might help the rest of us help you . good luck whatever you decide to do .

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by theresnoplacelikehome

Maybe over 80,000. I was thinking about Kansas City, but it seems like the crime rate is pretty high there. I was thinking about Springfield.

Is the weather tolerable?? Can you walk outside on a really hot day - is the humidity really that bad?

This would not deter my decision to move because I actually cannot stay in the Northwest with the rising cost of rents and the poor conditions of some of these neighborhoods.

If you are on a lower income bracket, are the neighborhoods in some Missouri towns clean or does the city take care of cleaning it up?

Thank you for your response. I really appreciate any and all help!! - in other words HELP!

The secret of dealing with the heat and humidity of Missouri is to spend time outside every day so that you get used to it gradually. If you spend all your time in air conditioning and then decide you are going to go out side when it is 99 degrees with 90 percent humidity, I'm sure you'll feel EXTREMELY uncomfortable. Even if you are used to being out side in the heat of the day, on the worst days, smart folks spend time in the shade, taking it easy and drinking lots and lots of cool water. LOL

Like everywhere else, there are good parts and bad parts of Missouri. For the most part, Springfield is pretty good. Once you get into the outlying areas - especially the small towns, you will run across a real dump once in a while (I can point them out to you - LOL as a former realtor, I know where they ALL are). Mostly, people take care of their own place. If someplace becomes a real health hazards, then once in a while the authorities will force someone to clean it up or the neighbors will get sick of it and it will mysteriously burn down. LOL But the tolerance level is different in different places. I have seen families living in places that most people would consider uninhabitable.

As for price, $400 will get you a decent place most anywhere except maybe St. Louis or Kansas City. If you are determined to go to a BIG CITY, I'd pick STL over KC any day, but that is a matter of preference. There are better towns that offer almost the same things, such as Jefferson City, Springfield and to a lesser extent even Cape Giradeau, Branson and Lake of the Ozarks. Lots to do and see and the cost of living is reasonable compated to the PNW I'm sure.

To see if you can stand the humidity, come out on - oh - July 31 and see what you think. Personally, I have a problem with the ticks and chiggers more than the heat and humidity. As for the tornadoes? Well, you just got to suck it up (pun intended). LOL

20yrsinBranson

[misplaced1]

HI, I'm on the West Coast currently (Oregon born) and will be moving back to Missouri again. I've lived in Portland Oregon, Denver Colorado, Here in California Sierra Mountains, and North Western Missouri a small beautiful town called Bethany. It's small but I lived there for 2 years and I loved it so much. We ended up moving here because I had some health issues from chiropractic care and needed help for a while. We will be moving to St. Joseph, we are in the process of buying a house now.

I love St. Joe. It is full of history and some of the most beautiful architecture I have seen. There is good medical care, good food, museums, it's nice.

I never had an issue with bugs. I have to say though that there are fireflies out in Missouri and they are amazing. Up where we were there were wild turkeys, Turtles crossing the roads, baby bunnies, it was so cool. I think though I might stay out of the southern part of Missouri for some bug issues.

I'd say the two years I was there the humidity getting miserably bad was less than 2 weeks a year. There are varying levels of humidity but it's really only that soup you can't stand to breath less than 2 weeks, I'd say. Tornado's can be a shock though so give that some thought. They STILL freak me out!

I currently live in an overpriced crappy small town in the Sierra's. I can't afford to have a decent life here so I know what you mean. The prices are bad and it's not just housing, it's electric and gas and food and all of it.

Oh for the rent you can pay stay out of Kansas City unless you have a chance to go see the neighborhood and housing. There are some pretty houses cheap in KC but wow I don't want to live in those areas.

I suggest you take a trip on the Amtrak and get a look around. I researched Missouri on the net and we just upped and moved out there but I fell in love with it. My heart's still there and I can't wait to get back.