Rural Kansas Decline (Ellinwood, Burdett, Rozel: car insurance, credit, house)

[kansas sky]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

Please STOP digging up ancient threads for no reason. Date and time stamps are clearly marked at the top of each post.

Please update this thread with new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

If you reply, this thread will be bumped to the top of the forum.

Bolding not mine. These statements appear at the bottom of old threads. We may or may not like them, but apparently this is board policy.

On topic, my husband and I explored a possible job opportunity in Colby 2 years ago. We opted not to take it because home prices had skyrocketed since I went to school there in 1999-2001. Somebody's making money in that part of the state.

[AnywhereElse]

Well, we could update it some with this article: Population decline an issue in races | Wichita Eagle written in 2010 or this one from 2011: Population decline in more than half of Kansas counties - NBCActionNews.com - Kansas City or this one from 2012: Study shows population declining in rural Kansas - KWCH. I know these types of articles are carried in most of the KS newspapers and I had seen them over the 7 years that we have been here and the news is pretty much the same year after year.

This year, I looked at the number of people that would be graduating from the local high school and I'm guessing maybe 25% might find some sort of job here and that might be high. Being closer to Topeka, people used to drive in there until things got tight there. College? Yes but that delays the inevitable. Lots of nice houses on the market and a flooded rental market here.

Now, there is always a shortage of plumbers and carpenters, even people to mow lawns but most aren't looking for those types of positions anymore.

Adding: http://www.gctelegram.com/news/hays-...ation-06-29-10 and http://krex.k-state.edu/dspace/handl...3746?show=full and one more: http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/S...155325535.html

Another thing to look at is the price of gasoline. When I came to KS in the late 70's, I was staying in a town about 60 miles from Salina and it was cost effective to do your shopping and hold a job there but as the cost of gasoline went up that changed. I moved from Salina to JC and used to compute/carpool into Salina until I found a job in JC/Ft.Riley and that was in the early 80's. Now, I don't think that would be practical. So, I think many end up looking for jobs out-of-state where they can get a combination of affordable housing and a decent paying job. In some of the counties that are growing here and have jobs, you have to be making a lot of money in order to live in that county and previously, you could live outside and pay less for a home but now, with the cost of gas, that option has disappeared.

[OkieKatMaster]

Originally Posted by itsMeFred

Ummm...
There is more to NW KS than just Goodland and Colby. Most of our communities are experience out-migration, bev. Them's just facts.

Although I'm not from KS, I lived and worked in the oilfields outside of Oakley for about a year. It seems to me that if oil exploration continues to expand in this region of the state, northwest KS could actually experience a small bump upwards in population. As far as I've noticed, Scott City, Oakley, and areas slightly farther east are already beginning to see this type of growth, at least from an economic standpoint.

[itsMeFred]

It seems to me that if oil exploration continues to expand in this region of the state, northwest KS could actually experience a small bump upwards in population.

As a land/mineral owner in Cheyenne county, I'm hoping you're right. Also, my husband drives a truck in the Bakken, and would really like to be able to find such work here at home.
North Dakota, a mere decade ago when we lived up there, had been having such serious population decline they were starting ask very serious questions, like: How many people does a state need to have to still function as an independent state? And in the last three years they've gotten more people than they know what to do with! lol

However, speculation is interesting, but at the moment we're still on the decline...

[OkieKatMaster]

That may change soon. I have serious contacts through Murfin drilling and Anadarko. I'm also aware of expansion taking place within Allied and Consolidated services (in Oakley). Unlike many other areas of the nation, wells can be drilled much more cheaply in NW KS. You region's oil is only 3-5 thousand feet down, often doesn't require horizontal drilling/multi sub rigs to reach the production zones, and can be produced without massive hydraulic fracking operations. This information is well known to drilling companies, and has created an interest in the region.

[bev osborn]

Originally Posted by itsMeFred

She might not realize they're ancient.
If something comes across the "Similar Threads" links, below, a new member won't necessarily see the dates and realize how old the topic actually is.

I believe I can post to anything I feel like posting to,unless for some reason,it is closed.

[bev osborn]

Originally Posted by kansas sky

Bolding not mine. These statements appear at the bottom of old threads. We may or may not like them, but apparently this is board policy.

On topic, my husband and I explored a possible job opportunity in Colby 2 years ago. We opted not to take it because home prices had skyrocketed since I went to school there in 1999-2001. Somebody's making money in that part of the state.

Yes to both points--Colby is making a lot of money,and Goodland too, in R E right now--someone needs to do some homework before he spouts off at the mouth so often and so consistently --and yes.we are always encouraged to keep old threads open and I will do that especially on the Kansas threads.If other people don't like it stop posting there

[bev osborn]

Originally Posted by OkieKatMaster

Although I'm not from KS, I lived and worked in the oilfields outside of Oakley for about a year. It seems to me that if oil exploration continues to expand in this region of the state, northwest KS could actually experience a small bump upwards in population. As far as I've noticed, Scott City, Oakley, and areas slightly farther east are already beginning to see this type of growth, at least from an economic standpoint.

Yes.There has been slight growth in these areasAt any rate,there still seems to be enough people,enough new industry,enough schools,and enough growth out here to keep things going out here, in my town anyway,for a while.And if it ever doesn't work for me,there's the rest of the state to look at.

[bev osborn]

Originally Posted by OkieKatMaster

That may change soon. I have serious contacts through Murfin drilling and Anadarko. I'm also aware of expansion taking place within Allied and Consolidated services (in Oakley). Unlike many other areas of the nation, wells can be drilled much more cheaply in NW KS. You region's oil is only 3-5 thousand feet down, often doesn't require horizontal drilling/multi sub rigs to reach the production zones, and can be produced without massive hydraulic fracking operations. This information is well known to drilling companies, and has created an interest in the region.

Also the incredible potential that the state has in developing more WIND POWER is on the horizon and being explored more and more.

[Grumpus Monkus]

We are actually seeking out small Kansas towns to move to from Texas.

I spent my summers working on my uncles' wheat farm in Central Kansas and loved the town and the memories I have from there. I understand that data shows population declines from rural America, but rest assured that many of us are sneaking back in because we find these places are great for raising our kids.

We have run across many other families looking to do the same, or have already been able to make the move back to rural America.