There are a lot worse places to live. Springfield isn’t super amazing, but it’s not as bad as some people make it out to be. Yes, the crime and drugs on the north side are appalling but any decent sized city (and even those much smaller) will have that.

Springfield is easy to navigate, has a good number of businesses, and is close to rivers and other attractions (Branson, Tablerock Lake, SDC, etc), with a low cost of living.

I’ve lived in big cities where just driving anywhere took 40+ minutes and I’ve lived in small towns where there was nothing to do but work and/or party and even wanting something as simple as fast food was a 30 minute drive away.

I like Springfield. Will I stay here for the rest of my life? Highly unlikely, but I’m not in a hurry to leave either.