Springfield, Missouri is the third biggest city in Missouri that is housed in the southwestern region of the state. It is home to many people, but that doesn’t mean it should be home to more. Here are 17 reasons why someone should consider not moving to Springfield, Missouri.
1. Lack of Landscape Options
To paraphrase one local’s experience, Springfield
, Missouri is not a mountain town or near the coast. Some locals argue that being near the Ozarks brings some natural appeal.
But, when there are areas in the United States that are on the Rocky Mountains, the Ozarks pale in comparison. For someone who is from an area that has beautiful and majestic mountains, or near a white sand beach, this landscape will be a shock at first.
Along with this, Springfield, Missouri has a weird balance between being a city and a suburb that makes it an odd place to live.
2. Wild Weather
The weather in Springfield, Missouri has a lot of variety and intensity. In the hot summer months, the average temperature sits at around 78 degrees Fahrenheit with 68% humidity. In the colder months, the average temperature is around 34 degrees Fahrenheit with an average humidity of 70%. With humidity, it makes both of these temperatures more extreme. A person is bound to be more sweaty or shivery than the weather suggests they should be. It is also impossible to prevent the chill because water seeps into clothes. It can be an unpleasant experience.
If an individual or a family is not okay with living in a sauna or cold fog, then it probably is not a good idea to move to Springfield.
3. Unstable Climate
The climate is all over the place when it comes to the average weather and a person’s experience with it. It has a wind index comparable to Chicago! The average speed of wind in Springfield is 6.4-7 miles per hour. This is faster than most people can walk or run.
On average, it has 13 inches of snow a year and 31 inches of rain. A recent example of the clash in climate occurred in 2013. On May 1, 2013, the average temperature was 81 degrees Fahrenheit. By the end of the next day, it was snowing.
This means that the people living in the city need to be prepared to go from sunny summers to a weird cold flash the next day. It can be a difficult transition for many.
4. College Town
Springfield, Missouri is known for being a college town. According to one local, out of a population of around 500,000 people, about 50,000 of them were college students. That means that most likely the average amount of college students in the area is about 10% or about one in every 10 people.
Although they make up a big section of the community, they are unable to add much value to the area. Beyond the average entry-level jobs that these students can take, they are unable to be much support economically. They also might end up being a detriment. They overtake any of the available bars and entertainment spots in town. They come with a younger view of the world and are often more liberal.
They also might be a bad influence on high schoolers and smaller children who see their lifestyle and crave it, even if it isn’t the healthiest or most preferred lifestyle. All of these can be causes of concern.
5. Not a Lot of Food Options
This could be considered an understatement by many people who live there. One of the dishes that Springfield prides itself on is called “cashew chicken”. This is not the normal cashew chicken, but it is a white-washed version with breaded chicken. When it comes to restaurants and other food options, the locals described it as limited. If a person wanted more ethnic food, they might have to drive a while to get to a bigger city like St. Louis or Kansas City.
6. Less Entertainment than Other Places
This is another downside of being a big city that is more like a suburb. The entertainment options are also limited. There are a few nice places, like a historic theatre that was built in the early 1900s that is still producing shows and some comedy clubs and bars.
However, these are all located in the heart of downtown Springfield. On the outskirts, the locals described the nightlife as dead. They also mentioned that crime increases at night, to the point where law enforcement is busy. Unless someone is willing to go downtown or is willing to take a chance of getting robbed, it might not be worth it.
7. No International Airport Nearby
Not having an international airport nearby might not seem like a major deal, but it is. International airports bring lots of jobs and traffic to an area, which improves the economy. It also takes more flights than a regional airport, so there are more options of places to go. It also is cheaper to fly into and out of an international airport than a regional one. This is true even when traveling between states.
All of these benefits are lost to Springfield because the nearest airport is the Springfield-Branson Airport, which is only a national airport. However, it is only a 10-minute drive away, which is nice.
However, getting to an international airport takes much longer. It is the Saint Louis International Airport, which takes about 3 to 4 hours to drive to.
8. Have to Have a Car
In many areas in the United States, there is a decent enough public transportation system. This is not the case in Springfield, Missouri. In one local’s experience, she described the bus system as a hub system and said that it was an ineffective way to travel. When she takes the bus from downtown Springfield to her home, it takes her about 45 minutes. If she were to walk or bike instead, she would only take 10-30 minutes.
Many other locals also described it as a poor system that struggles to meet the needs and desires of the locals and other people living in the area. One woman taught herself how to drive to overcome this problem. People living in Springfield should be prepared to take way longer getting to and from different places or to bring their own car.
9. Strong Conservative Area
Politics are a huge deal in this area. Many people that moved from outside of Springfield experience some culture shock. One person mentioned how moving from Kansas City, another town in Missouri, to Springfield was a little bit of a culture shock for them.
Other people have had much more extreme experiences with the conservative environment. One local described the people as rude and ignorant when it came to politics. He saw people who basically worshipped Trump, wore all of his merch, and fly the confederate flag on the back of their trucks.
A woman described the experiences she had as oppressive. She is a middle-aged woman, and she would often have to be bold and direct when standing up for her rights. Even the little things like not having people walk in her yard were fights. Near bars and especially during Gay pride, there are protesters that heckle the people who are participating in the activities. They often carry signs against homosexuality.
A father commented on the political atmosphere and pointed out how there is a push to legalize forcing women of all ages to be unable to get an abortion, even in cases of rape and even child rape. This is highly concerning considering the state of the world today and how prevalent the issue of sexual crime is. For a woman, this could be a big reason to stay away from Springfield, Missouri.
10. Bad Traffic
People in Springfield have a tendency to be exceptionally bad drivers. Many commented on how the traffic and drivers suck, but one mentioned some specific reasons why it is bad.
One of the main reasons why it is bad is the fact that people are not afraid to run red lights. They suggested that people should look both ways, even when they have the right of way, in order to stay safe from getting T-boned in the middle of an intersection. The traffic only gets worse during rush hour traffic. Basically, it is recommended that people need to have their foot on the gas or brake pedal at all times.
11. Large Discrepancy between Rich and Poor Areas
There is a large gap between the rich and the poor areas of Springfield. Some people mention that the northern section of the city is the area that is more poor and likely to experience drug and crime problems, while the southeastern region is the safest part of town.
Also, there is a major amount of people who live below the poverty line. In fact, about 21.7% of the people in Springfield live under the national poverty line. The average salary is around $37,491 a year. This is distressing, especially for people who want to move there.
12. Meth Problems
Meth problems are a major issue in Springfield. One local described her experience as a concerning one. Regardless of where she was in Springfield, there were remnants of meth use everywhere. There were many syringes left on the ground and on the streets. Out of fear of catching Hep C or HIV, she stopped wearing open-toed shoes. She would rather not risk it!
There are drug problems that are prevalent in most cities. However, the fact that it is bad enough that there are needles everywhere and people who do not use meth are scared of getting infected by some disease just by walking through town is a huge reason to reconsider moving there.
13. Large Stealing Issue
To add to the crime issue, there is a high property crime rate. For every 1,000 people, about 34.65 people are victims of a property crime. Property crimes include stealing (including vehicles), burglaries, and arson. To put this as a percentage, the average percentage of people who are victims of property crimes is 3.465%. According to a crime map, it seems very few areas within Springfield are safe from these kinds of crimes.
No one wants to be a victim of a crime, and Springfield seems to increase someone’s chances of having to utilize law enforcement.
14. Strip Clubs
A local mentioned that there are strip clubs in Springfield, even down the street from large churches. When I looked up the number, there were 5 instantly brought up and an article heading that described that there are at least 10 in Springfield. I won’t go into more detail than that, but it is important to know that many of them exist in this city.
15. Overtly Religious
The further south a person travels, the stronger religion tends to be. In Springfield, the majority of people are active churchgoers. They are often of a Christian background. This can be both a good and bad thing.
For some, it makes them kinder and better people. For others, it can lead to a holier than thou perspective. Some people who do not believe in God are bothered by the fact that people assume they go to church. Other people, even if they are Christian, are sometimes bullied and demeaned due to a difference in perspective.
16. Discrimination Rampant
Beyond discrimination based on religious background, there are a few other instances of discrimination that were brought up by Springfield locals. Many of them have to do with skin tone and sexuality. Other times, it is just between people who have grown up in the area and newcomers.
Regardless of what the discrimination is about, the fact that it exists and is enough of a problem to be mentioned by many locals should be a concern.
17. Bold Communication Style
A bold style of communication is also a staple of moving to the southern part of the country. People are not afraid to say exactly what they mean! Some people can be really offended by what people in Springfield say and do, simply because they grew up in places that do not appreciate blunt language.
I will admit, from my experiences in the south, they can cross a line on what is and isn’t appropriate to say to someone. Many older people also have thicker accents and spout phrases that might be confusing or irritating.
With all of these reasons in mind, it is easy to see why people avoid Springfield, Missouri. Maybe it’s worth second-guessing your move there after all.
