[Veritas Vincit]

Originally Posted by TRex2

Sure. That is why most of the people who move to AR, come here for the hills, and the rivers and lakes they create. (And a lot of us aren't real fond of "flatlanders" as Snuffy Smith calls them.)

(PS: flat lands breed mosquitoes in sub-tropical areas, like AR)

Well isn't this thread talking about why Jonesboro, in the 'flat' part of the state, is growing so much? I'm saying that there's a lot of people who don't need to live in the hills and don't think of being in the hills as a positive or view relative flatness as a negative. Most of Texas is flat as hell and there sure are a lot of people moving there these days.

[MOforthewin]

Originally Posted by Veritas Vincit

Well isn't this thread talking about why Jonesboro, in the 'flat' part of the state, is growing so much? I'm saying that there's a lot of people who don't need to live in the hills and don't think of being in the hills as a positive or view relative flatness as a negative. Most of Texas is flat as hell and there sure are a lot of people moving there these days.

Texas also has a great job market, the Gulf, and also parts like Houston, and Dallas, Austin have a lot milder climate in the winter than northern Arkansas.

[sub]

Originally Posted by Veritas Vincit

I don't know why flatness would be considered a negative. Hills are annoying to walk and to drive in daily life. Human settlements cluster in flat valleys and are scarce in the hills for very real and practical reasons. Hills can be nice to look at, sure, but it's not that great to live in a hilly neighborhood.

I also prefer flat or at most very gently rolling hills.
Ideally, perhaps something like you see a lot out west in a valley with big mountains in the near background.
Navigating Ozarks back roads on a daily basis wasn't for me.

The Delta isn't a valley though, it's just the Delta. As has been mentioned, it's naturally swampy in most areas.
A bit more difficult to develop. Great for farming though.

Originally Posted by MOforthewin

Also more humid in the Delta too! Night time lows for example when I was in MO the Bootheel always the warmest and most humid. Eastern AR, MO Bootheel, Western TN were basically mostly swamps at one time then drained and canals made so cotton and such could be grown. You see people moving to Branson area. I don't see them moving to Hayti MO. Full of mosquitoes in the Delta.

I'm from the Delta and lived in the Ozarks for quite a few years, one time was not far from Branson.
The humidity and temps differences were too negligible in the grand scheme of things for my tastes.
For some however, it's just enough to make a difference.

Originally Posted by Veritas Vincit

Well isn't this thread talking about why Jonesboro, in the 'flat' part of the state, is growing so much? I'm saying that there's a lot of people who don't need to live in the hills and don't think of being in the hills as a positive or view relative flatness as a negative. Most of Texas is flat as hell and there sure are a lot of people moving there these days.

Jonesboro has a good economy. Ultimately, that's what matters.
Having a major university is the catalyst, but it's not all about the university either.
According to one source, Joneboro is home to the largest rice mill in the world. There is also a decent amount of general industry there.

I mentioned in another thread somewhere that it's largely kept pace with its cross-state counterpart Fayetteville. Most people might not realize that. Of course the difference being is that Jonesboro doesn't have the supporting cast.

I hear you on Texas. Especially Dallas. It's flat and it has some of the worst weather in the country. But there it is, one of the most populated places out there.

Originally Posted by MOforthewin

Texas also has a great job market, the Gulf, and also parts like Houston, and Dallas, Austin have a lot milder climate in the winter than northern Arkansas.

Northeast Arkansas and Dallas have very similar climates. Dallas might be even more miserably hot, but it's still prone to the occasional ice storm and other extremes.
The main thing Texas has is oil and one doozy of a marketing scheme. It's been romanticized and popularized in film and folklore in ways few other places have and people are still buying into it.
I've been there done that and, well, I'll let someone else follow that dream.

[TRex2]

Originally Posted by sub

I also prefer flat or at most very gently rolling hills.
Ideally, perhaps something like you see a lot out west in a valley with big mountains in the near background.
...

I agree with that. A lot of the mountains here (especially just to the south of me) can be more than most people want. Thankfully, I no longer have to deal with them on a daily basis. (Just a couple times a week, and those are the easier ones.)

...
Jonesboro has a good economy. Ultimately, that's what matters.
Having a major university is the catalyst, but it's not all about the university either.
According to one source, Joneboro is home to the largest rice mill in the world. There is also a decent amount of general industry there.

I mentioned in another thread somewhere that it's largely kept pace with its cross-state counterpart Fayetteville. Most people might not realize that. Of course the difference being is that Jonesboro doesn't have the supporting cast.
...

Yes! This!
I maintain that Jonesboro has grown, in spite of the flat lands and mosquitoes.
Not because of them.

[sub]

A lot of people just want a job and a comfortable home. Terrain and climate and all that other stuff we C-D types get hung up on really doesn't matter to a lot of folks.
A quick look at Realtor shows a handful of new construction houses for around 200k, one was sub-200k. Not too shabby in this market. Existing homes can go for a lot less.
Of course many were in the 300-500k. Nevertheless, Jonesboro is still attainable to a wide range of people.