OT: What are the pros and cons of living in Starkville

[BogeyGolfer.sixpack]

With all of the recent Ellis Johnson talk and the Mullen rumors the last few years, what is appealing and non-appealing about living in Starkville? I have to admit that I have never lived in Strakville, but I do have family that currently lives there so I do have some insight. Also, I want to look at this from a non-college student standpoint, it's easy to say that you enjoy living in Stakville, whileenjoying college life.

(As a regular resident)
Pros:
1. The obvious- living near campus and getting to go to a vast array of ball games.
2. Small town living, low crime rate
3. Cost of living is fairly low, especially in the county.
4. In between both Jackson and Memphis if you want to visit larger cities for shopping etc...

Cons:
1. Inadequate schoolsif you live in the county ( Some would argue the same living in the city). Most people pay tuition and send their children to an academy dueto the county schools being low achieving.
2. Uneventful unless sporting event is taking place. Lack of shopping and entertainment compared to larger cities.
3. Difficulty in finding a decent paying job.
4. High real estateprices forcing people to live in the county.
Do any of these factors weigh on coaches or their wives when deciding on whether to stay or to go? </p>

 

[BogeyGolfer.sixpack]

With all of the recent Ellis Johnson talk and the Mullen rumors the last few years, what is appealing and non-appealing about living in Starkville? I have to admit that I have never lived in Strakville, but I do have family that currently lives there so I do have some insight. Also, I want to look at this from a non-college student standpoint, it's easy to say that you enjoy living in Stakville, whileenjoying college life.

(As a regular resident)
Pros:
1. The obvious- living near campus and getting to go to a vast array of ball games.
2. Small town living, low crime rate
3. Cost of living is fairly low, especially in the county.
4. In between both Jackson and Memphis if you want to visit larger cities for shopping etc...

Cons:
1. Inadequate schoolsif you live in the county ( Some would argue the same living in the city). Most people pay tuition and send their children to an academy dueto the county schools being low achieving.
2. Uneventful unless sporting event is taking place. Lack of shopping and entertainment compared to larger cities.
3. Difficulty in finding a decent paying job.
4. High real estateprices forcing people to live in the county.
Do any of these factors weigh on coaches or their wives when deciding on whether to stay or to go? </p>

 

[FlabLoser]

There is no real estate price in Starkville that is going to keep a coach away. I defy anybody to show that any Starkville real estate is high vs comps in any other SEC town.<div>
</div>

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

and living in Starkville I'd need to make 10k more than I currently do in San Antonio, the seventh biggest city in the country. And in Oxford I'd need to make 25k more.

Assuming this tool is accurate, I guess I just assumed anywhere in Mississippi would be more expensive. Wow. And apparently utilities are the biggest beyotch, 29% higher than in TX. Not paying taxes on groceries or having a state income tax helps I guess.

Comparison tool

<table rules="cols" id="mainContent_dgCOL" border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr style="color:Black;background-color:White;"><td style="color:#fff;background-color:#3062a7;border-color:Black;">Cost of Living Indexes</td><td style="color:#fff;background-color:#3062a7;border-color:Black;">San Antonio</td><td style="color:#fff;background-color:#3062a7;border-color:Black;">Starkville</td>
</tr><tr style="color:Black;background-color:#EDECE9;">
<td><a title="The total of all the cost of living categories weighted subjectively as follows: housing (30%), food and groceries (15%), transportation (10%), utilities (6%), health care (7%), and miscellaneous expenses such as clothing, services, and entertainment (32%). State and local taxes are not included in any category. Updated:09/11">Overall</a></td><td>83</td><td>91</td>
</tr><tr style="color:Black;background-color:White;">
<td><a title="The average cost of food and groceries (not including restaurants). Updated:09/11">Food</a></td><td>87</td><td>95</td>
</tr><tr style="color:Black;background-color:#EDECE9;">
<td><a title="The average cost of an area's housing, which includes mortgage payments, apartment rents, and property tax. Updated:09/11">Housing</a></td><td>60</td><td>75</td>
</tr><tr style="color:Black;background-color:White;">
<td><a title="The average cost of heating or cooling a typical residence for the area, including electricity and natural gas. Updated:09/11">Utilities</a></td><td>84</td><td>106</td>
</tr><tr style="color:Black;background-color:#EDECE9;">
<td><a title="The average cost of gasoline, car insurance and maintenance expenses, and mass transit fare for the area. The cost of the vehicle and any vehicle registration and license taxes are not included. Updated:09/11">Transportation</a></td><td>101</td><td>98</td>
</tr><tr style="color:Black;background-color:White;">
<td><a title="The average cost of health care calculated using the standard daily rate for a hospital room, and the costs of a doctor's office visit and a dental checkup. Updated:09/11">Health</a></td><td>92</td><td>94</td>
</tr><tr style="color:Black;background-color:#EDECE9;">
<td><a title="The cost index of those goods and services not included in the other cost of living categories, including clothing, restaurants, repairs, entertainment, and other services. Updated:09/11">Miscellaneous</a></td><td>95</td><td>95</td></tr></tbody></table>

 

[Hector.sixpack]

nm

 

[Mjoelner]

With all of the recent Ellis Johnson talk and the Mullen rumors the last few years, what is appealing and non-appealing about living in Starkville? I have to admit that I have never lived in Strakville, but I do have family that currently lives there so I do have some insight. Also, I want to look at this from a non-college student standpoint, it's easy to say that you enjoy living in Stakville, whileenjoying college life.

(As a regular resident)
Pros:
1. The obvious- living near campus and getting to go to a vast array of ball games.
2. Small town living, low crime rate
3. Cost of living is fairly low, especially in the county.
4. In between both Jackson and Memphis if you want to visit larger cities for shopping etc...

Cons:
1. Inadequate schoolsif you live in the county ( Some would argue the same living in the city). Most people pay tuition and send their children to an academy dueto the county schools being low achieving.
2. Uneventful unless sporting event is taking place. Lack of shopping and entertainment compared to larger cities.
3. Difficulty in finding a decent paying job. Some of the highest gasoline prices in the state.
4. High real estateprices forcing people to live in the county.
</p>

Just changed 1 thing.

 

[futaba.79]

Either you love it or hate it. That said, I've known longtime residents that have "hated" Starkville for decades......but they never leave.

 

[Indndawg]

ex-cons

 

[Hector.sixpack]

gaining ground in the job department. Several companies have set up shop and I think there are a few more coming. We won't see the effects of all of that for a few years...but its coming.

 

[EAVdog]

Starkville woud be a nice place to live if you like small town life, access to outdoors, and MSU. Public schools are a crapshoot everywhere these days. In Atlanta you have to move way out to the burbs or overpay for real estate to get in good districts.

(plus Lil Dooey's)

 

[GloryDawg]

The utilities are higher here because our State Legislator gave protected territory to the utilities companies and let's them charge a fuel cost adjustment to off set their cost. This leaving Mississippians with no competition between power companies. Hell I have entergy. Across Shiloh Road from where I live they have Southern Pine and theri electricity is cheaper but I can't use Southern Pine. I have to use Entergy. As far as health cost, those over weight nonworking fried food eating, diabetic with chronic heart diseasepeoplein the delta drives up medical cost in Mississippi. I know it sound harsh but until you change the way of living and thinking in the Miss Delta, Mississippi will always be on top of all the **** list in this country. Housing can be explain by the housing boom in which Mississippi was not really a part of. The boom in Mississippi was driven from all the Katrina money that rolled in after the 2005 hurricane. San Antonio did have a housing boom and their market took a bigger hit then Mississippi.</p>

 

[mstatefan88]

We are still really young, but we both loved our time in Starkville, andwe think Starkville offers what we want to do once we get to retirement age. I can do just about anything with a Masters in Education, and my wife will be a doctor of Vet. Med. She can teach at MSU or open a practice or whatever. We can go to just about any MSU sporting event we want and be involved with the university which we want to do, we like smaller town America where it's not too busy but there is enough to do, I can golf, and we are close to family in Bham. I don't think living in Starkville is for everyone, but for my wife and I we would love it.

I think the X factorsare going to be how much MSU decides it wants to expand enrollment over the next 10 to 15 years (continued success in football and the money it will bring in will help with this), and how progressive the city of Starkville becomes. In the SEC, a lot of people actually live in the college towns. That's not the case with MSU. If Starkville starts to push infrastructure and branding the city of Starkville with MSU, I think you could see a very different looking Starkville and MSU in 20 years or so. </p>

 

[thatsbaseball]

<h3>Poverty Level</h3><table class="tbb tbright"><tbody><tr bgcolor="#eeeeee"><td></td><td>Starkville, MS</td><td>%</td><td>Mississippi</td><td>U.S.</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Population in Poverty</td><td>8,618</td><td>37.06%</td><td>21.41%</td><td>13.47%</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Family in Poverty</td><td>989</td><td>21.11%</td><td>16.97%</td><td>9.86%</td></tr></tbody></table>

** Based on the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2005-2009 Data</p>

 

[starkvegasdawg]

EAV,

I have lived in Starkville for the last 3 years and I used to love Little Dooey. Absolutely loved it. Then I ate at Grumpys. I haven't set foot in Little Dooey since that day.

I love Starkville. It is a small town but that is what I want. A three hour drive gets me to Memphis or Birmingham and two hours gets me to Jackson or Tuscaloosa. When I want to enjoy a larger city they are right there. Let them have their congestion and crime. I'll take my 25 minute commute all day every day.</p>

 

[Flatland Dawg]

They're only useful if you own and live in a top 50 city and are considering moving to another top 50 city. I've lived in Jackson, Starkville, Miami, Memphis, and little old Greenwood, MS. I've used cost of living calculators in the past and found them to be grossly inaccurate.

For example, I rented in Miami and in Greenwood, and made approximately the same amount of money. In Miami, I was able to live on South Beach, next door to the Ritz, for $1,800 a month. Sounds awful, until you figure that utilities and parking were included, which took off a little of the sting. In Greenwood, due to a near complete lack of decent rental property, I paid approximately $1,000 a month for rent plus utilities. All of my other expenses netted out about the same - spent way more going out in Miami, but no state income tax. Commuted much further in Miami, but had to drive 2 hours to get anywhere from Greenwood.

In your example, I'd bet the main reason for housing being "more expensive" in Starkville and Oxford than San Antonio is that the median price is lower in San Antonio than Starkville or Oxford due to sheer volume on the low end of the scale. I would bet good money that $200,000 in Starkville or Oxford would buy you a nice place in a nice neighborhood, while that same money in San Antonio might get you killed.

Compare San Antonio to Nashville, and the comparison probably starts to make sense.

 

[BasketballGuy]

One con is the students themselves. Yes they are sole reason Starkville is booming, but they can be a pain. Traffic, parking, going out to eat, etc. etc.

 

[Xenomorph]

*

 

[megadawgmaniac]

Click me

That's about the only thing that has irked me about Starkville. To copy a popular phrase, it's a retirement city with a college problem. The story I reference to this point is a concert (either Black Crowes or C+C Music Factory) at the amphitheater in '92(?) where folks living on the west side of town raised heck about the loud noise. It forced changes in the way concerts were setup, which may have hurt. I know a lot has changed since the late 90's when I was in school. It seems more change is coming that will hopefully make a happy balance.

I would have no problem living in Starkville. Family is close. MSU is closer (buy <span style="font-weight: bold;">VHDawg</span> would have to drive himself to games).

And yes, Oxford is a certified retirement city as well. See? We're not so different.

AA - check the ticket board

 

[coach66]

really enjoyed our condo but when I got the tax bill a week ago I almost crapped in my pants. $3,330 for a 1400 sq. ft. condo. Hell I have almost four times that much house in Madison County and only pay $4,400. They need to get this fixed or they are going to have problems continuing to sell condos. Even with homestead the bill would have been $2,900 per year.

 

[MaverickAG]

I guess I can forget that vacation condo I wanted to buy.

 

[patdog]

fuel adjustment clauses (FAC) are a normal and standard part of any utility's ratemaking. And they protect the comsumer just as much from falling fuel costs as they do the utlity from rising fuel costs. Utility base rates are set with an assumed cost for fuel, then the FAC adjusts the rate for the actual cost of fuel, since it varies so much. The average price of electricity in Mississippi is below the national average and among the lowest in the southeast.

 

[futaba.79]

nt

 

[coach66]

bond issues have been passed and they are really sticking it to the condo crowd in both cities.

 

[GloryDawg]

It seems they are always going before the board explaining different issues. Also it isn't lower then San Antonio and I didn't have a bubble to bust.</p>

 

[DerHntr]

Pros:
10's of thousands of acres of public land for hunting, running, camping, fishing, etc. between Starkville and Louisville (Refuge, Starr, and National F.).
MSU Cheese store
Great MSU library even though the elementary and high school system isn't that great
It's easy to get to know your neighbors

Cons:
Terrible newspaper (not a big deal of course but it does blow)
Students renting houses in family neighborhoods. It really can be a huge problem.
Budweiser Car (did they ever catch that guy?)
It's easy to get to know your neighbors

 

[patdog]

the FAC can either be always positive or always negative. So whether you pay "more" or "get money back" on the FAC is meaningless. 20 years ago the FAC you always got money back on the FAC, and usually a fairly substantial amount. You just pay more now because fuel costs more and the base rate fuel cost hasn't kept up. And yes, Entergy is lower than San Antonio.

San Antonio rates

Entergy rates

That works out to about 11-18 cents/kWh for San Antonio and 9 cents/kWh for Entergy.

 

[thatsbaseball]

level means somebody is going to have to take up some slack.

 

[coach66]

it a privilege to pay taxes and be in a position to pay them but it did take me by surprise that they were that high on that small of a place. All ******** aside it is going to hurt the development of condos in Starkville and Oxford. Oxford is already way overbuilt and you add in high taxes and a ****** football team and you have a wonderful buyers market. Starkville is a 180 from Oxford right now on condo prices.

 

[Uncle Ruckus]

Cons: Expensive crawfish and no seafood<div>good food and beer is very important to me</div>

 

[BogeyGolfer.sixpack]

My brother in-law and I looked into buying a condo to have for weekend games etc... and if I recall a one or two bedroom was going to cost around 50K, which I thought was a pretty good price. We never pursued it any further but with property taxes that high, I would backed out anyway. A 1100-1200 sqft house in a decent neighborhood will cost you nearly $100K. That's why we were looking at condos

</p>

 

[jb1020]

.

 

[drt7891]

joint somewhere off Highway 82. Talking about a place to retire, I have heard older residents complain about all the students in Starkville and how they make travel, parking, trips to Wal-Mart, etc. miserable, but if it weren't for the students, I dare say NO ONE would want to retire there outside of people who spent their whole life in Oktibehha(sp?) county. <div>
</div><div>I grew up in a rural town along Highway 82 and even without a major university, the city government did more than their fair share to run off any industry or major job resource. The town has shrunk in size because the younger generations see no need in staying in a town with 2 traffic lights and a grocery store. I bet if it weren't for MSU, Starkville would suffer a similar fate. </div>

 

[jbulldog]

fuel adjustment clauses (FAC) are a normal and standard part of any utility's ratemaking. And they protect the comsumer just as much from falling fuel costs as they do the utlity from rising fuel costs. Utility base rates are set with an assumed cost for fuel, then the FAC adjusts the rate for the actual cost of fuel, since it varies so much. The average price of electricity in Mississippi is below the national average and among the lowest in the southeast.

utilities. You are correct patdog with your explanation of FCA or the FAC...depending on what they call it. Restoration of power services during an outage is quite impressive from most MS utilities...many of the small munis give same day service on new customers. Price is almost always competitive with MS utilities...power, water, etc. Generally the way utilities operate in MS, with established boundaries by the MS Public Service Commission, is best for the consumer. Competition is healthy in most sectors but the power business is an exception. Giving the customer a choice in which power company he/she does business with will end up with consumers paying more in the long run. Power exchange rates, power line carrier fees and so on would prove more expensive. Having the capability to choose which power company to do business with sounds good but truthfully it would not be the best system to have. Many do not realize the complexities of the power business; some think you flip a switch and the lights are just supposed to come on...kinda like the sun coming up each day! A lot has to happen to be sure the power is there when one needs it. People do not realize that...most do not care. They just want the lights to be on! Best thing to do: leave the MS system as is.

 

[dawgphd]

My game condo is in the Cotton District. Right at 500 sq ft. It's worth 115k . Property taxes were a robust $2300 this year. That's an amazing 2% of value.

 

[Goat Grindin]

but unfortunately, they have a few things over there that we don't, Grand National golf course and Montgomery 45 minutes away. So alot of people live in Auburn and work in Montgomery. But it's a VERY ideal place to raise a family for sure. <div>
</div><div>We really need to start thinking of the Starkville area as more "the Golden Triangle area". Need to pool their resources together. All the industry is out that way anyway, not to mention GTR is going to stimulate much economic growth in the near and distant future.</div><div>
</div><div>I think the schools are my biggest beef with Starkpatch. My kids WILL attend public schools, and while I don't know the truth about SHS, I've heard it was bad. If I ever move back, it may actually be Columbus or New Hope area.</div>

 

[gdogg]

There is better food being cooked and served at tailgates in the Junction than most "dining" restaurants in Starkville. Restaurant Tyler
is an exception,most worship at the altar of Sysco and it shows. You absolutely cannot get a quality steak in that town.

 

[fishwater99]

Nm

 

[Goat Grindin]

I honestly cannot remember for the life of me what was good there.<div>
</div><div>Petty's was awesome. What about Anthony's in West Point? I really don't remember if I ever ate at Harvey's either. I do like the Veranda though. Never been to Restaurant Tyler. Hear there's a good Greek joint somewhere. </div><div>
</div><div>Every time I go back it's usually Shipleys, Pettys and whatever I eat at tailgates and ballgames.</div>

 

[gdogg]

rather than been located in or around South or West Jackson. It is what it is and has come so far in the last 10 years and in the next 10 years
it will get even better.

 

[gdogg]

Your right, there are great sandwich, bbq, local fare type places in Starkville. Just not good fine dining, and I hate to call
it that,because serving a great steak or fish doesn't have to be 'fine dining'.</p>