Help me find an inexpensive, rural MO town (St. Louis, Nixa: school district, living in)

[meandthee]

Couldn't help but notice the "negative one" it always stands out! like a weed in a garden of flowers. Mom used to teach us to "bloom where you are planted" to me that means you should be happy inside and no matter where you live you will prosper ~ enough of that. I left Missouri 35 years ago to find myself and get out of the "hick" town I lived in, where people cared about you. Well guess what? hubby & I are ready to retire and you know where we are going? You got it - back home to Missouri near Warsaw, on the lake with neighbors actually excited we are coming and haven't even met us yet! oh how good that feels! Good luck to those who can't find that peace, I truly hope you will.

[ozarksboy]

Originally Posted by CamdentonMO

Hi,

There are some nice towns in Jackson, County Missouri. My husband and I looked there, but ended up in Camden County. We are absolutely miserable. So, take my advice and stay as far away from Camden County Missouri as possible. The people here do NOT like outsiders and treat them like crap. I wish we had move to Jackson County or closer to Springfield. We can't sell the brand new house we bought because it doesn't me fire codes and a group of rogue attorneys run this county. We are stuck in hell! Be very, very careful when it comes to moving to Missouri.

Longing for Civilization...............................

You got to be kidding. Lake of the Ozarks is nearby and it has drawn so many outsiders you can't stir them with a stick. In fact, there are so many outsiders there, now that you can't hardly find a native or even a long-time resident like myself (55 years and 9 months of my total 56 years). Maybe the problem is not with the residents of Camden County, and that's all I'm going to say about that.

Originally Posted by christina0001

Some relatives are considering relocating/retiring to MO within the next year. They ideally want a modest home (3 bed, 2 bath, stick homes only - no trailers or manufactured) on at least 10 acres of land, for under $200k. They love old homes and would have no problems fixing one up, although they aren't looking for a huge project to contend with. Are there any towns/counties you would recommend? My husband and I are relocating to the Kansas City area so in our opinion, the closer to KC, the better. However these relatives want to be in a rural setting, so it definitely needs to be at least 1-2 hours from the city. But any recommendations are welcome.

Well, I can see that this original post more than 2 years old, so I'm not addressing the first writer; instead, this is for others looking for a similar place.

My suggestion: Newburg, Mo.

It's just a stone's throw from Rolla, so it's about two hours from Springfield, two hours from St. Louis, two hours from Columbia and 90 minutes from Jeff City.

The town is in one of the most beautiful parts of Missouri you'll find, the Little Piney Creek/River valley. It's right next to Mark Twain National Forest. It is a former railroad town, and there was a roundhouse there. Houses are built on two hills with Main Street in the valley.

It has a solid school system, but very little commercial development.

And that's the biggest problem there: it's a poor community, financially. It is rich, though, in history and it is rich spiritually. Let me see, if I recall correctly there are three churches right there on Main street.

It's a town looked down on by the so-called high-brows in Rolla, which is funny, because Rolla is a town were people have been known to set their couches on one of the main drags so they can drink beer and watch the cars go by on Friday and Saturday nights. Very high-brow! LOL.

Newburg is the home of the Lyric Live Theater. How many other tiny towns anywhere have something like that?

One of these days, Newburg is going to be discovered by wealthy investors from St. Louis or Kansas City or Chicago, and they will buy up the land quietly and turn that place into something trendy. Think about getting in early, before the rush starts.

[wisernowandrelocated]

save yourself a lot of trouble...when you get to Trenton, keep driving. Been in NW MO twenty plus years, many nice friendly areas... this place(Trenton) used to be known as Lomax's store, I believe it was mentioned in a Michner historical novel as a shady place. Hasn't changed much. Before I bought in Trenton the realtor warned me it was "clannish". In other words if you don't share the genetics don't move there. I notice that it LOST population while Daviess County (right next door) where I now reside has seen a number of families move IN. We have some families relocating here from CA and new Amish families too.Sorry Trenton, you flunk as a good place to move. There are too many NICE communities with NICE folks too close.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by wisernowandrelocated

save yourself a lot of trouble...when you get to Trenton, keep driving. Been in NW MO twenty plus years, many nice friendly areas... this place(Trenton) used to be known as Lomax's store, I believe it was mentioned in a Michner historical novel as a shady place. Hasn't changed much. Before I bought in Trenton the realtor warned me it was "clannish". In other words if you don't share the genetics don't move there. I notice that it LOST population while Daviess County (right next door) where I now reside has seen a number of families move IN. We have some families relocating here from CA and new Amish families too.Sorry Trenton, you flunk as a good place to move. There are too many NICE communities with NICE folks too close.

I agree with your thoughts on Trenton.
I have no idea why people from CA would relocate to Daviess County, MO, though.

[marmac]

Thayer MO

[MyTownInfo]

SW Missouri is UNBEATABLE!!!

Low taxes ... Low crime ... HIGH quality of living!!! I would suggest El Dorado Springs area. The real estate is a bargain, the city park has a municipal band that has played weekends for over 100 years, and the area around it is FULL of hunting, fishing, and outdoor activities! Contact me personally and I'll guide you to whatever your interests might be. Good Luck!!

[yockee]

Hey all, simular question. Just retired from Military, but we couldn't get out of St Louis area soon enough. Is there a small MO town that dosen;t come with the baggage of "outsiders" and anything else that may be bad, that is between Whiteman AFB and Fort Leonardwood?
I don't really care about activities uptown, just want some place to grow some food, shoot gun's for hunting and raise small animals (Chickens, Turkeys etc).

Yockee

[stlcitygirl]

Tipton, Lake of the Ozarks area, Sparta

[ozarksboy]

i still say you should consider Newburg in Phelps County.

[northbayeric]

Originally Posted by ozarksboy

i still say you should consider Newburg in Phelps County.

That's also very close to Onyx Mountain Caverns as I recall. Pretty nice cave with a number of bear beds inside. Onondaga Cave's just a short drive up I-44 from Newburg as well.

O.B., how does Waynesville compare to Newburg, besides being a bit larger and right next to Fort Leonard Wood?