This came up the other day. I've been looking for a place to move to and Kansas is one of a few states I'm looking at. My mom's family is from there. The thing is everywhere else I look people say they hate people moving to their state. Florida, Idaho, Hawaii. When I moved to oregon from California first order of business was changing our license plates so they wouldn't know where we were from because Oregonians hate Californians.

So the other day my mom said something about changing my plates as soon as I move to Kansas. For some reason I don't get that feeling about kansas, that you guys hate outsiders. From what I have read kansas is actually losing population, while places like idaho and Florida complain about getting crowded.

So how do people in Kansas feel about new people moving in?

Kansas law requires you to change your plates within 90 days anyways.  

I think outsiders are pretty welcome as long as they are decent people and attempt to adapt to the way things are here.  I am in eastern Kansas and we are definitely not losing population here.  Out west is where the population loss occurs as there isn't as many job opportunities as there is in the east part of the state.  

What area are you moving to?

I don't know where or if I'm moving, but I keep finding places I like in the south east corner, then I keep hearing that that's a bad area and don't go there. Coffeyville, Galena, independence.
It's not that I want to keep my out of state plates, it's a matter of is it the kind of deal where you don't want people to know where you're from because they may do something to you.

There's an arfcommer on here who lives in southeast Kansas.  Maybe he can fill you in on that area.  Although, like a lot of rural areas, there are some meth heads out there.  If you're thinking of buying a specific place; be sure to do a scouting trip or two before you buy.  

I doubt there are many people that are gonna bother you for being from out of state.

I keep watching YouTube videos, mostly nick johnson, and every time I think I like an area then I watch videos that say it's terrible and dangerous. Not just kansas, everywhere I'm looking. I start to wonder if he has anything good to say about anything. I looked up my own city and he called it the most dangerous city in the state. I've look around and keep coming back to Kansas. To me it looks good. Yeah, I'll have to visit for a while before I move there. Thanks.

Honestly man it’s kind of boring but it’s safe and cheap.

It’s gun friendly and nobody is gonna bash you for moving here.

I am from Nebraska, lived in DFW for a while but now live in Kansas because i wanted to raise my kids somewhere that wasn’t a mega metropolis.

I’ve been driving out of state plates for about a year here. I’m not sure what you’re asking. Everyone has been friendly. My car hasn’t been keyed, my house hasn’t been egged…

Being aware is good, but don’t be paranoid homeslice.

1) Move.
2) Assimilate and don't try to change anything.

You'll be fine.

Break #2 and folks will get pissy.

Hate is a strong word, but if I see Oregon plates, I’m going to assume coastal state lib.  I’m also going to hold that assumption to myself and hope to be proven wrong given any conversation that may strike up.  If you’re living here, switch your plates and pay taxes to fix our pot holes.  I get more irritated seeing Missouri plates that you know are living in KS than anything.

The towns you list off are all in the southeastern area.  Coffeyville has refinery work and a bunch of wannabe gang bangers.  Indy has a smaller Cessna manufacturing facility…not as bad at Coffeyville.  Galena…you may as well consider anything within the same distance to Joplin if you’re talking work. I’d kick the tires on Pittsburg.

All the towns face the same problem. Industry is gone unless you farm or are in the business of assisted living elderly care. The rest of the workers went to bigger cities to find employment:  Tulsa, KC, NWA, Springfield, and Wichita being the closest. That leaves a large percentage of druggies and trash.  Theft is getting worse.  Getting a decent local restaurant to stick in any of the sub 5,000 pop. towns is tough.  Several of the local icons in the general area have closed up shop or are trying to sell out if they can find a buyer.

I hate seeing the death of small town America.  It’s definitely not a KS phenomenon only.  Like others have said…if you’re not looking to change the good parts, people will generally welcome you.  Come join the party.

We welcome folks with open arms who have belt fed machine guns, lots of ammo and like to share

I live in the NE corner of the state and have had TN tags the entire l've lived here (nearly five years now/military).  I don't live on post and the local community here have been very welcoming.  No one has ever given me grief for being from out of state.

There are issues with crime (according to the local face book community boards), but I've never had any issues.  I really like the area and my neighbors (all farmers) are awesome people.

Native Kansan here.  Large cities ( Kansas City, Topeka, Wichita...) doesn't really matter. For the most part you are just another face. Large towns (Manhattan, Hays) pretty much the same.  Smaller towns like the one I currently live in (Marion) of about 1800 to 3000, you will find more of a cliquish type attitude, but mostly by the "folks" that think they run the town.  When you get to the small communities, less than 1000, they tend to be real cliquish. The kind that are nice to your face but will talk about you behind your back.  The kind of community that knows what you are doing on one side of town when you live on the other.  Yes, I lived in one for a while.  White City Kansas, population 550, from 1969 to 1976.  My family was never quite accepted and I was told it was because we weren't born there. To this day, I still see it in the really small towns.

@AASG

I am out in the country between Independence and Coffeyville. I absolutely love it here. Gorgeous country, and great hunting and fishing.

There are nicer towns than Coffeyville. I wouldn’t want to live in town, but I never feel unsafe when I’m there, which is very frequently. Crime is generally drug related. Quite a few meth heads around like a lot of rural America. I’ve never had an issue though, and I can’t say the same about my time in metropolitan cities across America.

Independence is substantially “nicer” than Coffeyville, and is really a nice little town. I have quite a few family members that live there, and is my preferred town to shop for groceries, etc.

Southeast Kansas is very rural, very conservative, and really quite stereotypically “Country”. The countryside in southeast Kansas is gorgeous. The whole state is entirely farmland and ranch land, and the culture very much reflects that. The people are salt of the Earth though, and have been very accepting of outsiders (so long as you’re not a loud mouthed liberal, which you’re not) in my experience.

Gun laws are the best in the country, and Kansas is a huge destination for hunters every season. The hunting and fishing can be world class, for various species.

It’s not for everyone, but I wouldn’t consider living any place else. All of my family lives here, and has for over 100 years. I work here, I own land here, I live here. My ass is planted here.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions, friend.

You're going to have dopers in any rural area in America . . . but in most states they are a fairly invisible minority. Unless you go looking to associate with them, you'll like never have an interaction. The closest you might come is seeing a semi-toothless tweaker buying junk food at Walmart.  It's seriously not a problem. Don't buy into the youtube nonsense; they only get clicks by trying to exaggerate reality. The internet is generally about 15% truth and 85% BS.

As long as you don't try and tell people how to live their lives (and never say, "back where I come from we did it like this"), you'll be fine. Just behave like a normal human being and you'll fit right in.  Nobody is going to care about the tags on your car.

SE Kansas is pretty nice ... as long as you have a basement to dodge the occasional tornado.  I've got friends in Pittsburg, and it seems like a pretty decent place.

I visit KS yearly to see my inlaws and I think the people there are very friendly. I've been in the NE area around Ottawa, SE around Coffeyville, and the area West of Hays and to me the people are all friendly and more than willing to help their neighbors out. It reminds me a lot of what it was like in rural IA 30yrs ago. I'm seen some sketchy people in KS but we have them here also.

ETA. If I was going to pack up and move it would either be SD or KS.

I'm from Coffeyville and live in Independence now. We really don't care where your plates are from. Stay on the west side of the ville or North East in Independence. Better yet get a place in the country.
I would venture to guess based on how long I've lived in the area and what I have done for a living over the years that  I know red stater.

Thanks for all the replies.

Small hijack...
Lomshek..is the 800yds -1000yds public access or private?  I'm assuming private.  If so, membership info?  I had not heard of this before.  Closest to me to get out past our local range (300 yds) is at Ottawa, then Spearpoint Ranch, then way out west to Syracuse area.  But twice or so a year, momma wants to hit SE KS casinos...and I'd rather spend my time stretching out my LR stuff instead of sitting in a smoke filled cesspool all day.

Thanks for that information.
I'll have to consider it when the weather warms up.

How bad is salina? Nick Johnson on YouTube says "whatever you do, don't go to salina". It's twice as big as the city I live in now and looks to have a pretty big hospital, something that's important to me. Is it a pretty decent place to live? And to clarify I'd be living on acreage outside of town.

Salina is not too bad. My wife and I lived there from about 1982 to 1985, left for a couple of years because of my job, then moved back in 87 to 96.  It really wasn't that bad.  We left to move to a smaller town because of our handicapped child. It didn't seem like he was getting his needs met in that school system.  

We also figured all 3 kids would get better attention in a smaller town school so we moved to her hometown of Marion.  Salina is not too bad but the one thing you BETTER watch out for is the yellow traffic lights!  They run through them big time up there. My wife and I still joke about it even today.  If we see a person gunning through a yellow light we say "they must be from Salina".

you are exactly right.  i’ve lived my whole life in northwest kansas and we are getting a lot of colorado people moving in they complain about the politics where they come from but turn around and vote liberally. people around here are much less accepting of outsiders than they were 5-7 years ago.

Who the heck is Nick Johnson. And why on earth is this dude some kind of authority on where not to live.

Come down for a visit, stop taking internet advice and see for yourself.
Salina was a ton of fun in the early 2k's but all I was doin was drinkin and chasin tail when I could get out of Ft Riley. Only been back once despite living in state to this day.

I just moved back to western kansas after being all over for the past 17 years. I like it a lot. Im pretty sure you can move to any small town in western ks and they will just be glad to have another person move in. Bonus points if you have a family