I am moving to Wichita! (Derby, El Dorado: real estate, loans, houses) - City-Data Forum

jups2709 · 05-29-2011, 11:44 PM

Hello! I am from Arkansas and have never lived anywhere else. My husband just got a great job with Raytheon and starts working on June 6th. I have been researching Kansas and Wichita on the internet but I am not getting all of my answers. What are the good suburbs to live in? What is the cost of living like? What are the gas prices at? What is the weather like in the summer and winter? My main question is what is the best area to live in? Thank you in advance to anyone who reads to and responds to my post.

Modron · 05-30-2011, 08:15 AM

Are you comfortable saying what plant your husband will be working at? That will make a difference as far as what suburban areas will be closest and chosing what area to live in. Getting around Wichita is pretty fast with the interstate/by-pass system around the city. But, the city is pretty spread out and you'll want to see how far away from work you're comfortable living.

The cost of living is generally lower than more metropolitan areas. You'll hear a lot of opinions about what we save in some costs we pay for in others. I've never lived anywhere but here, so I really don't have a basis of comparison. Housing does seem to be a lot less expensive here. And, generally, real estate didn't get caught up in the bubble and the bad loans that happened in other parts of the country. Usually, gas prices here are lower than major metropolitan areas or either coast. Right now we're around $3.60 a gallon.

We have seasons in Kansas with winters that are generally moderate with a few days of snow and lower temps. (Not like the -52F temps my friend in North Dakota gets.) Summer days with temps 100+ are becoming more usual, although we have had a pretty long spring this year. It's probably less humid here than in AK.

The terrain here will be different. You may have heard it's flat and treeless. That's true for most of the state. The geography also limits the kinds of outdoor activities that are available, like skiing, hiking, swimming in the ocean. Stuff like that. There are a couple of areas for boating/camping/fishing, around El Dorado Reservoir, Cheney Lake that are nearby. I'd look up the Flint Hills online. It's a natural area in the state north of Wichita that's really pretty. Which is to say, the flat treeless plain can be a bigger change than people are used to. If you're used to being active in AK, you might want to look for some alternatives to the activities you typically enjoy.

misdyl · 05-31-2011, 07:46 AM

do you have kids? will "school systems" be a concern? If hubby will be at Raytheon at Central and Greenwich/Webb, Andover is a great suburb (with excellent schools). Some of the newer areas have pretty high specials, but you can find nice homes in some of the older areas as well. If you want a little bit farther out of the city (Andover borders Wichita's east side to the extent that you can hardly tell you are leaving one and going to the other any more), Benton is a nice area as is Augusta - both would be a little bit more of a drive (15-20 minutes rather than 5 - 10 from Andover) to get to that Raytheon plant (mentioned above).

Will you be working as well? If so, what kind of field?

As pp mentioned, we do have 4 seasons, with likely a bit colder and more snow in the winter than Arkansas; but the snow we get in Wichita is rarely on the ground more than a couple of days at a time.

If you get provide a few more of your qualifications as to what you consider / want in a "good suburb" to live in, you might get a bit more specific info

Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions

jups2709 · 05-31-2011, 01:04 PM

Thank you both so much for replying. The hubby will be working on McConnell AFB. We don't have kids but we do plan on starting our family in Kansas. Schools won't matter right away but it would be nice to be around good schools so we don't have to worry about it later on. I've been looking at houses online and found a nice one in Goddard, is that a nice area?

quesera · 05-31-2011, 08:01 PM

Goddard is a pretty good drive from McConnell. Have you checked out Derby? It's just down the road from the AFB, maybe 10 minutes to the south. Nice suburb, nice mix of home ages and styles, good schools and plenty of shopping, if you don't want to drive to "the city".

knrstz · 05-31-2011, 08:38 PM

Andover and Derby are your best options for suburbs. However there are plenty of nice homes in east Wichita without having to go to a suburb. If you want a little more of small town feel while still being really close to Wichita, you might look into Augusta. Weather won't be much different. Al little colder in the winter, less rain and more wind.

misdyl · 06-01-2011, 07:13 AM

I agree w/ pp re: Goddard being a bit of a drive. BUT, if hubby doesn't mind that, then yes, Goddard is a very nice area - a great suburb (if I were going to live on the west side, I would choose Goddard).
I realize that you said you don't have kids (yet), but for when/if you do....Goddard schools and Andover schools are, IMHO the best suburb schools (which is why they are growing so much!). Derby is a great city....but the school is one of the biggest in the state (High school...it'd be a long time til that mattered, though