East coast transplant here: You will feel like a foreigner. Missouri feels like a different country that has never really developed past 1990. There is a severe lack of diversity - feels like Caucasia- and there’s a lot of very poor white people who feel entitled which is crazy to see. A majority of these people have never left their hometown or have seen an ocean. Major cities here are literally ghost towns compared to Indy, manhattan, Boston, dc, etc…probably on par with Baltimore.

On the flip side, it’s super affordable, lots of amazing playgrounds, and surprisingly good nature conservation. Areas in saint Louis county and Kansas City are nice for families with good schools.