My parents are retiring, and looking to move in the next year or two to either Southwest Missouri or Northwest Arkansas to be closer to me. They're apparently looking pretty hard at Joplin currently, since the NWA real estate market is pretty crazy and SWMO is much more reasonably priced right now.

I've been to Joplin a couple times just to assist with cleanup back when the big tornado went through a decade ago, and I've driven past it several times. But I don't really know much about it, other than I understand it's not as developed/developing as Northwest Arkansas.

So what's Joplin like? Crime/amenities/etc. How's the medical care? Is it worth considering for a retirement area?

My Mom has some health issues, so while they'd love to live somewhere smaller and more rural, they really do need relatively close access to decent medical care.

Very cold in the winter. Lots of spring/fall storms with high winds, and it's in Tornado Alley. Used to stay there on fishing trips as a kid.

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
Very cold in the winter.

They're coming from Northern Illinois, where they've lived for the past 18ish years. So it would be a big improvement over their current winters.

With it only being ~1 hour north of me, I don't expect the winters to be significantly worse than NWA's. (And I wouldn't necessarily classify winter here as "very cold".)

Carthage MO, next door, pretty cool Civil War location. Interesting history.

If they need to be close I’d look right to AR. I just don’t think MO & AR are different enough to matter.

The individual town & specific location mean more. I think there can be petty/property crime in either.

Joplin, MO is a nice place. Granted I've driven through more than I've spent time there as it's on the way to Oklahoma where my daughter lives.
I had a friend whose grandmother was from Neosho, near Joplin, and we visited the family farm. Nice people.

As for healthcare, the Mercy system bought a hospital there and there are a couple of others. However, if they are looking for proximity to you... they'd might as well go to NWA.

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Originally posted by sourdough44:
If they need to be close I’d look right to AR.

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Originally posted by chellim1:
However, if they are looking for proximity to you... they'd might as well go to NWA.

That's what I think, but it was the 20% difference in price for comparable homes that had them looking so hard at SWMO. Save ~$50k in exchange for being an hour further away.

Dude's Daylight Donuts, 2316 S Main St

I'll plan cross-country drives around stopping in at dawn.

I had a close elderly friend who lived near Rogers, Arkansas. That is beautiful country there but he ended up dying from a tick bite in the privates that he was not aware of. The southern half of Mo and probably all of Arkansas doesn't get cold enough to kill off ticks and chiggers and you have to be especially careful watching out for them. Northern Illinois has a lot less of the little buggers. Just something to be aware of. If they own property in Northern Illinois they should be exiting with higher real estate prices from their sale up there. An hour away from you gets long the older parents get. Ask me how I know! I think the medical care in Rogers is very good.

Parents, Grand Parents and Great Grand parents are all SEMO people, remember my Grandmother talking about going to Joplin like they were going to the City. They all hail from Dexter, Kennett, The Cape....

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Originally posted by Gene Hillman:
I think the medical care in Rogers is very good.

It is. That's near where I live.

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remember my Grandmother talking about going to Joplin like they were going to the City.

You can't get there... from here.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Parents, Grand Parents and Great Grand parents are all SEMO people, remember my Grandmother talking about going to Joplin like they were going to the City. They all hail from Dexter, Kennett, The Cape....

You sure it was Joplin? Joplin is clear across the state from all those spots in Southeast Missouri, in the opposite Southwest corner... It's nearly in Kansas.

(For example, St. Louis or Memphis are only a couple hours from those spots in SEMO by car, whereas Joplin's about 5 hours away. Wouldn't make much sense to drive twice as far for a way smaller city if they wanted to "go to the city".)

You might be thinking of Jonesboro, in Northeast Arkansas? That's much closer than Joplin, especially to Kennett which is only about an hour out from Jonesboro. Jonesboro is probably the closest city of decent size to that area of rural SEMO.

They had a relative in Joplin, didn't make the trip many times as I recall. Most of the time to Polar Bluff... or going to the Bluff IIRC.

Do not recall many discussions about trips to Jonesboro, Usually they'd go to Blytheville on occasion, There was some restaurant local deal that my grandfather liked, country cooking.

He managed the Chevy Old Buick Caddy dealer in Kennett, this was way way back in the late 60's and early 70's

Heh. I dated a girl in college for a bit who was from Blytheville. Had a very strong Southern accent. Pronounced the town like "Blahvul".

There ain't no "the" in blahvul...

Not a lot of excitement. Of course they may not want it. Urban or rural northern Illinois?

Rural, on the outskirts of urban. (Yorkville)

Lived in Springfield (Nixa) for 5 years and was in Joplin regularly for business as well as the rest of SW MO and N AR. Not a bad place and super easy commute to where you’re at. Springfield is a bigger town, but not by a whole lot, and not a direct shot to you like Joplin. Have a buddy that’s lived in Carthage pretty much his whole life and likes it there. His family is happy and he’s enjoyed raising them in the Joplin area.

I’d think they could find a nice place there for a decent price.

Carmine’s Wood Fired Pizza downtown is great.

Don’t get me started on Blytheville.

If they get bored, they could make a day trip to Branson or Eureka Springs.

flashguy