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What a weird way to deconstruct one state and then make it compete with a complete state. The fact that a gutted Missouri still is competing with a complete West Virginia sure says a lot about West Virginia, doesn’t it?
Apparently, the scenery does matter, and maybe the location too, for I notice that West Virginia is trouncing a Missouri stripped of its two principal cities.
But it's my impression too that the economy of that Missouri is still stronger than that of a whole West Virginia.
But the winters are harsher in Missouri, and I note that many Americans are winterphobic.
West Virginia wins hands down.
Being close to many east coast states, the state need to change to a tourism and hospitality economy - Its natural beauty is pretty amazing
West Virginians are much friendlier than Missourians.
St. Louis and KC may be the economic catalysts of Missouri, but Ill take Charleston, WV over both on any day.
The down side of both states are their economies, and the fact that the guns and god influence trumps (no pun intended) any form of rational thinking.
What a weird way to deconstruct one state and then make it compete with a complete state. The fact that a gutted Missouri still is competing with a complete West Virginia sure says a lot about West Virginia, doesn’t it?
If the borders had been drawn a different way, WV could have extended up to Lake Erie and included Pittsburgh and Cleveland. I think it's an interesting comparison! It's a subset of the larger Appalachian vs Ozark question.
To me WV has the upper hand with location, biodiversity, lushness, climate, and location, but Missouri is a much easier state to develop and build in. The same thing that makes WV so beautiful also makes it hard to build infrastructure into and there's less agriculture and resource extraction to provide an economic base.
I think West Virginia's growth with come from people retiring there and living there because they want to be in a pretty place. Growth will come from people bringing their jobs or retirement wealth immigrating in with them. I think there will be a lot of retirees coming into the area in the coming years from the huge NOVA economic powerhouse. Missouri will be able to generate it's own economic growth better, although I could see a fair number of northern mid-westerners retiring halfway south there as well.
But the winters are harsher in Missouri, and I note that many Americans are winterphobic.
There isn't much difference between the winter climates in Missouri and West Virginia, other than temperatures gradually rising from north to south in both states. Mountainous areas of WV can get a lot of snow as well.
West Virginia definitely has less sweltering summers than Missouri, however. Any part of Missouri is likely to reach the upper 90s or low 100s at least a few times this year, while such readings are very uncommon in West Virginia.
Climate aside - I think outstate Missouri is in better shape than West Virginia. The Springfield and Columbia areas are both economically well rounded and growing very well. While Missouri has some disadvantaged small rural counties in the southeast especially, they aren't in as desperate of a condition as southern West Virginia's coal country.
There isn't much difference between the winter climates in Missouri and West Virginia, other than temperatures gradually rising from north to south in both states. Mountainous areas of WV can get a lot of snow as well.
West Virginia definitely has less sweltering summers than Missouri, however. Any part of Missouri is likely to reach the upper 90s or low 100s at least a few times this year, while such readings are very uncommon in West Virginia.
Climate aside - I think outstate Missouri is in better shape than West Virginia. The Springfield and Columbia areas are both economically well rounded and growing very well. While Missouri has some disadvantaged small rural counties in the southeast especially, they aren't in as desperate of a condition as southern West Virginia's coal country.
I agree with this, Missouri is in a little better shape but it’s location and beauty for me and the mountain biking is off the charts!
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