I'd like to know about the Kansas City area, please. Both KS and MO. It seems that there are lot's of jobs available there, but I am not familiar with the area at all. So please help - anything from weather to best places to live... I'd really appreciate the help! Thanks!

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), December 18, 2001

Answers

if you go east,, you hit Arkansas

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), December 18, 2001.

Huh?? Stan, it's only droll humor if you're accurate about it LOL :) East of KC is Missouri (and our farm near Boonville). I live in the river hills which I prefer to the prairie areas. It's more a mix of rolling hills with wooded and open here. Closer to KC it's more open land with less relief. I think Platte County would have some more wooded river hills. There is urban sprawl through to about Odessa in Lafayette County where it starts to become more rural, with larger tracts. I just know about the outskirts on the MO side, I'm not too familiar with the city and burbs. Land prices will increase with a decrease in size for housing tracts for counties immediately surrounding the urban area. If you're looking for larger and further out, the good tillable will still run pretty high but if you shop around I would think you could find something decent for around $1K/ac? Generally a moderate to low cost of living (I guess depends what you're comparing to as well). If you don't mind the commute I think the little towns near the river in Lafayette County would be great...Lexington, Napoleon, Waverly etc. Higginsville is also a nice farming community. Good luck in your search!

-- Susan (smtroxel@socket.net), December 18, 2001.

STAN! We're talking about Kansas City, not Oklahoma City! Come on, Dude!

Jean, just steer clear of Johnson County (southern part of KC on the KS side). There are lots of great jobs in the KC area, and the people here are friendly. But, Johnson County - especially Overland Park - is very strict and uppity. They just recently had all the playground equipment removed from a park because it was orange which they considered an ugly color! Yes, I'm serious! It's against county ordinance to hang your clothes out to dry (HEAVEN FORBID!!!) or to use artificial flowers as outdoor decorations. Yes, I'm serious! The people in KC drive like lunatics, but that goes for most big cities.

If you're looking to get out in the country, you need to go about 45 miles in any direction, and you'll be fine. We live in southern Miami county, and we like it here. Linn county is a little better (cheaper and less restrictive).

The public school system in KC - especially KC MO - is horrible. Stay away from it at all costs. If you can afford a private school, that would probably be fine, but I'm a homeschooler myself, and I would definitely recommend homeschooling to almost anyone.

As for weather - it's very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter, and it gets pretty windy a lot of the time - but not as windy as Oklahoma.

What area would you be moving from? It might help us know what sort of things would be different for you.

-- Cheryl in KS (cherylmccoy@rocketmail.com), December 18, 2001.

I lived in MO for 2 years,, and went east,, and ran into Arkansas,,it CAN happen

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), December 19, 2001.

I am in rural IL. The property taxes are high here, over two thousand a year for 5 acres. I do still want to have livestock, garden and hang out my laundry! Why does KC have so many jobs? Is there high turnover or is it a booming area?

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), December 19, 2001.

We're in Johnson Co MO. We have 10A with large barn, small house, detached garage and our property tax for 2001 was $436.

The KC metro area is thriving and growing (to much subruban sprawl for my taste) and has varied entertainment and curltural attractions. I drive to Overland Park, KS 3 times a week to work - that's about 55 miles. My work hours are flexible enough I can avoid the morning rush hour so the drive is not bad, but the evening rush hour is about 3 hours long,hard to avoid, and stinks. Even in the best situation, it takes over an hour each way. The job market in KC is not nearly as good as it was before 9-11. Sprint is a major employer and they laid off some 3,000+ workers recently. I guess it depends on what kind of job you are looking for. I.T. and service industry jobs probably make up the bulk; the manufacturing industry somewhat less. Ford and Harley Davidson and others in the automotive industry.

The property in this county will get cheaper the further east you go but a decent sized piece of ag land will run $1000-$1500 an acre, more in smaller parcels, and definately more along the US 50 Hwy corridor. Someone has already described the weather very well, however our winter has been very mild so far this year, but we got our butts frozen off last year! Good luck.

-- Louise Hansen (rockinhorse@knoxy.net), December 19, 2001.

I would agree, stay clear of Johnson County. I have lived in the Kansas City metro area my whole life, and I love it! My husband and I recently moved about 30 miles east of the city, in Lafayette county. Out here, its even better. We are almost in the country :-) There are definite season changes here. Hot, humid summers, and cold winters. Usually, 3-4 winter storms a year. I grew up in Independence, a great place to live, and good schools (recently, "Accredited with Distinction"). Almost anywhere in Jackson county, outside of KC itself is good. Blue Springs and Lees Summit, are good, also with good schools. If you want to be outside the suburbs, there is beautiful rural areas in northeastern Jackson County. That's all the info I can contribute from personal experience, but I know there are also good areas north of the Missouri river, and south of Johnson county in Miami county. Yes, there does seem to be alot of urban sprawl in this area, but there is also alot of greenspace, even in the city.

-- Julie (homemaker@safe-mail.net), December 19, 2001.

Stan, I think you need a new compass ; ) Look at a map of the MO/AR border...

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), December 19, 2001.

They're not joking about Johnson County, KS--Snob Hill with a vengeance! Rural Johnson Co, KS such as DeSoto and Linwood are more to a Countrysider's taste and worth considering, though taxes are high. Johnson Co, KS is also prime for shopping, culture, employment, and beautiful architecture. Kansas City, KS should mostly be avoided because of poverty, crime, and urban decay. I would suggest southern and far northern KC, MO, especially the latter. The weather runs to extremes, but natives enjoy the four different seasons. Humidity is high and car exhaust fairly typical in urban areas. There is much to love about KC--I consider it an ideal blend of big city variety and midwestern values. It is a city with a heart and soul. I recommend it and wish you well.

-- Marty in KS (Mrs.Puck@Excite.com), December 19, 2001.

I lived in the subs of K.C. for 40 yrs (MO side). Now I live in a small town 70mi. s.w., pop.440. If I was dying and needed to go to K.C. to a hosp., I would sit on the porch and die. My prop. tax in Raytown was almost $600/mo.. Here today it is $160 and NO BUILDING CODES. People commute from here. The freedom is worth the windshield time. Martys@iland.net

-- marty stoetzle (martys@iland.net), December 19, 2001.

I would have to echo everything I have read here. I grew up in Platte County and the urban sprawl has reached there. It was nothing but farm land growing up and I rode the school bus for an hour to get to school. There is still alot of land in northern P.Co. and in the smaller communities north of there and south of St. Joe.

My son-in-law works for Sprint and he is looking for other options as well. He works the fraud division and has been told he is safe but he is keeping his options open anyway.

I will be in the area for the holidays as all of my family is there and I am in Colorado. If you like I could pick up some info and mail it to you. Let me know by Fri. night if you would me to do this.

It was a wonderful area to grow up in and wish I could be closer to the grandbaby but I can't take the high humidity anymore.

-- Billie Sowell (bbsowell@earthlink.net), December 19, 2001.

Lived on both the Mo and Ks sides of Kansas City in a previous life. Its an overgeneralization, but the Missouri side had the lower taxes and the KS side the better schools (other than KCKS, which as a thread above says is best avoided.) If I had to public school kids, KS would be better, if I was looking for lower taxes, the Mo side away from the KC metro would be better.

-- fred (fred@mddc.com), December 19, 2001.

Ihave spent most of my life in MO, but have lived in KS and AR. Johnson CO KS is the county with the highest per capita in the county of KS. JOhnsoon Co mo is alittle more rural. I grew up in Pettis co and is more rural.

-- cindi (redhenfarms@rovin.net), December 20, 2001.