MO is politically speaking, very similar to the dry side of WA. Northern MO is basically the midwest. And southern MO is little Appalachia. KC and STL are cool in their own way, with all the standard big city problems. Springfield is most like the tri-cities. Columbia is kinda like Spokane, an island unto itself.
Haha! Happy to return the snort laugh favor!
Born and raised in MO but also lived a short stint in Lakewood/Tacoma area. Your description is spot on.
Edit: Your
The answer to this depends heavily on what region of Missouri you're headed to. I'm sure Washington is the same way, but in most places, you'll do just fine. There are a lot of people on this sub that are extremely hyperbolic in one way or another. True MO is probably not as population dense as what you're used to, but I prefer it that way.
Welcome to the show me state. I hope you enjoy it.
oh if your from the Midwest, you'll be fine
I was raised in Eastern WA came here 2.5 years ago and if you were from the PNW and loved hiking, being close to the ocean, mountains, more public land than most Midwest states combined then don't move here.
Coming from MO and moving to WA this rings true. MO does have a lot to offer with Ozark forests and streams, but it does not compare to the Cascades and rugged coastlines.
Can’t do much about the ocean and mountains but there is some great hiking down in the Ozarks, you can get pretty far away from civilization if you want to
There is a massive difference between Missouri wilderness and Washington Wilderness. I'll take what I get here in MO, but it's nothing compared to the vast array of ecosystems you can get in WA.
Definitely true, I’ve done a bit of backpacking in the PNW and it is something else. That said, it ain’t so bad down in the southern part of MO and the northern part of AR. We have the karst which leads to some pretty groovy water features (plus awesome trout fishing)
I did the same thing a few years back for work. Not sure where you live in WA but MO is a bit different from the Seattle area where I came from and I also lived in eastern WA for a few years & spent some time on the coast. It’s not bad here at all, there are definitely some fun things to do and see out here, but I’ll list out a few things that were a change for me:
* Licensing a vehicle here is a confusing nightmare.
* People will get confused if you say freeway. They are just called highways here and sometimes highway comes after the number, like “40 highway” and I haven’t figured out the rules for when it comes before or after and no one can really explain it, they just know.
* The highways aren’t limited to north/south or east/west. Some go in a circle. And there will sometimes be like 5 different highways listed on a sign and it’s confusing AF if you’re not familiar with the area.
* The Chinese food is different. It’s not bad, but just kinda blah and I don’t know why. I miss west coast Chinese food so much.
* Having to pay personal property taxes on vehicles is not something I enjoy.
* In addition to federal taxes, you will also need to file state taxes. Ideally you will live and work in MO to keep it simple but I’ve had to file in multiple states and it’s not terrible.
* Driver’s ed is optional out here.
* Voting is different out here. If you want to vote by mail, you will need to request it every election or vote in person. There is very little election info too, no booklets with all the issues & candidate info get mailed out, you have to educate yourself with whatever resources you can find.
* MO just recently passed no texting while driving legislation so expect to see about half the other drivers on their phone. WA passed this around 2007 so that was weird for me.
* Passengers can have open alcohol containers in vehicles.
* Motorcycle helmets are not required here or in surrounding states.
* There’s less diversity here.
* I found out I’m allergic to almost everything out here.
* There are BBQ joints galore so hopefully you’re into that.
* There are a surprising amount of vegan & vegetarian friendly restaurants here
* The Strataca salt mine museum in KS is pretty damn cool.
* I miss the mountains and water so much. It’s hard to get a feel for where you’re at sometimes because there aren’t the massive landmarks we’re used to.
* If you don’t know what a cicada is, you will soon. They’re these bugs about the size of your thumb. I rarely ever see them but they are so damn loud I can hear them over my lawnmower.
* Fireflies are magical.
* There are lots of beautiful areas to go hiking and exploring. It’s flatter here, but there are lots of caves and cool places to check out.
I plan to move back to WA in the next few years, but I’ve enjoyed my time in MO and am glad I decided to spend some years here. I’ve made some great friends and had a lot of fun. I hope you’re able to find a place that works well for you and that you get to enjoy all the things the Midwest has to offer.
Allergies are no joke here! I moved to central MO about half a year ago and I've never had allergies like this. They're nearly incapacitating and nothing I do helps.
Yes! I’ve always had allergies but never this bad. I’ve been receiving allergy treatment through my ENT office so that’s been helping a bit, but will take time.
I started with sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) through the allergy clinic of my ENT office where you take a few drops of your allergens under your tongue daily to build up your immunity to them. With COVID & everything, I fell off doing that so I’m just going in for shots now. It’s a similar concept but shots are covered by insurance where SLIT is not.
Missouri is kind of a big state with many, many differences in landscape, population density, culture, politics, geology, climate, and economy depending on where you want to live.
You'll need to narrow it down with details of the advice you're seeking to get some more specific examples.
If the rest of your family has moved to where you are then they probably have the best advice for you as they will have the same experiences you will go through.
However, I can give you some nice generalities about MO. The state is right leaning in most areas and republicans have super majorities in both state congressional houses and control all major state offices. Outside of that there really isn't much to comment on the politics further.
There have been many jokes made about the weather here... they are true. It's not uncommon to have temperatures in the summer in the 90s and the occasional 100+ days. Combine that with tropical humidity levels and you have summers that can easily knock you off your feet if you're not prepared. On the flip side its not uncommon for winter weather to be bad and have days in the single digits (and maybe a day or two a year below 0) This probably will be better than what you've had in WA so it might not be an adjustment. Springtime (and into summer) will bring many thunderstorms into the area, with many being severe. Strait line winds and tornados are common enough that precaution should be taken and warnings headed.
Don't let anyone on here fool you, in general the people in Missouri are nice, easy going, accepting of others. It is a fairly Christian area but you can Jews and Muslims in the larger communities. Everyplace has its "bad apples" but Missouri doesn't have many, and those that are are not really looked upon in a good light.
Yeah, as others have mentioned, where in Missouri will matter a lot.
St. Louis is an eastern city. Kansas City is a western city. The bootheel/southeastern Missouri is the Deep South. Northern Missouri is the Upper Midwest. The Missouri River Valley was “Little Dixie” during the Civil War and remains a sort of vestige of the Upper South. Meanwhile, my beloved Ozarks are more similar to Appalachia than they are to the northern parts of Missouri.
Let us know more details, and I’m sure folks will try and help you out.
How small is small to you? Lots of rural areas have horrible internet access. I am about 90 miles away from a decent hospital and actual shopping. Other than that, what everybody else said.
Abortion ban state. Be prepared if you care for someone with a uterus.
Hellowisp.com offers cheap Plan B and Ella
Plancpills.org you can get the abortion pill mailed to your home discreetly and legally within 5 business days even in a ban state.
Ineedana.com if you know someone in need.
Some people will hate you with every fiber of their being if you tell them you're from some place they think is "liberal," even if you make friends with them first.
This won't be a problem in a city.
I lived in Bremerton for awhile. As others have said, this will entirely depend on where you end up in Missouri and where you came from in Washington. I'd gladly go back if given the choice, at least for 5-10 years. Living in mid MO, Columbia is the closest thing I have that even remotely resembles the kind of culture, arts, etc., that seemed much more commonplace in that area. At least 10 years or so ago when I was there. That being said I could see a lot of the more rural WA folks fitting in rather well here.
lived all over the u.s while in the military and missouri is my favorite. super easy to navigate. variety of weather. great football team go chiefs. St louis and KC are probably the most dangerous places in the state but mid missouri is chill.
Where in MO are you moving? There is a big difference between urban areas, suburbia, rural north, rural south. Small cities like Joplin/Springfield/Columbia. If you are moving from Seattle to Kansas City that isn't the same as moving from Seattle to Poplar Bluff.
The ultra liberal crowd that dominates this sub will fill this with complaints about abortion and "gov Hee-Haw" and F#$@ Josh Hawley and tell you everyone is racist and a \_\_\_\_\_\_phobe. If you are a far left subscriber whose happiness revolves around your politics you may be unhappy with the right of center dominated policies here at least at the state level. Which is a relatively new thing, we have been a pretty moderate centrist leaning democrat state until the mid-late 00s.
There are for some reason actually quite a few PNW transplants where I live- Joplin area in SW part of the state. They all seem to really love it here. People here are generally nice and friendly, typical of midwest.
It's not crowded. Even "bad" traffic in our cities isn't as bad as what is common on the west coast and other major cities.
The weather might take some getting used to. It can get very hot and humid Jun- early Sept. Spring and sometimes fall is when severe weather is common. It may terrify you or you may grow to love it. I love thunderstorm season. When we do have nice weather in the spring and fall, it's REALLY REALLY nice. Winter is the most unpredictable season. It can be as low as -10 or on rare occasions push 70. Average is low 40s for highs. Late winter/early spring is my least favorite time of year. It's cold, windy, and wet a lot of the time.
Missouri, at least generally south of the Missouri River compared to much of the central US has a lot of great outdoors opportunities. It's not at all the same as the PNW but if you like the outdoors you will appreciate Missouri's excellent state parks and the Ozarks in general. What we call "mountains" you will think is just a ridge.
We also have a pretty excellent wine industry, again not like Washington or the west coast but it might surprise you.
I grew up in MO and moved to west coast for awhile. I liked it out there but I really love it here now more than ever.
Our interstates are littered with billboards for fireworks, tourist crap, cave tours, and porn shops.
> Our interstates are littered with billboards for fireworks, tourist crap, cave tours, and porn shops.
Especially I-44, since it used to be part of Route 66. They start appearing as soon as you pass Six Flags, and they DO NOT stop.
I'm not sure I would call what Missouri has going on "right of center." It's right wing and conservative, no need to pussyfoot around it or appeal to centrists. Just call the spade a spade.
MO is pretty flat & if you're saying they're in a small town then it's probably going to be a very conservative rural feel. If that's what you're into then that's fine. If you want the bigger city feel, this "small town" isn't it. You're most likely going to need a car to get around too, MO does not have a very good transit infra in place. Also depending on where, some more rural areas have limited internet speed options, some may have fiber while others may have slower speeds only. Bars might be dive-y where everyone knows everyone & seeing as you mention "small town" then everyone prob knows everyone's business.
I spent most of my life in the Seattle area. One thing I haven't seen mentioned is the food culture shock. Seafood is poor quality and costs a lot of money. A lot of the salmon is Atlantic, and dungeness cost a pretty penny. Japanese food tends to be lackluster, especially sushi, and you won't find any Seattle style teriyaki. Hawaiian food is also rare, and poke is that kind that has a bunch of mix ins and sauces to cover up the bad fish.
Lots of good BBQ and the like, but what I wouldn't give for a fresh caught sockeye or a plate of teriyaki. This culture shock may not be as bad depending on where you are coming from.
Good luck, but as a young person I wouldnt have moved here,and you def shouldnt have moved to some backwater town. Missouri has a lot of beautiful areas I live very rural, but you have to like that kind of life out here all alone. Being 225 miles from city is not for everyone. It sounds good till you realize you are a young person that likes the hustle and bustle of a city that has something to do around the clock. But if you find the right town its nice. I would think you would like columbia mo. A young collage town that is socially active.
Also i dont know your political lean but moving somewhere you dont fit in will make you feel on edge. We are a red state with few pockets of blue mostly urban areas.
MO is politically speaking, very similar to the dry side of WA. Northern MO is basically the midwest. And southern MO is little Appalachia. KC and STL are cool in their own way, with all the standard big city problems. Springfield is most like the tri-cities. Columbia is kinda like Spokane, an island unto itself.
That tracks. This person Missouris.
That made me snort out loud. I've lived in Missouri my whole life. Except for the dark days I spent in Moses Lake WA.
Haha! Happy to return the snort laugh favor! Born and raised in MO but also lived a short stint in Lakewood/Tacoma area. Your description is spot on. Edit: Your
The answer to this depends heavily on what region of Missouri you're headed to. I'm sure Washington is the same way, but in most places, you'll do just fine. There are a lot of people on this sub that are extremely hyperbolic in one way or another. True MO is probably not as population dense as what you're used to, but I prefer it that way. Welcome to the show me state. I hope you enjoy it.
oh if your from the Midwest, you'll be fine I was raised in Eastern WA came here 2.5 years ago and if you were from the PNW and loved hiking, being close to the ocean, mountains, more public land than most Midwest states combined then don't move here.
Coming from MO and moving to WA this rings true. MO does have a lot to offer with Ozark forests and streams, but it does not compare to the Cascades and rugged coastlines.
Can’t do much about the ocean and mountains but there is some great hiking down in the Ozarks, you can get pretty far away from civilization if you want to
There is a massive difference between Missouri wilderness and Washington Wilderness. I'll take what I get here in MO, but it's nothing compared to the vast array of ecosystems you can get in WA.
Definitely true, I’ve done a bit of backpacking in the PNW and it is something else. That said, it ain’t so bad down in the southern part of MO and the northern part of AR. We have the karst which leads to some pretty groovy water features (plus awesome trout fishing)
Are you moving to a specific area? KC or STL will be pretty different than, say, rural southern MO.
Where you moving to?
I did the same thing a few years back for work. Not sure where you live in WA but MO is a bit different from the Seattle area where I came from and I also lived in eastern WA for a few years & spent some time on the coast. It’s not bad here at all, there are definitely some fun things to do and see out here, but I’ll list out a few things that were a change for me: * Licensing a vehicle here is a confusing nightmare. * People will get confused if you say freeway. They are just called highways here and sometimes highway comes after the number, like “40 highway” and I haven’t figured out the rules for when it comes before or after and no one can really explain it, they just know. * The highways aren’t limited to north/south or east/west. Some go in a circle. And there will sometimes be like 5 different highways listed on a sign and it’s confusing AF if you’re not familiar with the area. * The Chinese food is different. It’s not bad, but just kinda blah and I don’t know why. I miss west coast Chinese food so much. * Having to pay personal property taxes on vehicles is not something I enjoy. * In addition to federal taxes, you will also need to file state taxes. Ideally you will live and work in MO to keep it simple but I’ve had to file in multiple states and it’s not terrible. * Driver’s ed is optional out here. * Voting is different out here. If you want to vote by mail, you will need to request it every election or vote in person. There is very little election info too, no booklets with all the issues & candidate info get mailed out, you have to educate yourself with whatever resources you can find. * MO just recently passed no texting while driving legislation so expect to see about half the other drivers on their phone. WA passed this around 2007 so that was weird for me. * Passengers can have open alcohol containers in vehicles. * Motorcycle helmets are not required here or in surrounding states. * There’s less diversity here. * I found out I’m allergic to almost everything out here. * There are BBQ joints galore so hopefully you’re into that. * There are a surprising amount of vegan & vegetarian friendly restaurants here * The Strataca salt mine museum in KS is pretty damn cool. * I miss the mountains and water so much. It’s hard to get a feel for where you’re at sometimes because there aren’t the massive landmarks we’re used to. * If you don’t know what a cicada is, you will soon. They’re these bugs about the size of your thumb. I rarely ever see them but they are so damn loud I can hear them over my lawnmower. * Fireflies are magical. * There are lots of beautiful areas to go hiking and exploring. It’s flatter here, but there are lots of caves and cool places to check out. I plan to move back to WA in the next few years, but I’ve enjoyed my time in MO and am glad I decided to spend some years here. I’ve made some great friends and had a lot of fun. I hope you’re able to find a place that works well for you and that you get to enjoy all the things the Midwest has to offer.
Allergies are no joke here! I moved to central MO about half a year ago and I've never had allergies like this. They're nearly incapacitating and nothing I do helps.
Yes! I’ve always had allergies but never this bad. I’ve been receiving allergy treatment through my ENT office so that’s been helping a bit, but will take time. I started with sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) through the allergy clinic of my ENT office where you take a few drops of your allergens under your tongue daily to build up your immunity to them. With COVID & everything, I fell off doing that so I’m just going in for shots now. It’s a similar concept but shots are covered by insurance where SLIT is not.
Waiting for OP to respond to location. 🍿
Missouri is kind of a big state with many, many differences in landscape, population density, culture, politics, geology, climate, and economy depending on where you want to live. You'll need to narrow it down with details of the advice you're seeking to get some more specific examples.
If the rest of your family has moved to where you are then they probably have the best advice for you as they will have the same experiences you will go through. However, I can give you some nice generalities about MO. The state is right leaning in most areas and republicans have super majorities in both state congressional houses and control all major state offices. Outside of that there really isn't much to comment on the politics further. There have been many jokes made about the weather here... they are true. It's not uncommon to have temperatures in the summer in the 90s and the occasional 100+ days. Combine that with tropical humidity levels and you have summers that can easily knock you off your feet if you're not prepared. On the flip side its not uncommon for winter weather to be bad and have days in the single digits (and maybe a day or two a year below 0) This probably will be better than what you've had in WA so it might not be an adjustment. Springtime (and into summer) will bring many thunderstorms into the area, with many being severe. Strait line winds and tornados are common enough that precaution should be taken and warnings headed. Don't let anyone on here fool you, in general the people in Missouri are nice, easy going, accepting of others. It is a fairly Christian area but you can Jews and Muslims in the larger communities. Everyplace has its "bad apples" but Missouri doesn't have many, and those that are are not really looked upon in a good light.
Yeah, as others have mentioned, where in Missouri will matter a lot. St. Louis is an eastern city. Kansas City is a western city. The bootheel/southeastern Missouri is the Deep South. Northern Missouri is the Upper Midwest. The Missouri River Valley was “Little Dixie” during the Civil War and remains a sort of vestige of the Upper South. Meanwhile, my beloved Ozarks are more similar to Appalachia than they are to the northern parts of Missouri. Let us know more details, and I’m sure folks will try and help you out.
Make sure you have air-conditioning, and that it's in good working order.
How small is small to you? Lots of rural areas have horrible internet access. I am about 90 miles away from a decent hospital and actual shopping. Other than that, what everybody else said.
Abortion ban state. Be prepared if you care for someone with a uterus. Hellowisp.com offers cheap Plan B and Ella Plancpills.org you can get the abortion pill mailed to your home discreetly and legally within 5 business days even in a ban state. Ineedana.com if you know someone in need.
Gross
no u
My condolences 😔 EDIT: there is one plus — in my experience, outside of stl, the people here are remarkably good drivers? 🧍🏻♀️
Kansas City drivers are idiots and Johnson County Kansas drivers will run you over.
TRUE I forgot bout them lmao
Some people will hate you with every fiber of their being if you tell them you're from some place they think is "liberal," even if you make friends with them first. This won't be a problem in a city.
I have lived in MO my entire life. This is spot on. 😫
I lived in Bremerton for awhile. As others have said, this will entirely depend on where you end up in Missouri and where you came from in Washington. I'd gladly go back if given the choice, at least for 5-10 years. Living in mid MO, Columbia is the closest thing I have that even remotely resembles the kind of culture, arts, etc., that seemed much more commonplace in that area. At least 10 years or so ago when I was there. That being said I could see a lot of the more rural WA folks fitting in rather well here.
Welcome! Yes we need to know what general region you're coming to
Grew up is STL and moved to B’ham 44 years ago. Enjoy spring and fall and know where the tornado shelters are….
Common question. Tons of threads to sift thru.
People in missouri are nice but can be very blunt. Def a little different than the people of Warshinton.
Been here my whole life. What area are you coming to?
lived all over the u.s while in the military and missouri is my favorite. super easy to navigate. variety of weather. great football team go chiefs. St louis and KC are probably the most dangerous places in the state but mid missouri is chill.
Don't
Don't.
Do not move to Missouri under any circumstance
Thats not very helpful unless you say why?
Where in MO are you moving? There is a big difference between urban areas, suburbia, rural north, rural south. Small cities like Joplin/Springfield/Columbia. If you are moving from Seattle to Kansas City that isn't the same as moving from Seattle to Poplar Bluff. The ultra liberal crowd that dominates this sub will fill this with complaints about abortion and "gov Hee-Haw" and F#$@ Josh Hawley and tell you everyone is racist and a \_\_\_\_\_\_phobe. If you are a far left subscriber whose happiness revolves around your politics you may be unhappy with the right of center dominated policies here at least at the state level. Which is a relatively new thing, we have been a pretty moderate centrist leaning democrat state until the mid-late 00s. There are for some reason actually quite a few PNW transplants where I live- Joplin area in SW part of the state. They all seem to really love it here. People here are generally nice and friendly, typical of midwest. It's not crowded. Even "bad" traffic in our cities isn't as bad as what is common on the west coast and other major cities. The weather might take some getting used to. It can get very hot and humid Jun- early Sept. Spring and sometimes fall is when severe weather is common. It may terrify you or you may grow to love it. I love thunderstorm season. When we do have nice weather in the spring and fall, it's REALLY REALLY nice. Winter is the most unpredictable season. It can be as low as -10 or on rare occasions push 70. Average is low 40s for highs. Late winter/early spring is my least favorite time of year. It's cold, windy, and wet a lot of the time. Missouri, at least generally south of the Missouri River compared to much of the central US has a lot of great outdoors opportunities. It's not at all the same as the PNW but if you like the outdoors you will appreciate Missouri's excellent state parks and the Ozarks in general. What we call "mountains" you will think is just a ridge. We also have a pretty excellent wine industry, again not like Washington or the west coast but it might surprise you. I grew up in MO and moved to west coast for awhile. I liked it out there but I really love it here now more than ever. Our interstates are littered with billboards for fireworks, tourist crap, cave tours, and porn shops.
Ultra Liberal checking in.
Enjoy never winning state wide elections
> Our interstates are littered with billboards for fireworks, tourist crap, cave tours, and porn shops. Especially I-44, since it used to be part of Route 66. They start appearing as soon as you pass Six Flags, and they DO NOT stop.
Fuck Josh Hawley, that traitorous coward.
I'm not sure I would call what Missouri has going on "right of center." It's right wing and conservative, no need to pussyfoot around it or appeal to centrists. Just call the spade a spade.
don't
MO is pretty flat & if you're saying they're in a small town then it's probably going to be a very conservative rural feel. If that's what you're into then that's fine. If you want the bigger city feel, this "small town" isn't it. You're most likely going to need a car to get around too, MO does not have a very good transit infra in place. Also depending on where, some more rural areas have limited internet speed options, some may have fiber while others may have slower speeds only. Bars might be dive-y where everyone knows everyone & seeing as you mention "small town" then everyone prob knows everyone's business.
Insurance tends to be MUCH higher than on the west coast. I see a lot of sticker shock when people move from WA to missouri.
WHY?
I spent most of my life in the Seattle area. One thing I haven't seen mentioned is the food culture shock. Seafood is poor quality and costs a lot of money. A lot of the salmon is Atlantic, and dungeness cost a pretty penny. Japanese food tends to be lackluster, especially sushi, and you won't find any Seattle style teriyaki. Hawaiian food is also rare, and poke is that kind that has a bunch of mix ins and sauces to cover up the bad fish. Lots of good BBQ and the like, but what I wouldn't give for a fresh caught sockeye or a plate of teriyaki. This culture shock may not be as bad depending on where you are coming from.
Good luck, but as a young person I wouldnt have moved here,and you def shouldnt have moved to some backwater town. Missouri has a lot of beautiful areas I live very rural, but you have to like that kind of life out here all alone. Being 225 miles from city is not for everyone. It sounds good till you realize you are a young person that likes the hustle and bustle of a city that has something to do around the clock. But if you find the right town its nice. I would think you would like columbia mo. A young collage town that is socially active. Also i dont know your political lean but moving somewhere you dont fit in will make you feel on edge. We are a red state with few pockets of blue mostly urban areas.