Springfield, Missouri

Life in Springfield, Missouri, explained by people who’ve lived in Springfield:

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*Click here to share your experience living in Springfield*

*Response format = Answer (Your name, How long you’ve lived in Springfield)

Springfield Favorites

What’s your favorite thing about living in Springfield?

Lots of free stuff to do, centrally located to lakes, Ozarks, lots of stores, a lot of good people in the community. (Angie, 4.5 years, born and raised in Neosho/Joplin area)
Close to everything. (Risa, 5 years)
Low cost of living; good schools; good place to raise a family; close to the beautiful Ozark mountains, lakes, and rivers. (Renee, 9 years)
So much to do so close to home. (Angela, 11 years)
Always have stores open day or night to shop especially if have sick little one. (Judie, 12 years)
My family here. (Sharon, 15 years)
The people. (Randy, 24 years)
Low cost of living. (Travis, 25 years)
Big city vibe with small town attitude. (Anonymous, 27 years)
The towns surrounding it. (Brett, 35 years)
I know it. (Victoria, 37 years)
You can get any where in 20 mins or less. (Becki, 63 years less 5)

Springfield Least Favorites

What’s your least favorite thing about living in Springfield?

I’m white, my husband is black, he’s retired from the Navy after 20 years, his resume is very impressive, but my husband has had a very very hard time finding a job, he had applied to over 50 jobs that he qualifies for and only received two job interviews, very sad. We know many other black men that have had this same issue here in Springfield. (Angie, 4.5 years)
Traffic. (Risa, 5 years)
High crime rate, poverty, and low education levels in certain parts of the city; low wages; ugly architecture; overly conservative. (Renee, 9 years)
Crime. (Angela, 11 years)
Traffic. (Judie, 12 years)
Everything. Crime is horrible. Schools are bad. Cant go outside my own home without bums wanting something. Kids can’t go out and play alone like I got to as a child. (Sharon, 15 years)
Crime. (Randy, 24 years)
Poverty, lack of value of education. (Travis, 25 years)
Same as any other city, the crime, homeless and traffic. (Anonymous, 27 years)
Drugs, violence and trashy people. (Brett, 35 years)
Criminals. Homeless. Gay pride. (Victoria, 37 years)
Stupid drivers. (Becki, 58 years)

Springfield Things To Do

What are fun things to do in Springfield?

Public pools, festivals, games, lakes, rivers, shopping, restaurants, parades, libraries. (Angie, 4.5 years)
Shopping, the zoo, dining out, neighborhood bars. (Risa, 5 years)
Wonders of Wildlife, award winning parks and greenway system, Dickerson Park Zoo, Discovery Center, Nature Center, good restaurants, festivals and events, farmer’s markets, canoeing/kayaking, hiking, Springfield-Greene County Library, shopping, lots of nearby day trip destinations. (Renee, 9 years)
Shop, bass pro, aquarium, zoo, itty bitty city, get ice cream, PFI western store, movies, skating. (Angela, 11 years)
Zoo, bowling, parks, movies, parks and trails. (Judie, 12 years)
Nothing, everywhere you go there are thugs or bums wanting money or smokes. (Sharon, 15 years)
Putt putt bowling sports teams. (Randy, 24 years)
Wonders of wildlife, visiting the rivers, shopping downtown, checking out the farmers markets. (Anonymous, 27 years)
Bass Pro, Incredible Pizza. (Brett, 35 years)
Eat. (Victoria, 37 years)
Not a lot of fun here. (Becki, 58 years)

Springfield Reputation

What’s Springfield known for?

I don’t think there’s one answer for this, I think it really depends on who you ask. (Angie, 4.5 years)
Cashew chicken, John Goodman, Brad Pitt. (Risa, 5 years)
Bass Pro Shop, Wonders of Wildlife, Brad Pitt, colleges. (Renee, 9 years)
Bass pro. (Angela, 11 years)
Colleges. (Judie, 12 years)
Crime. (Sharon, 15 years)
Cashew Chicken Bass Pro. (Randy, 24 years)
Poverty. (Travis, 25 years)
Cashew chicken. (Anonymous, 27 years)
Bass Pro and Cashew Chicken. (Brett, 35 years)
Cashew chicken and live pd. (Victoria, 37 years)
Cashew chicken. (Anonymous, 40 years)
Bad cops. (Becki, 58 years)

Springfield Crime

What’s the crime like in Springfield? (hot spot areas, etc.)

North side of town is known for being the worst for crime and having lots of homeless. (Angie, 4.5 years)
Not bad, but getting worse, unfortunately. (Risa, 5 years)
High crime rates, especially in northwest (zone 1) and north parts of city. City initiatives are in place to improve living conditions in zone 1 and along the Kearney St. corridor. South of Sunshine St. tends to be safe. South of Hwy 60, east of Hwy 65, and the outskirts of the city tend to be very safe. (Renee, 9 years)
It is getting bad everywhere in Springfield. (Angela, 11 years)
Getting worse than when first moved here. (Judie, 12 years)
Crime is horrible here. All over. (Sharon, 15 years)
Bad all over. (Travis, 25 years)
Bad and getting worse. (Brett, 35 years)
Terrible and some places are too scary to drive thru now. North an west side are worst. And I grew up on the northwest. It’s all I knew. But I hate going over there now. It’s depressing. (Victoria, 37 years)
Starting to be as bad as really large cities. (Anonymous, 40 years)
Low. (Becki, 58 years)

Springfield Advice

Any advice for people moving to Springfield?

Plan your move well, if you have children check school ratings. (Angie, 4.5 years)
Have a good back up plan. (Risa, 5 years)
Springfield offers big city amenities with a small town feel. You can even live in the country, but be within minutes of the city. The high crime rate gets a bad rap in the media, but it’s mostly non-violent property crime. People are friendly and there’s a strong sense of community. Get involved in community organizations, and you’ll have immediate friends and lots of social activities. Explore the beautiful surrounding areas! (Renee, 9 years)
This is a great city to live in. (Angela, 11 years)
Plan ahead do things can go smoothly. (Judie, 12 years)
Yes, move to Willard or Nixa. (Sharon, 15 years)
Stay away. (Travis, 25 years)
Stay on the southeast side. (Anonymous, 27 years)
Live on the outer edge. (Brett, 35 years)
Eat a Mexican villa! (Victoria, 37 years)
Keep your private business, private. (Becki, 58 years)

Springfield Stories

Share an experience you’ve had in Springfield (fun, crazy, dangerous, etc.).

We love the parks, festivals and parades. (Angie, 4.5 years)
Too many to mention. (Risa, 5 years)
Watching a guy get stabbed in front of my job. (Sharon, 15 years)
Life. (Brett, 35 years)

Springfield Future

How do you think Springfield will change over the next 10 years?

It’s going to keep growing with more businesses. (Angie, 4.5 years)
Everything will get more expensive. (Risa, 5 years)
I believe living conditions will improve due to city and non-profit initiatives addressing poverty and blight in parts of the city. There’s rapid growth in the outlying town, which will turn the more rural areas immediately around the city into a more suburban environment. (Renee, 9 years)
Will only get worse. If I didn’t work in Springfield, I would move. (Sharon, 15 years)
Hopefully for the better. (Randy, 24 years)
Get worse as issues are dodged by those in charge that profit from dysfunctionality. (Travis, 25 years)
Hopefully crime will go down, but doubtful. (Brett, 35 years)
Going downhill. (Victoria, 37 years)
Will continue to grow. (Anonymous, 40 years)
Get to be more fun. (Becki, 58 years)

Springfield Facts

Any other interesting facts about Springfield?

Brad Pitt is from here, he graduated from Kickapoo High School, his family still lives here. Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, has family here, he comes to town regularly, and he owns the dollar tree shopping center, and Kohls shopping center, off of independence road in South Springfield, if you pay attention you’ll see the Dallas Cowboys Star on its buildings. (Angie, 4.5 years)
On the original Route 66. (Risa, 5 years)
Cops seem to try. But nothing will work until the drugs in this town disappear. (Sharon, 15 years)
So many famous people from here. (Becki, 58 years)