Kansas vs. Utah pros and cons (Wichita, Kansas City: low crime, unemployment, buying)

[gypsy88]

We are trying to figure out where to relocate to next. We currently live in NM but don't anticipate staying here due to problems with crime and the laid back attitude is a bit too much for us. We are originally from Michigan but will not move back there due to family politics, gray winters 6 months of the year, high unemployment.

So we have friends in both Kansas (Newton and north of Wichita) and Utah (American Fork and UT county). Have taken several trips to UT, only driven through KS once. I am hoping someone else has experienced both and can enlighten us. We like more rural areas with a low crime rate. Housing seems much more affordable in KS. Crime rates are about the same. Less LDS presence in KS although that really doesn't bother us one way or another. We don't have any kids so schools are not a priority. KS is much greener which we like. UT has better access to major airport and we both ski.

We have more friends in UT than KS, but have found that location does matter. You can always go on vacation and visit.

We will take some more visits to both, but hoping I could get some other insight here.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by gypsy88

We are trying to figure out where to relocate to next. We currently live in NM but don't anticipate staying here due to problems with crime and the laid back attitude is a bit too much for us. We are originally from Michigan but will not move back there due to family politics, gray winters 6 months of the year, high unemployment.

So we have friends in both Kansas (Newton and north of Wichita) and Utah (American Fork and UT county). Have taken several trips to UT, only driven through KS once. I am hoping someone else has experienced both and can enlighten us. We like more rural areas with a low crime rate. Housing seems much more affordable in KS. Crime rates are about the same. Less LDS presence in KS although that really doesn't bother us one way or another. We don't have any kids so schools are not a priority. KS is much greener which we like. UT has better access to major airport and we both ski.

We have more friends in UT than KS, but have found that location does matter. You can always go on vacation and visit.

We will take some more visits to both, but hoping I could get some other insight here.

I would include rural areas around Omaha or Des Moines instead of Wichita. Wichita has a very mediocre economy with cheap housing for a reason. Wages are also very low there. Omaha and Des Moines both have lower unemployment and similar housing prices compared to Wichita.

[MOKAN]

Originally Posted by gypsy88

We are trying to figure out where to relocate to next. We currently live in NM but don't anticipate staying here due to problems with crime and the laid back attitude is a bit too much for us. We are originally from Michigan but will not move back there due to family politics, gray winters 6 months of the year, high unemployment.

So we have friends in both Kansas (Newton and north of Wichita) and Utah (American Fork and UT county). Have taken several trips to UT, only driven through KS once. I am hoping someone else has experienced both and can enlighten us. We like more rural areas with a low crime rate. Housing seems much more affordable in KS. Crime rates are about the same. Less LDS presence in KS although that really doesn't bother us one way or another. We don't have any kids so schools are not a priority. KS is much greener which we like. UT has better access to major airport and we both ski.

We have more friends in UT than KS, but have found that location does matter. You can always go on vacation and visit.

We will take some more visits to both, but hoping I could get some other insight here.

Is this crime you speak of just where you live in NM? Is it like your specific town or city?

What do you mean when you say the laid back attitude where you live now is too much for you?

For skiing, being active in the outdoors, etc., Utah definitely beats Kansas, as does Utah's scenery. Not to mention, for the time that you do spend in a larger city, Salt Lake City looks like to be a pretty cool slice of urbanity, especially for a city its size.

If you're really interested in Kansas, want access to a major airport and to be fairly close to a bigger city, I would check out northeast Kansas, the glacial hills region. Basically, anything outside of Leavenworth or Atchison. These areas are along the Missouri river and very hilly and scenic, and inexpensive. Then you have all the access to Kansas City and its suburbs, as well as Lawrence (major college town), Topeka, and St. Joseph.

[bkern1989]

With what you want, I'd have to say that Utah is probably better for you. When it comes to your skiing, Kansas would not work for you at all. You would have to travel several hundred miles for any skiing chances. Not too sure what you mean about laid back attitude. Personally that sounds like a good thing to me. In conclusion, with what you want, I'd say that Utah is the obvious choice. But then again, vacation is always an option, though that can be very expensive.

[gypsy88]

Well we have a few years to investigate as we know we do not want to stay here permanently, but we have time to do it right.

By laid back, I don't mean to offend folks out there. I don't even consider myself a type A personality. But there is a bad case of "mañana" here (do it tomorrow). Which, maybe if you don't run a tight schedule yourself, if you have lots of free time to play that game, that's fine. But when you want someone to work on your car, fix something at your house, commit to an appointment of some sort there is a lot of that going on. They blow off the appointment and show up a day or two later. Or make you wait for your car. Or take their time ordering the part you need. It really bugs me. I'm not used to that. You have an appointment, people show up. You call and leave a message, you try to call back within 24 hours.

Crime is an issue here and I came from a suburb of Detroit. Not like crime is new to me. Just check the crime scores. As I get older - closer to retirement age, I don't want to have to grow eyes on the back of my head to watch out for myself. We have lived in both a rural area (Belen) and in 3 places in the city of Albuquerque itself. There are a few "safer" areas, but they are so far away it is not practical for commuting to work. Los Alamos and Sandia Park are two that come to mind.

NM has served a purpose for us and I am grateful for that. It's just not where I am comfortable. I want a safer environment where I am near more friends and I don't have to become the paranoid, pushy old lady who keeps riding people around to get stuff done. It is a culture thing and I realize I am the outsider here. Hence why we are not staying. Yes, many folks seek out the slower pace of life and that is fine for them.

Don't try to pin me as a bad guy here. I just wanted input on UT and KS.

[kyle450rider]

I'm from KS and I'd choose UT over it any day....LOL. KS has cheap housing but UTAH has all the great outdoor perks. I'd say if you have the finances choose Utah.

[gypsy88]

Any decent fishing in KS though? Hunting? I get into that stuff too? It is a greener state so that's a "pro" for us. Miss the living vegetation. UT has some, but KS is much greener.

[thriftylefty]

I would take that particular spot in Utah over Wichita Kansas. You are obviously used to the inner mountain west and what ever comes with that life style in terms of the long drives weather and terrain. Although there is less LDS presence in Kansas, that area of Kansas has more religious colleges within a short strip of highway than I have ever seen. I normally get to the inner mountain west about once a year and I have enjoyed it. I have driven between St. George to Portland a few times.

[kyle450rider]

Originally Posted by gypsy88

Any decent fishing in KS though? Hunting? I get into that stuff too? It is a greener state so that's a "pro" for us. Miss the living vegetation. UT has some, but KS is much greener.

Has descent fishing and some spots have great hunting. Read not too long ago that Cabela's was buying up land out in western KS to start having deer hunts. Not sure if it were true. As far as KS being greener it depends on what part. East KS might be but west KS is a sea of never ending wheat. From Salina,KS to the Colorado border my wife and I would have to take turns driving just from the bordom of nothing to look at and flat ground. If I had a choice I wouldn't even consider KS to be honest.

[Hueffenhardt]

I have lived both in Utah (Provo [which is near American Fork]) and several places in Kansas (Lawrence, Hutchinson [which is near Newton and Wichita], and Topeka).

If I had to choose between American Fork, UT, and Newton or Wichita, KS, I would probably go with American Fork.

I really like both states a lot.

If you were looking at some place in Northeast Kansas versus American Fork, I'd probably go with Northeast Kansas. If you were looking at Duschene, UT, versus Newton/Wichita, KS, I'd go with Newton/Wichita.

I only say that to show that I would not always favor one state over another, but I know both the American Fork and Newton/Wichita areas, and I think American Fork would be your best bet between the two.

For a more rural area in UT County, try Spanish Fork, UT. It should be cheaper than American Fork, too.

If you do decide to go with Newton/Wichita area anyway, I'd suggest Maize, KS. It is NW of Wichita, and the boundaries between the two are starting to blur, but it is a very nice area, and although you'd be close to a big city, I bet you could find some nice rural land nearby, just to the west of Maize.