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My family has lived in a big city for a long time and we're sick of the crime, illegal immigration, drugs, violence, rising costs, and screwball liberals. We're looking for a low-crime, family-oriented, friendly, bible-belt, and peaceful sort of area with a population between 100k and 250k. Not a suburb of a bigger city, but a city unto itself. We need something with modern hospitals and services and decent wages, but without the extremes of the big cities. We're looking for a place where being hard-working, honest, and fundamentally decent doesn't put you in the minority.
We've been looking in different areas and two places we've come across that seem to fit this criteria are Lincoln, NE, and Springfield, MO. Both seem like nice cities.
What we wanted to know is which the better city to live in? Which has lower crime, better opportunities, better housing prices, etc... What are each city's good points and bad points? What are the differences and which would you live in if you had a choice?
Also, are there any other cities you would suggest that might fit what we're looking for?
Any suggestions, advice, or ideas are greatly appreciated. We just want to find someplace to live in that's like the way America used to be.
My family has lived in a big city for a long time and we're sick of the crime, illegal immigration, drugs, violence, rising costs, and screwball liberals. We're looking for a low-crime, family-oriented, friendly, bible-belt, and peaceful sort of area with a population between 100k and 250k. Not a suburb of a bigger city, but a city unto itself. We need something with modern hospitals and services and decent wages, but without the extremes of the big cities. We're looking for a place where being hard-working, honest, and fundamentally decent doesn't put you in the minority.
We've been looking in different areas and two places we've come across that seem to fit this criteria are Lincoln, NE, and Springfield, MO. Both seem like nice cities.
What we wanted to know is which the better city to live in? Which has lower crime, better opportunities, better housing prices, etc... What are each city's good points and bad points? What are the differences and which would you live in if you had a choice?
Also, are there any other cities you would suggest that might fit what we're looking for?
Any suggestions, advice, or ideas are greatly appreciated. We just want to find someplace to live in that's like the way America used to be.
Greetings. I would advise against Springfield, MO. I moved there too, for similar reasons that you mentioned. I was told that it was old-fashioned, laid-back, conservative and such...like old-time America. They were wrong. It is liberal, and fast-paced. Being from California, I think it is worse than many places there!! I was told Springfield would be a "country" environment, but its really not. It is very hip and College oriented. Very hectic and lots of traffic.
Lincoln, NB is a college town to, but I like it better. But have never lived there, only been through it a couple times...so really can't advise you there. Have you considered Cheyenne, WY? its a nice town...if you need a college Laramie is nearby. Good luck.
I lived in Omaha, Ne for 22 years before I moved to AZ. The winters a COLD and they get a lot more snow then Springfield. We are from Phoenix, just sold our home on Monday and are planning on moving to Springfield area in October for the same reasons you mentioned. We visited Springfield two years ago and we thought all the people were nice, traffic was nothing to Phoenix. I never got the impression that Springfield was hectic. We were getting gas in Ozark, Mo across the street from the restraunt called Throwed Rolls and a guy cut us off. Now in Phoenix that happens all day, but this guy came over to my husband and said her was sorry. My husband and I looked at each other and were speechless. We knew then, Springfield here we come.
Property Taxes in Nebraska a crazy high, another reason we picked MO.
I hope I can be of some help. I went to college in Springfield and have been to Lincoln several times for my job. I am not a native of either area, so can give you an outsider's unbiased view of each.
First off, both are nice places, don't get me wrong. Now, to touch on the things you wanted to know about.
While the city limits of Lincoln have more people, the Springfield metro area has about 200,000 more people, and is growing faster. The Springfield area has become a hot spot for retirees.
As for wages and the better economy, I would have to say Lincoln is better. Springfield has very low wages, even for "good jobs". Lincoln has very low unemployment and more job opportunities, being the state capital and having the largest state university. The economy in Lincoln is more stable, and is consistently ranked for starting businesses.
Hospitals and health care are good in Springfield, and I have heard good things about Lincoln. One nice thing about Lincoln is that you also have Omaha only an hour away for more options.
As for crime, neither has very high crime, and you would feel very safe in both. Sure, you have your typical college mischief in both. In Springfield, the south side is newer and nicer, or you could choose the nearby towns of Nixa and Ozark. They are only ten minutes from Springfield, and have very low crime. My understanding is Lincoln is also very safe all over, just avoid the Downtown area, which even there is not that bad. The south side of Lincoln is also the newer area and where much of the growth is. Since I have left, I have heard that Springfield has seen some increased crime, but is still very safe. Anytime you see increased population, you are bound to have additional crime.
Springfield has traditionally been very cheap, which is part of the draw for retirees. Lincoln averages a bit higher, but not by much. I think the somewhat higher wages would balance it out.
As for other good and bad points,
Springfield obviously has somewhat milder winters. That being said, we had two 13 inch snowstorms and some bad ice storms during my time there. The city is not very good at handling the weathe when it happens. Traffic has become a lot worse than it used to be, as there are no highways that actually go into the city, only around it. But coming from a big city, it might not seem that bad. The area around Springfield definitely provides more to do from a recreational standpoint. If you are into fishing, hiking, camping, and boating, then you will never be bored. Springfield has a good art museum, Bass Pro Shop, and the Wonders of Wildlife Museum. They have a fairly new minor league baseball stadium, a new arena, and a nice performing arts center. Branson is 35 minutes away, and is good if you like older country music, but not the modern Nashville scene. Springfield has 7 colleges, but you don't feel like they run the city. They are just part of the city, and add a balance to the older demographic. The airport is served by numerous airlines, with flights to about a dozen destinations, but fares are still rather high compared to big cities.
As for Lincoln, the city evolves a lot around the University of Nebraska. The area around Lincoln is not scenic at all, so outdoor recreation will be limited. There really aren't any suburbs. Lincoln does have an excellent bike trail system, and some lakes on the south side. Lincoln feels more cosmopolitan, with a higher standard of living. Even though they get a bit more cold and snow, it does not last that long. To me, Lincoln does not feel like "the way America used to be", just because it is modern. The people may be old fashioned, but the city is not. It is pretty conservative, but not the "in your face" religion you find in some places. They seem respectful of personal choices. Omaha is only an hour away and good for the big concerts and more shopping options. The Lincoln airport is very limited, served by only two airlines (counting Delta and Northwest as one company). You have about 6 destinations, but some are only one flight a day.
Both areas have bad thunderstorms, but Springfield gets 15 more inches of rain annually on average.
Overall, I like both. But if I had to choose one, especially from a "raising a "family" perspective, I would choose Lincoln. It is a close call though.
Other cities that might be worth looking into that are in the same size, price and crime range would be:
Sioux Falls, SD
Rapid City, SD
Billings, MT
Abilene, TX
Lubbock, TX
Fargo, ND
Kearney, NE (smaller but very nice for families)
Casper, WY
Cheyenne, WY
Johnson City/Kingsport TN
Greetings. I would advise against Springfield, MO. I moved there too, for similar reasons that you mentioned. I was told that it was old-fashioned, laid-back, conservative and such...like old-time America. They were wrong. It is liberal, and fast-paced. Being from California, I think it is worse than many places there!! I was told Springfield would be a "country" environment, but its really not. It is very hip and College oriented. Very hectic and lots of traffic.
You're certainly entitled to your opinion, but I would advise others looking at Springfield to take it with a grain of salt. You are one of a VERY SMALL group who would consider Springfield to be liberal and hectic.
It's also certainly not a "college town". There are several colleges and universities in Springfield, but they do not dominate the landscape. Aside from a few places that draw heavy college crowds (clubs and bars, mainly), you would never notice a difference between the times school is in session and the summer months. In my opinion, college towns completely change when school is out of session. Springfield does not.
You're right about traffic being a pain at times. Springfield isn't designed to disperse large volumes of traffic well, so travel can be a bit slow during peak hours. With that said, "traffic" is a very relative thing. I hate sitting still for two minutes. Someone from Los Angeles would laugh at me for that.
Springfield, MO and Lincoln, NE...two cities in very different parts of the Midwest. Springfield is roughly on the southern end of Midwestern influence while it might be said Lincoln is on the western end. Springfield if you ask me is the better choice...being in the Ozarks it is more culturally interesting than Lincoln, a Great Plains city, and it is also booming economically and very affordable. It also is much closer to other cities than Lincoln is. Lincoln is really only close to Omaha from what I know of, and that hardly qualifies as a big metro IMO. Springfield is within several hours of Tulsa, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Little Rock.
I would certainly say that Springfield, MO is dominated by the college atmosphere, and my family feels the same way...but thats just our perception. It is pretty progressive, which we were told southern Missouri was NOT. We were told that EVERYONE was super-friendly and it had a "Mayberry" feel to it...even considering the population. People seemed in too much of a hurry and preoccupied to be "super-friendly" or such as that. Needless to say we were disappointed with Springfield, Mo. The towns nearby are nice though, such as Ozark and Nixa. Towards Joplin, we liked Neosho. But those might be too small for your taste. Springfield was too big for ours.
I agree that the weather is milder in Springfield during the winter. I lived in Iowa for a while and their winters are much harsher as is Lincoln's. Springfield has alot of great shopping though and an "around-the-clock" atmosphere. I read somewhere it was rated as one of the top 100 towns in the nation for college-aged people.
I am not sure on Crime or housing costs. I do know that Iowa's economy is very strong and stable, and that housing is pretty inexpensive. Nebraska could be similar...not sure though.
Gun to my head though...I would pick Lincoln...but remember, thats just me. I like Nebraska, and the atmosphere around the state. But have never lived there. Good Luck.
You're certainly entitled to your opinion, but I would advise others looking at Springfield to take it with a grain of salt. You are one of a VERY SMALL group who would consider Springfield to be liberal and hectic.
It's also certainly not a "college town". There are several colleges and universities in Springfield, but they do not dominate the landscape. Aside from a few places that draw heavy college crowds (clubs and bars, mainly), you would never notice a difference between the times school is in session and the summer months. In my opinion, college towns completely change when school is out of session. Springfield does not.
You're right about traffic being a pain at times. Springfield isn't designed to disperse large volumes of traffic well, so travel can be a bit slow during peak hours. With that said, "traffic" is a very relative thing. I hate sitting still for two minutes. Someone from Los Angeles would laugh at me for that.
I have to agree...overall, Springfield is a conservative town. If you look at the voting records, Greene County nearly always votes Republican by large margins (60-70%) in most state and national elections.
As far as the colleges go, the only one I would consider to be "liberal" would be Drury, which only has around 1,200 students (someone correct me if I'm wrong). Missouri State generally has a conservative student population (many of the students are from rural Missouri), or this is my understand from speaking a number of people I've known who've attended MSU. The other colleges are either Christian-affiliated (Evangel, Ozarks Bible College, probably one or two more I'm forgetting) or tech schools/community colleges (like OTC). Springfield is certainly no Columbia or Lawrence.
You'll certainly find a fair number of liberal, progressive people in Springfield (I know several), but overall, the winds of the town blow to the right.
I personally consider Springfield to be a "big small town". I think a lot of this is because many of the people who currently live in Springfield are originally from the surrounding small towns in rural Missouri. For example, at least one-third of my graduating class from high school has moved to Springfield. I'm from one of those small towns over an hour away from Springfield. As a result, many of the cultural elements of rural life can still be found in Springfield. Lots of people drive trucks, go hunting and fishing, and shop at Bass Pro...which started in Springfield. The fact that several hundred thousand people live in the area make it less friendly than a town with only a couple thousand residents, but I sure haven't noticed much in the way of city hustle-and-bustle in Springfield. If you are coming from a very rural area it might feel fast paced, however. Having lived in a couple metros that dwarf Springfield, I find it to feel pretty slow.
I would certainly say that Springfield, MO is dominated by the college atmosphere, and my family feels the same way...but thats just our perception. It is pretty progressive, which we were told southern Missouri was NOT. We were told that EVERYONE was super-friendly and it had a "Mayberry" feel to it...even considering the population.
I respect your opinion, though I will still disagree about the college atmosphere dominating Springfield. Right now, college is out of session (with the exception of a small number of summer students). Does the town honestly feel any different to you?
Did you seriously believe that EVERYONE in Springfield would be super-friendly or that Andy Griffith was going to be your neighbor? Springfield is a nice place, but anyone claiming that it's perfect is lying and anyone believing those claims is foolish.
I have to agree...overall, Springfield is a conservative town. <snipped the rest>
Excellent post, and a very accurate portrayal of Springfield in my opinion.
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