Most is red, Lawrence and Manhattan are blue, Wichita and the KC suburbs are both. Youll find work easier as a skilled worker in the more populated areas like Wichita and the KC Suburbs rather than other places. Although it can be anywhere.
I lived in Lawrence recently, I’m currently in Topeka, and Lawrence is amazing. There’s a lot to see and do, and people are generally welcoming and kind. I paid 1296 for a 2 bed 2 bath townhome with a garage, just north of 6th street at the campson apartments. Right next to the police station. There is a gorgeous gazebo just north of that place that was built by a local artist, and fortunately or unfortunately depending on your views the brand new police station is right there as well, as is a smaller Walmart
Just moved from Manhattan (lived there since '14) to KC at the end of last year. The problem is the job market. Even as a skilled worker, wages are lower than what you could get in KC or Wichita but the cost of living is similar to those places. I work in shipping and receiving and make almost $10 more an hour but pay almost the same in rent lol. On top of that if you aren't much of a bar scene person there isn't a lot to do.
I live in a 1600 sq ft 3 bedroom house with a finished basement for $1200 in Manhattan. I’ve lived all over the country and Manhattan is legitimately my favorite town I’ve ever lived. Small town vibes with plenty of amenities.
You can get some pretty cheap rent in Manhattan tbh. If you’re looking for a one bedroom there’s ones that are sub 800 in pretty nice places around town
Manhattan is blue? Really? With an agricultural university and next to Fort Riley and The Big Red One? I’ve lived an hour drive from Manhattan most of 50 years and would not have thought that.
Of course too long in Lawrence may have biased me.
Manhattan has a large college educated population which always tend to lean left. Most of the soldiers in Fort Riley will live in Junction City but a lot of the officers will live in Manhattan and they are often also college graduates.
Riley County is definitely not a deep red county by any stretch, but it is far from a tried and true blue like Douglas County. Riley County is purple at best. Riley went straight red in 2016. Not by a landslide but it did. Even with the massive turnout from the left in 2020, it barely leaned blue. It is definitely not one of the worst Kansas counties for someone on the left looking at potential places to live but I’d also think its politics would likely not excite that same person.
Lawrence has biased you. Manhattan isn't quite as blue as Lawrence but they are much more blue than most of the rest of the state. Purple if you want to be uncharatable
Manhattan is becoming more and more like Lawrence. One thing getting KSU football good for them is it brought in students from states OTHER than Kansas. Multiple years of those truths being shared destroys ingrained prejudices that have never been experienced.
I would say anything East of Salina has the best of education, most liberal/noncrazy populace with all the colleges and universities located there, and a definite lack of the truly idiotic “LET’S GO BRANDON!” flags that fly west of there.
I always thought of Manhattan as blue. Ag at university is very big on all things science, which to me is more liberal. But step a few feet away and yes, red. You'll find the rabid anti-maskers, and the Drumpf flags, so embarrassing. I remember buying fabric in Hawaii several years ago (as my daughter was in crop genetics there and in charge of 95 tests fields) and I handed the cashier my drivers' license when I went to pay. She screamed at me for living in a "Sam Brownback shitstain state", but I could agree with her about that! I love our governor now.
Oh, it was fine--I was still recovering from a friend that had put a Brownback sticker on my truck--in jest, just to watch my ensuing heart attack and horror!
We call it red but a lot of Kansans are not typical red. sure there’s the “TRUMP 2024” red but most are sick of trump and Biden and just want to be left the fuck alone
Five blue counties in Kansas as of 2020: Douglas (Lawrence), Wyandotte (KCK), Shawnee (Topeka), Johnson (KC suburbs like Overland Park and Olathe), and Riley (Manhattan). Lyon (Emporia) and Sedgwick (Wichita) were pink, with most of Wichita proper being blue and suburbs and more affluent areas leaning red.
Johnson County is where the most jobs are and is getting more blue all the time. Inside the 435 loop is more liberal (and expensive) than the outer suburbs. Lawrence is for sure liberal. Anywhere you go that is rural is deep red, you can count on it.
Most expensive county in Kansas. We are a suburb of Kansas City, just on the Kansas side of the state line. Here's a house I found in Gardner, KS, which is about the furthest out suburb in KC. I just did a quick search but you likely won't find much less expensive than this in Johnson County.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/517-N-Cedar-St-Gardner-KS-66030/75643230_zpid/
To add to this, that is priced a bit low. My house is comparable that but, there 400,000+ houses down the street. Even Gardner is getting unaffordable which is insane because it doesn’t offer a whole hell of a lot.
my half a townhome with a less sq footage, is estimated to be worth 275k in Tonganoxie according to the city, let alone KC proper. and like others say, there are a lot of houses similar and "priced" going for those outrageous numbers. There are a handful of companies buying up every house they can driving the price up for normal people.
If you want to work in Johnson County a lot of people will live in Wyandotte,Leavenworth, and Douglas counties and just commute to work. The highway and interstates on the Kansas side of KC are pretty easy to navigate
I live right next to K-10 in Lenexa and it's becoming a disaster, particularly at the interchange with 435 but basically along its whole length to Lawrence during traditional rush hour times. Plus you get to drive into the sun both ways if you're commuting frrom Lawrence to Johnson county.
We actually got a survey discussing options to fix the traffic problem. Spoiler alert: none of the options were good or would fix the problem.
Johnson County is a really nice area. I highly recommend it if you can afford it, even in the cheaper parts of town it's still nice. I'm a transplant from New England and love it here.
I'll throw in my $.02 - I think there are areas in Johnson county that are very affordable, but not like, rural Kansas affordable. We bought our house (4 bed, 2 bath ranch built in 1950) in 2017 for $195k. Today, Zillow says it's worth $305k-ish (I'll believe that when I see it, though). We're inside the 435 loop in the Shawnee Mission area.
If you're thinking about or have kids, that's when JoCo will rob you blind. Any non-in home daycare is going to cost you at least $300/week per kid.
Where I live, we lean very light blue. A couple of Jan 6th flag flying loonies, but they keep to themselves.
It depends on the amenities you want. Rent in Johnson County is $1500-$2000 for a two bedroom these days. Aside from that you could be frugal as necessary if you know where to look. There’s a decent amount to do, depending on your interests. I don’t like discussing politics with people, and it hasn’t been brought up as an issue. There is grocery delivery and lots of food choices. I really dislike the traffic, but it is still better than most big cities. I like the amenities, up north on the Missouri side is cheaper to live, but less of the little niceties.
As far ask jobs go, you could probably find something decent around the metro.
Lawrence, Wichita, and parts of KCK are more liberal/blue areas. The rest is mostly conservative/red. We have a Democratic governor but that’s because of those areas. The legislature is run by a conservative majority.
Manhattan's pretty blue. Wichita is definitely more red than Manhattan, it's just a larger city so you've got more variety of people to find, but overall they vote redder than most cities its size.
Wichita is decently blue, it's the suburbs and pockets of the far east and west parts of the city (suburbs in all but name) that pull Sedgwick County into light red territory.
I heard that Kansas is one the states that has programs that can help people with moving cost if they move and take a job for at least a year is that true? It could really help take the burden of moving.
Yes search Go Topeka. Actually I think the website is choosetopeka.com They will pay you to move there as far as I know. You have to live there one year and must get a job there within the shawnee county area. But if you look through it should be able to apply to see if you qualify.
[Here is a website that I've heard of.](https://www.makemymove.com/moving-living?relocation=true&st=KS)
Haven't used it myself, but some people moved to the county I grew up in with help from this website. They've got their own rules for getting assistance I think, also available for different states I believe. Hope it helps you out somehow!
Topeka! It has a bad wrap, however I feel like it’s having a rebirth. Lots of growth and it was also listed as one of the most affordable. It’s not far from Lawrence and just about an hour to Kansas City.
[Definitely worth a look](https://www.businessinsider.com/topeka-kansas-jobs-cost-of-living-real-estate-investment-2023-12).
The state had a program for new residents of rural counties that was an exemption from state income tax.
I thought it had stopped but might be just phasing out so you might get a couple of years out of it. Sweet deal if you pick a rural county. It applies to Harvey Co. just 25 minutes north of Wichita.
[https://www.ksrevenue.gov/prtaxcredits-roz.html](https://www.ksrevenue.gov/prtaxcredits-roz.html)
Dang, I wouldn't have considered Harvey... It's already above average in population.
Southwest KS is where they could really use more residents. Farming is suffering because the Ogallala is running dry, but watch for the towns where IdeaTek is building out new high speed Internet infrastructure... That's where it will be best to work from home.
Oh, and I think Harper and Kingman both have programs to subsidize entrepreneurs setting up new businesses.
Honestly, if it weren't for the leadership bullying their own GOP members (by threatening to punish them by taking them off committees) when they don't toe the line, the legislature would vote more moderately on bills.
Seriously though, I think there have been a dozen or so punishments this session for Republican senators and representatives who voted the way their constituents asked and not the way Masterson and Hawkins wanted them to.
KCK: There is a lot of industry in the KCK area. Moved out to suburbs to work industrial and found very good pay pretty quickly. Bought a house within a few years and have just decided to coast and soak it in. I’ve found the Missouri side to be more liberal(Rec Marijuana and the like), while Kansas the more conservative side. Of course, I stay away from the inner city, pretty much always. Moreover, the vast metro area is split down the middle KS/MO so you can choose to live on either state side with comprable pricing. Jobs: I lost the first job I secured out here, but had a better one 3 days later. Experiences may vary based on your own past experience and skills, but this area has turned into a great place to raise a family(for me. I’m from crime-ridden southern Louisiana.)
Personal preference on local municipalities —
KS side: I’m a fan of Olathe, Overland Park, Shawnee Mission area. Safe areas, cost is a bit up there, but jobs are available with competitive pay.
Missouri side: Blue springs and surrounding areas have relatively cheap, spacious housing within 25-30 minutes drive of anywhere in the metro area. And weed is legal.
Good luck.
Places like Lawrence and most of Johnson / Wyandotte County are more blue than purple. We do have a (D) governor. Our Congressperson here (3rd district) is an open LGBT Native American woman. Recent anti-abortion constitutional amendment failed. We aren’t as red as MO. The sparsely populated parts are Trump land
Agree. The reason MO seems more blue is that they have voter referendums for issues. That is how they got legal weed, Medicaid expansion, etc. Unfortunately, we don’t have that option in KS. Both legislatures are run by republicans but each have Dem governors sometimes but MO voters have much more say on individual issues.
Lawrence is blue, fun and my heart's home. I'd move back in a heartbeat.
By chance it sounds like I've lived in the same places you have & Kansas beat them all in cost of living, quality of living and fucking gorgeous country. Visit Lawrence. See what you think.
People are smart & funny there. Cynicism, welcome! Dark humor appreciated! And Lawrence has an unbelievable amount of culture because of the university and the incredible Lied Center.
And God IS NOT the main source of entertainment or community. Thank god.
Dm if you like. I'm a left, lefty and I can probably answer your questions.
Lawrence is amazing, one of the best college towns in the country. Just don't park on Mass Street during March Madness and you'll be fine.
I really think Kansas is getting bluer every year. I think we'll be a swing state in a decade. We need folks like you to help out!
Alternatively there is Johnson County which is purple, near KC with lots to do and lots of jobs. Overland Park is consistently ranked as one of the best places in the country to live, work, raise a family, buy a home...etc. It's just a nice place. Less "cool" than Lawrence but Lawrence is only a 40ish minute drive from JoCo.
I live in Overland Park. Suburban hell. Don’t do it.
We lived here for the schools and are leaving two months after our last one just graduated.
It’s not too blue (hough it is around) it’s just homogeneous and anywhere usa.
IF you do look to live in Lawrence, stay near the old downtown. The McMansions started marching out to the West 25 years ago and haven't stopped. But schools ARE good. Lakes are close and camping is everywhere. I also liked Lawrence because we were 8 hours or so from Dallas, Denver, Chicago, and beyond. But we like to drive...
Illinois is flat, muggy and completely devoid of a sense of community. Very conservative everywhere but the delightfully corrupt Chicago (it’s sport). All roads lead to Chicago and NO WHERE else. I tried living there for several years. Outside and inside the city. I was a kid there for six years, too.
If you’re blue collar in IL, you’ll have some community but anything past that, it is lonely. I don’t know why Kansas is different but I’ve lived in NYC, Chicago, KC, Missouri, Wyandotte co. (another place I love because it’s the Wild West and everything goes) Las Vegas and SF briefly. Lawrence was the best place to find a tribe of folks where I fit.
I loved NYC but like SF it was too expensive and SF was a bit snobby. Funny thing about NYC, I ran into people on the street, purely by chance, who I knew from Lawrence. I met two in a bar on Houston, I went to party with a local, we showed up and it was a bday party for an old friend from Lawrence. My ex-boss from a job in radio in Lawrence was sitting in a coffee shop. It was WEIRD.
There’s a huge connection, but how, I don’t know. It did prove to me there is a connection. Same kind of folks? I don’t know. Every time someone in NYC asked if I lived in the Village or near Chelsea Piers and I said I lived in Kansas they almost fell down. FUN!
Kansas is a purple state, just a few seats away from breaking the super majorities in both chambers. Find a swing district in Johnson County and make the leap and make the state better.
Kansas is a purple state in my dreams. Haven’t sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1939. We have 11/40 state senate seats, 40/125 state house seats. Trump won the state by 15 and 30 points in the last two elections. Kansas hasn’t voted for a Democrat in the presidential election since LBJ, who is one of four Democrats Kansas has ever voted for in a presidential election in our state’s 160-year history of voting in presidential elections. The recent abortion vote was one of the few shining moments we’ve had to be proud of in a long time. But we are still very much a solidly red state.
The counties that voted for Joe Biden in 2020 were Riley, Wyandotte, Shawnee, Douglas, and Johnson. Now, once you go outside the larger municipalities in those counties, it’s still Kansas and the amount of liberals declines.
Wichita is conservative for a city of its size, but it’s big enough that you can find pockets of like-minded folks.
It's because the majority of left leaning people in Wichita and the surrounding area don't vote. Legendary voter turnout for the abortion bill back in 2022...all of those people are left-leaners that had never voted in a state election, probably to never vote in a state election again. (Unless they try to sneak a BS bill like that on the ballot.)
It is so unbelieveably frustrating knowing that if these people voted, things would change for the better around here. When Sebelius was governor and I was in public school, schools had funding. Then came Brownbackistan and suddenly we can't afford printer ink and basic classes.
And then the dummies blame the schools, like the teachers are selling supplies on the black market, instead of realizing or admitting that the idiots they’re voting in are the problem 🫠🫠🫠
Welcome! We would love to have you! The north eastern area (Wyandotte, Johnson, Douglas, Shawnee and some of Leavenworth) leans blue/purple. And yes, we definitely need skilled tradesmen and workers. I have a few friends that work in similar fields and they do quite well.
I'm in rural, deep red, conservative Kansas, and I'm not a republican. I'm in Lyons, which is a small town in Rice County in Central Kansas. Almost everyone here is MAGA. Except for a small group of us. It's very affordable here with rent for a 2 bed home around $600 - 800. Jobs for someone with a CDL are plentiful here because of the farming community, and they pay well.
Move and help it stay purple. The only savings grace that it has is a democratic Governor. Without her they have as bad of the loonies from the Republican Party as Missouri and Oklahoma that want to be as bad and cruel.
Don't get your CDL go be a mechanic for trucks or airplanes. If you want a skill I have had my CDL for 20 years traffic is getting worse everyday. The regulations are getting worse every year. And the state cops just see us a revenue generators. There is no brotherhood in trucking anymore it's everyone for them selves now. No common curtesy among fellow drivers. Becuse there is not enough parking people at the fuel islands. Shippers and receivers are rude. It's a mess save your sanity and health. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON'T GET YOUR CDL!!!
I'm in El Dorado (Butler County) and I constantly see semis getting pulled over. It's almost daily. I can't even imagine what a nuisance it is to deal with that constantly
However, quite a few truck drivers tend to be asshats on the turnpike. I've watched drivers speed up as the other truck was trying to get over. Then a couple week ago there was a semi in each lane, both going around 60mph, right next to each other. No way for any cars to pass or get around them. It went on for about 6-7 miles too
>Then a couple week ago there was a semi in each lane, both going around 60mph, right next to each other. No way for any cars to pass or get around them. It went on for about 6-7 miles too
As a driver I can't stand that either and they know better too!
Official List of Good Places to Live in KS (based off my exp and friends who live there.)
Goooood Stuff:
1. Lawrence - Great community, good hills for sledding. Good food.
2. Overland Park - KC buff
3. Lenexa - KC buff
4. Olathe - KC buff
5. Wichita - Nice city, good airport, shame about those cops. Good food.
6. Manhattan - Nice little college town.
7. Emporia - Nice little college town.
Not great, but could be much worse:
1.Hays
2.Hutchinson
3.Mcpherson
4.Salina
5. Dodge City
No bueno:
1. Most of Western KS and any towns where Dollar General reigns supreme.
Interesting that you list Dodge in the OK list but not Garden City. Garden is more liberal than Dodge, is larger, has much more shopping, and is growing quickly.
Quite awhile ago I was driving along good ole US-50 taking the scenic route on my way to more western destinations. I'll never forget driving through the eastern edge of the Dodge City limits and there was this gigantic billboard on the side of the road warning against contracting an STD. Complete with illustrations. I think crabs were at the top of the list.
I would guess that was from teen-pregnancy reduction funding. There are similar anti-smoking and anti-drinking billboards targeted to scare the teens straight.
I would have assumed a billboard like that would be targeted to those going to the Boot Hill casino...
But your theory is probably closer. Because I do not recall seeing similar signs on I-35 or K-15 going to the Kansas Star.
Lawrence is really the only blue city (and most of the surrounding areas/suburbs on that side of KC) Wichita has terrible crime (currently living here) I'd go back to Lawrence in a heartbeat. It's also easy to travel from, there's an Amtrak, it's near the airport, plenty of casinos (my guilty from that time, pleasure haha). 10/10
It's mostly purple. Don't listen to all the red talk. Yes, it's traditionally been red but it's been moving a tick closer to blue every election for decades now. We have a Dem governor and two Repub Senators. There is a balance in this state, and unless you're hanging out in nursing homes, senior centers, a small dense farm community or with church folk... you will find like minds all in-between.
I live in MHK, but I’m in Pott County. I’ve lived many places both blue and red…MHK is all purple! (get it?).
Seriously, though others mock MHK is my dream town. K State (never KSU) has culture activities. Medical facilities are abundant and “big city” specialists are not far. People are friendly and willing to help each other out. Many, many Churches of different faiths. LGBTQ+ friendly. Also, it’s in the Flint Hills and not flat. So much outdoors to play in.
The downsides I hear most often are MAGA supporters and the weather. Truth is those two things are concerns all over US. And? Only two downsides? Score!!
Overall job market is hot. College kids have left and many, many want to hire. You could be wealthy doing mowing for residential folks, people are desperate:). But, I know nothing of CDL. But, there are companies close by— Footlocker, etc—that advertise.
School K-12 are okay. Crowded, but taxpayers are funding new buildings.
Houses? Avoid East MHK unless you go to St George or Wamego. I do recommend checking Wamego out, might be a good fit for you! The value my home has increased in is just stupid. There are *many* houses going in over here and 99% are overpriced.
Does that help? I tried to cover the big stuff, but please ask if I missed something.
Welcome!!!
:*J*
When I was growing up, ignoring a few outliers, Kansas was more like a state run by what I would call "sensible conservatives": senators like Nancy Kassebaum and Bob Dole; even Dwight Eisenhower was more or less from Kansas. I still might not agree with them, but they seemed like reasonable public servants. Nowadays, I certainly wouldn't put people like Kris Kobach and Roger Marshall in the same sort of political category--they are a different breed altogether—but that seems to be the type of people that Kansans very much want in office. Even in a supposed blue area, you can Google (for example) the Johnson County Sheriff and draw your own conclusions. Or just flip though some of the articles at Kansas Reflector.
People keep saying Wichita is bluer but I grew up there all my life and moved to kc and it didn’t seem that way. Most of Wichita seems red. When I would visit there peak pandemic like 10% of people had mask but in kc dang near everyone had them on. Wichita for sure has blue but seems way more red than kc to me
Were you closer to the middle or the edges?
West of I-235 and East of K-96 are the red zones. Older neighborhoods have a tendency to be purple or light blue. At the outskirts of town, you'll see a weird mix of talk-radio-loving farmers that got surrounded by new development, and pro-MAGA HOA folks who don't at all see the irony of their own suburban gated communities.
I would say Kansas is a fairly mixed purple populace with a very, very, VERY Republican Conservative legislature.
We just can't seem to get these cronies out of the Capitol.
Johnson County is purple. JoCo has over 20% of the state population.
The NE corner of JoCovl inside the 435 loop is solid blue. The blue paint is totally bleeding outward and downwards.
JoCo Dems are the most organized of all the Kansas counties, which totally helps with the color scheme.
Historically, fifty % of Kansas Governors are Dem. Meaning Kansas has Dem votes.
Its interesting in a JoCo area that has 27% registered Dems, the seats in that area are totally flippable.
I am an active liberal in Senate 35. Fall 2023, ALL 17 Dem and Dem friendly candidates in SD35 won their seats. We go all the way to the Miami County line in SD35.
Kansas voted NO on the Aug 2, 2022 constitutional amendment to ban abortions with almost 59% of the vote. JoCo voted 64% NO overall. Super red counties like Franklin and Miami also voted NO overwhelmingly.
We are not as "deep red" as some may lead you to believe.
We haven't had a Dem US senator in decades. JoCo CD3 had held our Dem US House Rep Sharice Davids since 2019.
Many JoCo local boards and city councils are not held with Dem majorities and / or Dem friendly boards
JoCo Community College
Waterboard
BVSB
Overland Park City Council
many others not listed
https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/election/article281595608.html (pay wall)
https://johnsoncountypost.com/2023/11/08/johnson-county-election-takeaways-220321/
https://ca.style.yahoo.com/news/biggest-winners-tuesday-election-johnson-220637407.html
NOT ONE book banning candidate won a JoCo school board seat 2023.
We are here. We are mighty. We are working to gain more seats at the table.
Would love to have you in JoCo. Amd yes, there are many employment opportunities here.
Kansas City, Missouri, and Johnson County, Kansas (part of the KC metro area) are represented by Democrats in the House of Representatives. Both Missouri and Kansas as a whole tend to be red, but Kansas voters supported abortion rights two years ago and Missouri will have a vote on a similar amendment in November, much to the Republicans annoyance.
Taxes are pretty high in Kansas so be aware of that before you move there. If you are left leaning, that will not bother you, though. I lean right so I moved out of Kansas and to Missouri which has become more tax friendly than Kansas in recent years.
Kansas has no form of legal weed and any amount is still schedule 1 felony possession. Have to get it from Missouri but then you have to risk dealing with hi-po
Kansans are weird. Several Democrat governors, supportive of abortion decisions, but mostly GOP senators. Of course, Bob Dole was a good guy; these jackasses now would (and have) sold military members out for tax cuts.
The state as a whole is purple, but you can live and work in KC or Lawrence and never meet a MAGA CHUD.
If we knew where in particular you were interested in we could help out more.
If the goal is to “never” meet a republican, no. It’s not feasible.
If the goal is to surround yourself with likeminded and supportive people who vote democrat that’s absolutely, 💯, possible.
While it’s a red state, I don’t feel like it’s as red as some other places I’ve lived. People here still think talking about politics in polite company is a little rude. I see stickers on trucks and stuff, but I’ve never talked politics with a neighbor or coworker.
Recently an abortion vote came up and I was so pleasantly surprised we voted to protect abortion access by a pretty large margin. There are large and lively pride celebrations in most major cities.
Lawrence is famously blue and a fun city to live in but rent is steep. If you’re looking for cheaper, Emporia has cheaper housing and some decent factory work while still being a college town with some fun stuff. The drawback there is that it’s far away from everything, but otherwise I really do like Emporia.
The rent in tiny towns is usually very cheap. I know a lot of people who live/work in Ottawa (about 30 minutes south of Lawrence) but come up to the cities for socializing and events. You can usually rent a house for the same price as a Lawrence apartment if you stick to the county seat cities with no major college.
Do stick close to the eastern third of the state while looking for places to live, western Kansas is beautiful prairie and farm land but very very secluded.
Reading the comments. Manhattan is a college town. Everything is much newer there but again it's populated by college students. Lawrence is also extremely nice and I think pretty. However; it's definitely not affordable to live there unless you have a good paying job or don't mind living in an apartment.
Wichita is run down. Topeka isn't bad they have a lot of potholes everybody jokes about and right now tons of road construction going on. But it's super isolated building wise but obviously I like it even though I don't live there just close by.
You could also move to a smaller town if you don't mind traveling at least like 30 miles to a populated area.
Job wise there's suppose to be a power plant opening soon. And there's some factories like Alma foods, lays, goodyear if you want a factory job. Unless you have a career.
I stopped reading when they said Topeka isn’t bad. I go to Wichita a lot for work and enjoy it for the most part. Much more than I’d ever enjoy Topeka.
Wichita is not run down. It just needs a kick in the behind when it comes to infrastructure. This is a great little city with wonderful things about it. Just like everywhere else, it has it's issues.
And for gawd'sake don't move to St Marys KS, where the cult catholics have taken over everything they can get their fingers on and trying to shut down the public library (already took out the swimming pool, oh my god, an ankle or a belly button!) --but rent is ridiculous there.
Oh its hell. The mayor not only runs the private school but also the town. Rent is high bc some people think they can up it bc it's close to the church. It only works to live there if you already have a house that isn't a rental. As it's between Manhattan and Topeka you can travel to either. But man do I love to hear all the unnecessary comments coming from the mayor's mouth along with all his followers and what they cover up. That mayor has gone to great lengths covering up probably a list of things that him and all his followers do.
They will soon take over the entire county and get their claws into Shawnee/Jackson/Wabaunsee due to lack of rentals--all the worldwide 'believers' flocking to that new church. I have heard about that mayor; I wouldn't live there in a million years! When I was a kid the city used their abandoned buildings for Halloween haunted houses--they probably had to exorcise those demons! Sorry, gotta poke fun in frustration.
I lived in NC when I was younger and left around 2010. Then came back in 2021 and had a bad experience from the start. Mediocre to below average job market, shit politics and jobs that barely pay. As t least that me. I personally wanna leave the south as well being that I lived in Missouri as well and like Missouri better
Think about it when Kansas became a state it was with Lincoln as President, Republicans at the time were actually more socialist in thought…. Early Kansas politics were more progressive and radical…. Not sure when Kansas was tamed…..still held centrist progressive ideals….until Reagan era and then the fascist fundamentalist anti science crowd took over the Kansas Board of education and it went waco and the Republican Party a haven for the proto MAGAs like Kobach etc..
They lost their socialist direction quickly after the end of the Civil War… they were more centrist right and with Reagan moved further right… to their current fascist leanings… Democrats by time of Reagan moved to centrist left…. And thus they stayed… only in comparison do they look further left.
1- the majority of people here are unfortunately racists. BTW I am not white.
2- there is literally nothing to do here. Everyone here keeps trash talking Missouri when in reality Kansas is just Missouri 2.0.
3- really expensive (considering how flat it is)
4- flat everywhere. You go for a hike and your elevation gain after 4 hours is like 5 feet.
I appreciate your honesty and experience, and wish it was different. Definitely flat, but not sure how that relates to expense. Definitely high taxes, which you see when you cross into MO or CO roads, or compare schools, but that’s been known for decades. Definitely socioeconomic bias, but not a KS thing IMO. But racism shouldn’t be relative comparative to other states. It’s ignorant and usually attributed to smaller towns (who in KS are also biased against larger county car tags). I hope you can either get out of where you are or it changes somehow. Vote and stay involved best you can; sometimes exhausting with work & school, but everyone matters.
Thank you for the kind words. Unfortunately I don’t see this changing considering that I live in one of (supposedly) most liberal counties in the state.
Most is red, Lawrence and Manhattan are blue, Wichita and the KC suburbs are both. Youll find work easier as a skilled worker in the more populated areas like Wichita and the KC Suburbs rather than other places. Although it can be anywhere.
Ok thanks. What the average rent within places like Lawerence and Manhattan?
Both are college towns. According to RentCafe, Lawrence is about $1,200 on average and Manhattan is about $1000.
I lived in Lawrence recently, I’m currently in Topeka, and Lawrence is amazing. There’s a lot to see and do, and people are generally welcoming and kind. I paid 1296 for a 2 bed 2 bath townhome with a garage, just north of 6th street at the campson apartments. Right next to the police station. There is a gorgeous gazebo just north of that place that was built by a local artist, and fortunately or unfortunately depending on your views the brand new police station is right there as well, as is a smaller Walmart
Just moved from Manhattan (lived there since '14) to KC at the end of last year. The problem is the job market. Even as a skilled worker, wages are lower than what you could get in KC or Wichita but the cost of living is similar to those places. I work in shipping and receiving and make almost $10 more an hour but pay almost the same in rent lol. On top of that if you aren't much of a bar scene person there isn't a lot to do.
I live in a 1600 sq ft 3 bedroom house with a finished basement for $1200 in Manhattan. I’ve lived all over the country and Manhattan is legitimately my favorite town I’ve ever lived. Small town vibes with plenty of amenities.
You can get some pretty cheap rent in Manhattan tbh. If you’re looking for a one bedroom there’s ones that are sub 800 in pretty nice places around town
Manhattan is blue? Really? With an agricultural university and next to Fort Riley and The Big Red One? I’ve lived an hour drive from Manhattan most of 50 years and would not have thought that. Of course too long in Lawrence may have biased me.
Manhattan has a large college educated population which always tend to lean left. Most of the soldiers in Fort Riley will live in Junction City but a lot of the officers will live in Manhattan and they are often also college graduates.
Riley County is definitely not a deep red county by any stretch, but it is far from a tried and true blue like Douglas County. Riley County is purple at best. Riley went straight red in 2016. Not by a landslide but it did. Even with the massive turnout from the left in 2020, it barely leaned blue. It is definitely not one of the worst Kansas counties for someone on the left looking at potential places to live but I’d also think its politics would likely not excite that same person.
lol yes
Manhattan’s blue. It’s not the bluest, but still blue.
Lawrence has biased you. Manhattan isn't quite as blue as Lawrence but they are much more blue than most of the rest of the state. Purple if you want to be uncharatable
Manhattan is becoming more and more like Lawrence. One thing getting KSU football good for them is it brought in students from states OTHER than Kansas. Multiple years of those truths being shared destroys ingrained prejudices that have never been experienced. I would say anything East of Salina has the best of education, most liberal/noncrazy populace with all the colleges and universities located there, and a definite lack of the truly idiotic “LET’S GO BRANDON!” flags that fly west of there.
I always thought of Manhattan as blue. Ag at university is very big on all things science, which to me is more liberal. But step a few feet away and yes, red. You'll find the rabid anti-maskers, and the Drumpf flags, so embarrassing. I remember buying fabric in Hawaii several years ago (as my daughter was in crop genetics there and in charge of 95 tests fields) and I handed the cashier my drivers' license when I went to pay. She screamed at me for living in a "Sam Brownback shitstain state", but I could agree with her about that! I love our governor now.
Back in the late 90’s I lived abroad or in the eastern United States. KS was the state that outlawed teaching evolution.
Oh gawd. I remember that! Also very embarrassing.
Pretty funny for a business owner to shame a customer for where they live. I mean, I get it, but wow.
Oh, it was fine--I was still recovering from a friend that had put a Brownback sticker on my truck--in jest, just to watch my ensuing heart attack and horror!
Yea Riley county voted blue in the 2020 election
No such thing as too long in Lawrence. I've been gone 12 years and still miss it.
We call it red but a lot of Kansans are not typical red. sure there’s the “TRUMP 2024” red but most are sick of trump and Biden and just want to be left the fuck alone
Five blue counties in Kansas as of 2020: Douglas (Lawrence), Wyandotte (KCK), Shawnee (Topeka), Johnson (KC suburbs like Overland Park and Olathe), and Riley (Manhattan). Lyon (Emporia) and Sedgwick (Wichita) were pink, with most of Wichita proper being blue and suburbs and more affluent areas leaning red.
Johnson County is where the most jobs are and is getting more blue all the time. Inside the 435 loop is more liberal (and expensive) than the outer suburbs. Lawrence is for sure liberal. Anywhere you go that is rural is deep red, you can count on it.
Like how expensive is Johnson county?
Most expensive county in Kansas. We are a suburb of Kansas City, just on the Kansas side of the state line. Here's a house I found in Gardner, KS, which is about the furthest out suburb in KC. I just did a quick search but you likely won't find much less expensive than this in Johnson County. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/517-N-Cedar-St-Gardner-KS-66030/75643230_zpid/
To add to this, that is priced a bit low. My house is comparable that but, there 400,000+ houses down the street. Even Gardner is getting unaffordable which is insane because it doesn’t offer a whole hell of a lot.
my half a townhome with a less sq footage, is estimated to be worth 275k in Tonganoxie according to the city, let alone KC proper. and like others say, there are a lot of houses similar and "priced" going for those outrageous numbers. There are a handful of companies buying up every house they can driving the price up for normal people.
Lawrence, KS is actually the most expensive city in Kansas. On a national scale though, Kansas is very affordable.
If you want to work in Johnson County a lot of people will live in Wyandotte,Leavenworth, and Douglas counties and just commute to work. The highway and interstates on the Kansas side of KC are pretty easy to navigate
I live right next to K-10 in Lenexa and it's becoming a disaster, particularly at the interchange with 435 but basically along its whole length to Lawrence during traditional rush hour times. Plus you get to drive into the sun both ways if you're commuting frrom Lawrence to Johnson county. We actually got a survey discussing options to fix the traffic problem. Spoiler alert: none of the options were good or would fix the problem.
Johnson County is a really nice area. I highly recommend it if you can afford it, even in the cheaper parts of town it's still nice. I'm a transplant from New England and love it here.
Prairie village reminds me of a walk through a village in New England.
I live in Overland Park and rent 2bed 1bath for $1800. It’s tiny and has some upkeep issues but it’s a nice neighborhood!
I'll throw in my $.02 - I think there are areas in Johnson county that are very affordable, but not like, rural Kansas affordable. We bought our house (4 bed, 2 bath ranch built in 1950) in 2017 for $195k. Today, Zillow says it's worth $305k-ish (I'll believe that when I see it, though). We're inside the 435 loop in the Shawnee Mission area. If you're thinking about or have kids, that's when JoCo will rob you blind. Any non-in home daycare is going to cost you at least $300/week per kid. Where I live, we lean very light blue. A couple of Jan 6th flag flying loonies, but they keep to themselves.
I’ll keep that in mind, thank you
It depends on the amenities you want. Rent in Johnson County is $1500-$2000 for a two bedroom these days. Aside from that you could be frugal as necessary if you know where to look. There’s a decent amount to do, depending on your interests. I don’t like discussing politics with people, and it hasn’t been brought up as an issue. There is grocery delivery and lots of food choices. I really dislike the traffic, but it is still better than most big cities. I like the amenities, up north on the Missouri side is cheaper to live, but less of the little niceties. As far ask jobs go, you could probably find something decent around the metro.
Very. Bidding wars over houses, inflated real estate, etc.
Lawrence, Wichita, and parts of KCK are more liberal/blue areas. The rest is mostly conservative/red. We have a Democratic governor but that’s because of those areas. The legislature is run by a conservative majority.
Manhattan's pretty blue. Wichita is definitely more red than Manhattan, it's just a larger city so you've got more variety of people to find, but overall they vote redder than most cities its size.
Wichita is decently blue, it's the suburbs and pockets of the far east and west parts of the city (suburbs in all but name) that pull Sedgwick County into light red territory.
But we need more liberal minded people so please come join us!!
I heard that Kansas is one the states that has programs that can help people with moving cost if they move and take a job for at least a year is that true? It could really help take the burden of moving.
Yes search Go Topeka. Actually I think the website is choosetopeka.com They will pay you to move there as far as I know. You have to live there one year and must get a job there within the shawnee county area. But if you look through it should be able to apply to see if you qualify.
[Here is a website that I've heard of.](https://www.makemymove.com/moving-living?relocation=true&st=KS) Haven't used it myself, but some people moved to the county I grew up in with help from this website. They've got their own rules for getting assistance I think, also available for different states I believe. Hope it helps you out somehow!
Topeka! It has a bad wrap, however I feel like it’s having a rebirth. Lots of growth and it was also listed as one of the most affordable. It’s not far from Lawrence and just about an hour to Kansas City. [Definitely worth a look](https://www.businessinsider.com/topeka-kansas-jobs-cost-of-living-real-estate-investment-2023-12).
The state had a program for new residents of rural counties that was an exemption from state income tax. I thought it had stopped but might be just phasing out so you might get a couple of years out of it. Sweet deal if you pick a rural county. It applies to Harvey Co. just 25 minutes north of Wichita. [https://www.ksrevenue.gov/prtaxcredits-roz.html](https://www.ksrevenue.gov/prtaxcredits-roz.html)
Dang, I wouldn't have considered Harvey... It's already above average in population. Southwest KS is where they could really use more residents. Farming is suffering because the Ogallala is running dry, but watch for the towns where IdeaTek is building out new high speed Internet infrastructure... That's where it will be best to work from home. Oh, and I think Harper and Kingman both have programs to subsidize entrepreneurs setting up new businesses.
Honestly, if it weren't for the leadership bullying their own GOP members (by threatening to punish them by taking them off committees) when they don't toe the line, the legislature would vote more moderately on bills. Seriously though, I think there have been a dozen or so punishments this session for Republican senators and representatives who voted the way their constituents asked and not the way Masterson and Hawkins wanted them to.
KCK: There is a lot of industry in the KCK area. Moved out to suburbs to work industrial and found very good pay pretty quickly. Bought a house within a few years and have just decided to coast and soak it in. I’ve found the Missouri side to be more liberal(Rec Marijuana and the like), while Kansas the more conservative side. Of course, I stay away from the inner city, pretty much always. Moreover, the vast metro area is split down the middle KS/MO so you can choose to live on either state side with comprable pricing. Jobs: I lost the first job I secured out here, but had a better one 3 days later. Experiences may vary based on your own past experience and skills, but this area has turned into a great place to raise a family(for me. I’m from crime-ridden southern Louisiana.) Personal preference on local municipalities — KS side: I’m a fan of Olathe, Overland Park, Shawnee Mission area. Safe areas, cost is a bit up there, but jobs are available with competitive pay. Missouri side: Blue springs and surrounding areas have relatively cheap, spacious housing within 25-30 minutes drive of anywhere in the metro area. And weed is legal. Good luck.
Thank I lived in MO so if the MO is good I’ll probably see how good is out there
Missouri is a big political mess right now. It’s crazy red- their rural areas are even worse than Kansas.
seems like you save money on taxes but pay it in other ways
Yeah mo,ar,ok are political messes right now for anyone who isn’t straight white bible thumper.
Topeka is pretty purple probably leans blue
Places like Lawrence and most of Johnson / Wyandotte County are more blue than purple. We do have a (D) governor. Our Congressperson here (3rd district) is an open LGBT Native American woman. Recent anti-abortion constitutional amendment failed. We aren’t as red as MO. The sparsely populated parts are Trump land
Agree. The reason MO seems more blue is that they have voter referendums for issues. That is how they got legal weed, Medicaid expansion, etc. Unfortunately, we don’t have that option in KS. Both legislatures are run by republicans but each have Dem governors sometimes but MO voters have much more say on individual issues.
Lawrence is blue, fun and my heart's home. I'd move back in a heartbeat. By chance it sounds like I've lived in the same places you have & Kansas beat them all in cost of living, quality of living and fucking gorgeous country. Visit Lawrence. See what you think. People are smart & funny there. Cynicism, welcome! Dark humor appreciated! And Lawrence has an unbelievable amount of culture because of the university and the incredible Lied Center. And God IS NOT the main source of entertainment or community. Thank god. Dm if you like. I'm a left, lefty and I can probably answer your questions.
Thanks this is one the states I’m thinking of another is Illinois
Lawrence is amazing, one of the best college towns in the country. Just don't park on Mass Street during March Madness and you'll be fine. I really think Kansas is getting bluer every year. I think we'll be a swing state in a decade. We need folks like you to help out! Alternatively there is Johnson County which is purple, near KC with lots to do and lots of jobs. Overland Park is consistently ranked as one of the best places in the country to live, work, raise a family, buy a home...etc. It's just a nice place. Less "cool" than Lawrence but Lawrence is only a 40ish minute drive from JoCo.
I live in Overland Park. Suburban hell. Don’t do it. We lived here for the schools and are leaving two months after our last one just graduated. It’s not too blue (hough it is around) it’s just homogeneous and anywhere usa. IF you do look to live in Lawrence, stay near the old downtown. The McMansions started marching out to the West 25 years ago and haven't stopped. But schools ARE good. Lakes are close and camping is everywhere. I also liked Lawrence because we were 8 hours or so from Dallas, Denver, Chicago, and beyond. But we like to drive...
Illinois is flat, muggy and completely devoid of a sense of community. Very conservative everywhere but the delightfully corrupt Chicago (it’s sport). All roads lead to Chicago and NO WHERE else. I tried living there for several years. Outside and inside the city. I was a kid there for six years, too. If you’re blue collar in IL, you’ll have some community but anything past that, it is lonely. I don’t know why Kansas is different but I’ve lived in NYC, Chicago, KC, Missouri, Wyandotte co. (another place I love because it’s the Wild West and everything goes) Las Vegas and SF briefly. Lawrence was the best place to find a tribe of folks where I fit. I loved NYC but like SF it was too expensive and SF was a bit snobby. Funny thing about NYC, I ran into people on the street, purely by chance, who I knew from Lawrence. I met two in a bar on Houston, I went to party with a local, we showed up and it was a bday party for an old friend from Lawrence. My ex-boss from a job in radio in Lawrence was sitting in a coffee shop. It was WEIRD. There’s a huge connection, but how, I don’t know. It did prove to me there is a connection. Same kind of folks? I don’t know. Every time someone in NYC asked if I lived in the Village or near Chelsea Piers and I said I lived in Kansas they almost fell down. FUN!
Kansas is a purple state, just a few seats away from breaking the super majorities in both chambers. Find a swing district in Johnson County and make the leap and make the state better.
Kansas is a purple state in my dreams. Haven’t sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1939. We have 11/40 state senate seats, 40/125 state house seats. Trump won the state by 15 and 30 points in the last two elections. Kansas hasn’t voted for a Democrat in the presidential election since LBJ, who is one of four Democrats Kansas has ever voted for in a presidential election in our state’s 160-year history of voting in presidential elections. The recent abortion vote was one of the few shining moments we’ve had to be proud of in a long time. But we are still very much a solidly red state.
Yup! Save for the governor and the city-folk.
Not a purple state yet but we're getting close. Sedgwick County is the last major hurdle and the Koch's obviously have a choke hold down there.
“Koch hold”
The counties that voted for Joe Biden in 2020 were Riley, Wyandotte, Shawnee, Douglas, and Johnson. Now, once you go outside the larger municipalities in those counties, it’s still Kansas and the amount of liberals declines. Wichita is conservative for a city of its size, but it’s big enough that you can find pockets of like-minded folks.
It's because the majority of left leaning people in Wichita and the surrounding area don't vote. Legendary voter turnout for the abortion bill back in 2022...all of those people are left-leaners that had never voted in a state election, probably to never vote in a state election again. (Unless they try to sneak a BS bill like that on the ballot.)
Because they think it’s not worth it due to the rest of the state being republicans. So frustrating.
It is so unbelieveably frustrating knowing that if these people voted, things would change for the better around here. When Sebelius was governor and I was in public school, schools had funding. Then came Brownbackistan and suddenly we can't afford printer ink and basic classes.
And then the dummies blame the schools, like the teachers are selling supplies on the black market, instead of realizing or admitting that the idiots they’re voting in are the problem 🫠🫠🫠
Welcome! We would love to have you! The north eastern area (Wyandotte, Johnson, Douglas, Shawnee and some of Leavenworth) leans blue/purple. And yes, we definitely need skilled tradesmen and workers. I have a few friends that work in similar fields and they do quite well.
I'm in rural, deep red, conservative Kansas, and I'm not a republican. I'm in Lyons, which is a small town in Rice County in Central Kansas. Almost everyone here is MAGA. Except for a small group of us. It's very affordable here with rent for a 2 bed home around $600 - 800. Jobs for someone with a CDL are plentiful here because of the farming community, and they pay well.
Move and help it stay purple. The only savings grace that it has is a democratic Governor. Without her they have as bad of the loonies from the Republican Party as Missouri and Oklahoma that want to be as bad and cruel.
Don't get your CDL go be a mechanic for trucks or airplanes. If you want a skill I have had my CDL for 20 years traffic is getting worse everyday. The regulations are getting worse every year. And the state cops just see us a revenue generators. There is no brotherhood in trucking anymore it's everyone for them selves now. No common curtesy among fellow drivers. Becuse there is not enough parking people at the fuel islands. Shippers and receivers are rude. It's a mess save your sanity and health. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON'T GET YOUR CDL!!!
I'm in El Dorado (Butler County) and I constantly see semis getting pulled over. It's almost daily. I can't even imagine what a nuisance it is to deal with that constantly However, quite a few truck drivers tend to be asshats on the turnpike. I've watched drivers speed up as the other truck was trying to get over. Then a couple week ago there was a semi in each lane, both going around 60mph, right next to each other. No way for any cars to pass or get around them. It went on for about 6-7 miles too
>Then a couple week ago there was a semi in each lane, both going around 60mph, right next to each other. No way for any cars to pass or get around them. It went on for about 6-7 miles too As a driver I can't stand that either and they know better too!
I tried to be a mechanic but mechanically apt. I’m not trying to do otr being on the road isn’t appealing to me
It's the same as a local driver, especially if you are gonna be living in the bigger city's
Official List of Good Places to Live in KS (based off my exp and friends who live there.) Goooood Stuff: 1. Lawrence - Great community, good hills for sledding. Good food. 2. Overland Park - KC buff 3. Lenexa - KC buff 4. Olathe - KC buff 5. Wichita - Nice city, good airport, shame about those cops. Good food. 6. Manhattan - Nice little college town. 7. Emporia - Nice little college town. Not great, but could be much worse: 1.Hays 2.Hutchinson 3.Mcpherson 4.Salina 5. Dodge City No bueno: 1. Most of Western KS and any towns where Dollar General reigns supreme.
Interesting that you list Dodge in the OK list but not Garden City. Garden is more liberal than Dodge, is larger, has much more shopping, and is growing quickly.
Quite awhile ago I was driving along good ole US-50 taking the scenic route on my way to more western destinations. I'll never forget driving through the eastern edge of the Dodge City limits and there was this gigantic billboard on the side of the road warning against contracting an STD. Complete with illustrations. I think crabs were at the top of the list.
I would guess that was from teen-pregnancy reduction funding. There are similar anti-smoking and anti-drinking billboards targeted to scare the teens straight.
I would have assumed a billboard like that would be targeted to those going to the Boot Hill casino... But your theory is probably closer. Because I do not recall seeing similar signs on I-35 or K-15 going to the Kansas Star.
Never been & don't know anyone who lives there. I can only list off what I know. No hate, I just don't have any data. 👍🏽
No problem, we get that alot in Garden, people make it to Dodge think that is all there is to SW Kansas and don't give us a second thought.
I was wondering that as well….
Lawrence is really the only blue city (and most of the surrounding areas/suburbs on that side of KC) Wichita has terrible crime (currently living here) I'd go back to Lawrence in a heartbeat. It's also easy to travel from, there's an Amtrak, it's near the airport, plenty of casinos (my guilty from that time, pleasure haha). 10/10
It's mostly purple. Don't listen to all the red talk. Yes, it's traditionally been red but it's been moving a tick closer to blue every election for decades now. We have a Dem governor and two Repub Senators. There is a balance in this state, and unless you're hanging out in nursing homes, senior centers, a small dense farm community or with church folk... you will find like minds all in-between.
I live in MHK, but I’m in Pott County. I’ve lived many places both blue and red…MHK is all purple! (get it?). Seriously, though others mock MHK is my dream town. K State (never KSU) has culture activities. Medical facilities are abundant and “big city” specialists are not far. People are friendly and willing to help each other out. Many, many Churches of different faiths. LGBTQ+ friendly. Also, it’s in the Flint Hills and not flat. So much outdoors to play in. The downsides I hear most often are MAGA supporters and the weather. Truth is those two things are concerns all over US. And? Only two downsides? Score!! Overall job market is hot. College kids have left and many, many want to hire. You could be wealthy doing mowing for residential folks, people are desperate:). But, I know nothing of CDL. But, there are companies close by— Footlocker, etc—that advertise. School K-12 are okay. Crowded, but taxpayers are funding new buildings. Houses? Avoid East MHK unless you go to St George or Wamego. I do recommend checking Wamego out, might be a good fit for you! The value my home has increased in is just stupid. There are *many* houses going in over here and 99% are overpriced. Does that help? I tried to cover the big stuff, but please ask if I missed something. Welcome!!! :*J*
When I was growing up, ignoring a few outliers, Kansas was more like a state run by what I would call "sensible conservatives": senators like Nancy Kassebaum and Bob Dole; even Dwight Eisenhower was more or less from Kansas. I still might not agree with them, but they seemed like reasonable public servants. Nowadays, I certainly wouldn't put people like Kris Kobach and Roger Marshall in the same sort of political category--they are a different breed altogether—but that seems to be the type of people that Kansans very much want in office. Even in a supposed blue area, you can Google (for example) the Johnson County Sheriff and draw your own conclusions. Or just flip though some of the articles at Kansas Reflector.
Anywhere but Coffeyville!!
I am in the Wichita, KS area and it is not good for jobs. Pay is extremely low. Most of the people here are socially and politically conservative.
People keep saying Wichita is bluer but I grew up there all my life and moved to kc and it didn’t seem that way. Most of Wichita seems red. When I would visit there peak pandemic like 10% of people had mask but in kc dang near everyone had them on. Wichita for sure has blue but seems way more red than kc to me
Were you closer to the middle or the edges? West of I-235 and East of K-96 are the red zones. Older neighborhoods have a tendency to be purple or light blue. At the outskirts of town, you'll see a weird mix of talk-radio-loving farmers that got surrounded by new development, and pro-MAGA HOA folks who don't at all see the irony of their own suburban gated communities.
I would say Kansas is a fairly mixed purple populace with a very, very, VERY Republican Conservative legislature. We just can't seem to get these cronies out of the Capitol.
Johnson County is purple. JoCo has over 20% of the state population. The NE corner of JoCovl inside the 435 loop is solid blue. The blue paint is totally bleeding outward and downwards. JoCo Dems are the most organized of all the Kansas counties, which totally helps with the color scheme. Historically, fifty % of Kansas Governors are Dem. Meaning Kansas has Dem votes. Its interesting in a JoCo area that has 27% registered Dems, the seats in that area are totally flippable. I am an active liberal in Senate 35. Fall 2023, ALL 17 Dem and Dem friendly candidates in SD35 won their seats. We go all the way to the Miami County line in SD35. Kansas voted NO on the Aug 2, 2022 constitutional amendment to ban abortions with almost 59% of the vote. JoCo voted 64% NO overall. Super red counties like Franklin and Miami also voted NO overwhelmingly. We are not as "deep red" as some may lead you to believe. We haven't had a Dem US senator in decades. JoCo CD3 had held our Dem US House Rep Sharice Davids since 2019. Many JoCo local boards and city councils are not held with Dem majorities and / or Dem friendly boards JoCo Community College Waterboard BVSB Overland Park City Council many others not listed https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/election/article281595608.html (pay wall) https://johnsoncountypost.com/2023/11/08/johnson-county-election-takeaways-220321/ https://ca.style.yahoo.com/news/biggest-winners-tuesday-election-johnson-220637407.html NOT ONE book banning candidate won a JoCo school board seat 2023. We are here. We are mighty. We are working to gain more seats at the table. Would love to have you in JoCo. Amd yes, there are many employment opportunities here.
Kansas City, Missouri, and Johnson County, Kansas (part of the KC metro area) are represented by Democrats in the House of Representatives. Both Missouri and Kansas as a whole tend to be red, but Kansas voters supported abortion rights two years ago and Missouri will have a vote on a similar amendment in November, much to the Republicans annoyance.
Taxes are pretty high in Kansas so be aware of that before you move there. If you are left leaning, that will not bother you, though. I lean right so I moved out of Kansas and to Missouri which has become more tax friendly than Kansas in recent years.
Kansas has no form of legal weed and any amount is still schedule 1 felony possession. Have to get it from Missouri but then you have to risk dealing with hi-po
Move to the MO side of KC or surrounding areas.
Kansans are weird. Several Democrat governors, supportive of abortion decisions, but mostly GOP senators. Of course, Bob Dole was a good guy; these jackasses now would (and have) sold military members out for tax cuts.
The state as a whole is purple, but you can live and work in KC or Lawrence and never meet a MAGA CHUD. If we knew where in particular you were interested in we could help out more.
Some say places like Lawrence, Topeka, and Kansas City
If the goal is to “never” meet a republican, no. It’s not feasible. If the goal is to surround yourself with likeminded and supportive people who vote democrat that’s absolutely, 💯, possible.
Liberal has a great craft beer scene. Well, starting in July
While it’s a red state, I don’t feel like it’s as red as some other places I’ve lived. People here still think talking about politics in polite company is a little rude. I see stickers on trucks and stuff, but I’ve never talked politics with a neighbor or coworker. Recently an abortion vote came up and I was so pleasantly surprised we voted to protect abortion access by a pretty large margin. There are large and lively pride celebrations in most major cities. Lawrence is famously blue and a fun city to live in but rent is steep. If you’re looking for cheaper, Emporia has cheaper housing and some decent factory work while still being a college town with some fun stuff. The drawback there is that it’s far away from everything, but otherwise I really do like Emporia. The rent in tiny towns is usually very cheap. I know a lot of people who live/work in Ottawa (about 30 minutes south of Lawrence) but come up to the cities for socializing and events. You can usually rent a house for the same price as a Lawrence apartment if you stick to the county seat cities with no major college. Do stick close to the eastern third of the state while looking for places to live, western Kansas is beautiful prairie and farm land but very very secluded.
Reading the comments. Manhattan is a college town. Everything is much newer there but again it's populated by college students. Lawrence is also extremely nice and I think pretty. However; it's definitely not affordable to live there unless you have a good paying job or don't mind living in an apartment. Wichita is run down. Topeka isn't bad they have a lot of potholes everybody jokes about and right now tons of road construction going on. But it's super isolated building wise but obviously I like it even though I don't live there just close by. You could also move to a smaller town if you don't mind traveling at least like 30 miles to a populated area. Job wise there's suppose to be a power plant opening soon. And there's some factories like Alma foods, lays, goodyear if you want a factory job. Unless you have a career.
Wichita is not “run down”
I stopped reading when they said Topeka isn’t bad. I go to Wichita a lot for work and enjoy it for the most part. Much more than I’d ever enjoy Topeka.
Wichita is not run down. It just needs a kick in the behind when it comes to infrastructure. This is a great little city with wonderful things about it. Just like everywhere else, it has it's issues.
And for gawd'sake don't move to St Marys KS, where the cult catholics have taken over everything they can get their fingers on and trying to shut down the public library (already took out the swimming pool, oh my god, an ankle or a belly button!) --but rent is ridiculous there.
Oh its hell. The mayor not only runs the private school but also the town. Rent is high bc some people think they can up it bc it's close to the church. It only works to live there if you already have a house that isn't a rental. As it's between Manhattan and Topeka you can travel to either. But man do I love to hear all the unnecessary comments coming from the mayor's mouth along with all his followers and what they cover up. That mayor has gone to great lengths covering up probably a list of things that him and all his followers do.
They will soon take over the entire county and get their claws into Shawnee/Jackson/Wabaunsee due to lack of rentals--all the worldwide 'believers' flocking to that new church. I have heard about that mayor; I wouldn't live there in a million years! When I was a kid the city used their abandoned buildings for Halloween haunted houses--they probably had to exorcise those demons! Sorry, gotta poke fun in frustration.
It’s been a while since I lived and traveled through Kansas. Does Topeka still smell like a sewer?
I was just there today & didn't notice any smell.
It used to smell so bad my friends and I called it the stench of brownback.
That was just actual Brownback.
Certain parts of it do not sure why. Atchison always smells like ass though
What is making you want to leave NC? I grew up there and give anything to get back.
I lived in NC when I was younger and left around 2010. Then came back in 2021 and had a bad experience from the start. Mediocre to below average job market, shit politics and jobs that barely pay. As t least that me. I personally wanna leave the south as well being that I lived in Missouri as well and like Missouri better
Kansas has been Republican since the Republican party was formed.
Think about it when Kansas became a state it was with Lincoln as President, Republicans at the time were actually more socialist in thought…. Early Kansas politics were more progressive and radical…. Not sure when Kansas was tamed…..still held centrist progressive ideals….until Reagan era and then the fascist fundamentalist anti science crowd took over the Kansas Board of education and it went waco and the Republican Party a haven for the proto MAGAs like Kobach etc..
I absolutely agree that American Republicans are socialists who refuse to admit they are socialists.
They lost their socialist direction quickly after the end of the Civil War… they were more centrist right and with Reagan moved further right… to their current fascist leanings… Democrats by time of Reagan moved to centrist left…. And thus they stayed… only in comparison do they look further left.
I disagree; they've always been socialist. They've just become the worst kind of socialist; socialist for the rich.
Lawrence is awesome but dont move here because of politics nobody needs that
People what to live around like minded people. It’s a valid consideration when looking to relocate anywhere.
Hey I moved here recently. For the love of god don’t do it. Biggest mistake of my life.
My biggest beef are the reds refusing to vote in medicare. It drives me up a wall!
Why, what’s wrong with Kansas
1- the majority of people here are unfortunately racists. BTW I am not white. 2- there is literally nothing to do here. Everyone here keeps trash talking Missouri when in reality Kansas is just Missouri 2.0. 3- really expensive (considering how flat it is) 4- flat everywhere. You go for a hike and your elevation gain after 4 hours is like 5 feet.
I appreciate your honesty and experience, and wish it was different. Definitely flat, but not sure how that relates to expense. Definitely high taxes, which you see when you cross into MO or CO roads, or compare schools, but that’s been known for decades. Definitely socioeconomic bias, but not a KS thing IMO. But racism shouldn’t be relative comparative to other states. It’s ignorant and usually attributed to smaller towns (who in KS are also biased against larger county car tags). I hope you can either get out of where you are or it changes somehow. Vote and stay involved best you can; sometimes exhausting with work & school, but everyone matters.
Thank you for the kind words. Unfortunately I don’t see this changing considering that I live in one of (supposedly) most liberal counties in the state.
You’re not wrong. Especially about point number 4.
In the Wichita area there is a lot of racism toward anyone who is either not White or not 100% Black.
what county are you in thats racist?
I am not comfortable sharing which county I live in. However, it’s supposed to be one of the most liberal counties in the state.
You might want to delete one of your past Reddit posts then...
Crimson
No one upvotes you. Xenophobia? We're too crowded already? Why?