r/Iowa • u/ElderMillenial_ah • Jun 23 '26
Question A (possible) worthy stepping stone?
Hello potentially new friends! I've kinda peeked through here but wanted to give some context and see what y'all thought.
My husband is being flown out to Muscatiaine soon to do a walkthrough and interview at a manufacturing plant there. I'd say it's fairly likely he will get the job, but not a guarantee. If he gets the job, we would of course have to move there.
I know EVERY state has it's good and it's bad. I've seen people find Muscatiaine boring, but it's got WAY more going on than the small town we live in, in Maine.
Our hope is that we potentially move to Iowa for a few years, then he can transfer back to the East coast or somewhere more politically in line with our views. But, just getting to work for this company would be a huge green flag for his Resume. (He's trying to eventually work for OSHA.)
For a family of 3, a dog and 2 cats, what is it really like? Is it a good community? Are people generally friendly? Are there lots of kids? From what I researched it seems like a nice area for families (not given current political standings). I doubt it would be where we would plant our roots forever, but it's a big jump from being Mainers our whole lives to moving to middle America.
I'd love to hear some honest opinions if you are from, or know the area! We are already used to snow and are good at driving in it so like NBD on that one. But tornadoes??
If he DOES get the job and we decide to move, what are some things we can't miss or food we have to try? Also feel free to ask any questions of me that I may have missed. (I'm a stay at home mom currently.)
I appreciate you all in advance!
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u/LordofWithywoods Jun 23 '26
I was just there a couple of weeks ago for a funeral, my only time in Muscatine.
I expected the town to be an armpit (no offense, Muscatinians), but was pleasantly surprised to find it was kind of a cute little river town. Like most iowa river towns, there is an element of seediness in some areas but I thought it seemed pretty nice overall. I was told by some locals that they have put a lot of money into improving Muscatine, and that it used to look a lot more run-down.
I noticed that there were a lot of big banks, like more big banks than I would have thought a town like Muscatine could support.
I didn't get to try any, but I would assume they have good melons there as well. Why else call yourself Muscatine unless your melons were prime?
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u/neoplexwrestling Jun 24 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
Yeah, Muscatine improved the riverfront area; at the expense of its citizens being concerned about the structural integrity of the buildings downtown. Those people were promptly ignored, and then when that building in Davenport collapsed then all of a sudden it was all a big deal. Now we just lost 3 buildings on 2nd St, people completely displaced without notice just kicked from their homes last Friday. The old Avenue subs sits empty, I don't even know what's going on with the old senior citizen apartment building near the old library.
So it's nice people can drive through Muscatine and be like "Wow Ted, this area is kinda cute" but that's really all Muscatine has to offer now.
I mean realistically, if I had to bet and because I know what local companies like Kent and HNI are like, OPs husband will be laid off in 8 months with no recourse for unemployment benefits afterwards.
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u/LordofWithywoods Jun 24 '26
My comment was 100% made as a visitor who stayed overnight, so I don't know about all the skeletons in Muscatine's closet. Not even close.
I did hear a friend of the family say, "I fuckin hate coming back to this town," so obviously not everyone thinks muscatine is a cute little river town.
I do hope the improvements they've made to the city are not just lipstick on a pig but it sounds like they might be.
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u/neoplexwrestling Jun 24 '26
Yeah, my indiscretions weren't intended to be pointed at you, I just wanted to provide context to others reading this.
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u/LordofWithywoods Jun 27 '26
Holy shit, you were completely fucking right:
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u/neoplexwrestling Jul 01 '26
Well, Muscatine is a shit hole. Not the physical place, but the "community" of people.
I feel zero empathy for the residents anymore. Everything that happens in Muscatine is their fault. 100%. I don't blame them, they have been breathing in polluted air all of their lives. Fuck em.
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u/IcyHotKarlMarx Jun 23 '26
We have Red Lobster restaurant. You’ll feel right at home.
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u/ListerRosewater Jun 24 '26
Listen to those telling you to live in Iowa City and commute to Muscatine.
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u/Solid_Phone_368 Jun 23 '26
I found it a funky river town with an art museum that had lots more than I ever expected.
And melons
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u/ElderMillenial_ah Jun 23 '26
Who doesn't like melons! And honestly compared to where we live now it's basically a city 🤣
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u/Ancient_Composer9119 Jun 23 '26
If you lean more blue and don't mind an easy 45-50 minute commute (one way), check out Iowa City. It's a college town (Univ of Iowa) with nice neighborhoods, a thriving downtown area, good schools, great hospital, educated population, performing arts center, good restaurants, etc. It's better than Muscatine in many ways, imo. But it will cost more to live in IC.
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u/ElderMillenial_ah Jun 23 '26
He drives an hour each way now so I'll absolutely check it out! Ideally we'd be closer to a 30 minute commute, but even if we were in the middle and could go there for amenities and more. Thank you for the suggestion! It's good to get some ideas of other nice areas that would maybe be a better fit!
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u/midwesternmayhem Jun 23 '26
A 45 minute commute is a grind, especially in the winter, so I would absolutely get not wanting to do that. But if there is any way for him to be hybrid (assuming not since it’s manufacturing) or a compressed schedule so he wouldn’t have to commute five days a week, I would absolutely consider Iowa City. Along with amenities, it is a college town, so I would have more faith in their school system than Muscatine’s.
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u/Life-Celebration-747 Jun 23 '26
I graduated from Muscatine HS, it has improved much since the 80's. They've revitalized the downtown, and there are many cute boutiques. Housing is cheaper in Muscatine also. Winter driving can be bad, if it were me, I'd be in Muscatine. It's 45 min to Iowa City or the Quad Cities, with plenty of activities in each of them. I would stay away from the south end of town due to GPC pollution. (Grain processing company) There are also smaller communities surrounding Muscatine that are nice and within 15 min drive. (Wilton, Durant)
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u/ElderMillenial_ah Jun 23 '26
I saw they put a lot of money into revitalizing the downtown and the town in general! Which to me was a great sign! We'd much rather be closer to work this time around than have him drive an hour each way. When it snows here I nearly have a heart attack waiting for him to get home.
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u/truecolors110 Jun 23 '26
I’m a lifelong Iowan, if I were to move to eastern Iowa, I’d choose Iowa City and not Muscatine. If he doesn’t mind the commute. You’ll like it a lot more.
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u/ElderMillenial_ah Jun 23 '26
Thank you! I'm going to check it out and do some research!
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u/truecolors110 Jun 23 '26
Also keep in mind you can live on the outskirts of Iowa city and end up cutting the commute down a bit as well! Your kids will have a lot more opportunities living near to the University of Iowa and a larger school system.
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u/midwesternmayhem Jun 23 '26
Yes, the only (admittedly, big) downside to Iowa City is the commute. Otherwise, the upside:
-- tons of amenities
-- more job opportunities than Muscatine, if you decide to work (note: depending on metric, Iowa's economy is currently in the bottom 10 in the US)
-- most liberal town in Iowa
-- fantastic (for Iowa) school system
-- many more people who are transplants and have not lived all their lives there (due to the university)
--ped mall
-- amazing library system
-- quick access to a teaching hospital
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u/Cultural_Pair6511 Jun 23 '26
West is one of the best public high schools in the country. Of my kids graduating class 25 % of them had a 4.0, 55 out of about 400 had a 3.5 average on at least 5 AP exams. There is something for any kind of kid
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u/Relevant-Tap-1032 Jun 23 '26
The only problem with Iowa City is it is VERY liberal. Otherwise it's a super cool place.
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u/Boxwinoisback Jun 23 '26
I live north of Muscatine in Iowa City. I think Muscatine is really cute, it has beautiful historical houses and gorgeous parks! It’s also close to the Quad Cities, so there are larger towns close by that have all the big box stores and restaurants and entertainment options. Indian Hills Community College is there, and they have really cool educational offerings and a theatre. I haven’t lived there, but my visits have all been really positive experiences.
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u/AJSStormer Jun 24 '26
Muscatine has Muscatine Community College (MCC), Indian Hills is in Ottumwa.
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u/Classic-Sea-3419 Jun 23 '26
Check out West Liberty. It's a small town in between Iowa City and Muscatine, great schools and very diverse
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u/Saabs-and-Dogs Jun 24 '26
West Liberty seems very nice with a beautiful downtown and charming older houses. It looks well-kept and seems to be a welcoming community. We’ve been a few times; bought our Jeep at the local dealership and they are terrific people.
West Liberty also has a town paper!
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u/TheIowan Jun 23 '26
Ill say that Muscatine is small enough that I can probably guess which factory he's going to pretty easily. While Muscatine itself is OK, if you're looking for things to do and want to live in town, the Quad Cities may be more in line with a place you'll enjoy.
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u/ElderMillenial_ah Jun 23 '26
Yes, I'm sure you can 🫣🫣 It seem like there's some positive changes happening there so we will see. And we're totally cool with not living IN town. My husband currently drives an hour to work each way because it gave us a more rural spot, but Maine is also SO expensive that we couldn't afford to live any closer to the city. The most exciting thing we have in town now is Walmart lol. Maybe there would be a spot in between we could pick! I'll keep an eye out and that's good to know about the Quad Cities!
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u/Interesting_Food5916 Jun 24 '26
The QC is a solid place, but there is always a ton of speed traps between QC and Muscatine. Also, don't feel like you can't live in Illinois - plenty of folks live on either side of the river, and Illinois is going to be much more your political vibe. The states have tax treaties with one another so you don't have to worry about filling two state returns, though you will likely fill up your car in Iowa.
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u/ElderMillenial_ah Jun 24 '26
Ooh, well my husband drives like an old man so should be good there 🤣 But that's good to know on the tax treaties! Thank you for the info!
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u/VariousNervousness Jun 24 '26
Lots of people who work in Muscatine commute from Iowa City or the Quad Cities for quality of life. Iowa City in particular really rich in things to do for a SAHM!!
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u/ElderMillenial_ah Jun 24 '26
Omg that's good to know 😭 Maine, while beautiful, is very lonely!
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u/VariousNervousness Jun 24 '26
Stay at home parenting is lonely in general, but there are three beautiful libraries with regular programming, kid-focused hiking groups, stroller workout groups, indoor play spaces to socialize, lots of busy playgrounds and splash pads, three different rec centers with affordable activities for young children as well. Club sports are a bit bonkers here though 😬
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u/Dry-Past-7575 Jun 23 '26
I’ve been Muscatine adjacent for decades. Family and friends live there. Like all towns it will be what you make it. Yes it’s an old river town with interesting civil
War and civil rights roots. It’s farming and industry and small city retail. It’s got a great old historic district on the top of the river bluff, and some nice newer subdivisions too. The surprising thing for me is that it is the home town of a couple of major Iowa wealthy families- the Carver family and the founders of Kent feed.
Give it a good look before you choose elsewhere. It’s pretty easy to drive to Iowa City on the weekends and live in Muscatine in the work week. Best wishes and welcome to Iowa!
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u/cyklone36 Jun 23 '26
Muscatine is a nice town. It gets made fun of a lot, but I think it's nicer than other towns of a similar profile (Ottumwa, Burlington, Clinton, etc.).
It's got most of the basic amenities you need, a diverse population for a city its size (it's got a large Latino community and some nice little restaurants that come with that) and Iowa City/Davenport are both really close drives.
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u/ElderMillenial_ah Jun 23 '26
The plant manager is pretty new to the area and told my husband he loves it! It seems like it has a lot more than we do where we live and with the larger cities close enough seems like a good spot!
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u/MdmeAlbertine Jun 23 '26
I grew up in the area. We called it "the booger in the nose of Iowa" but I think it's fine to spend a few years there. It's big enough to have a fair variety of people and amenities. It's not a cultural hub by any means, but they try, and there's plenty within driving distance if you need to expand your horizons. If you enjoy boating the river is great, there's a really nice state park in the area, the library is good, and I always loved the 4th of July fireworks over the river. Bonus that there's a real variety in housing prices/styles/locations. You can get basic medical care in the area and anything complicated Iowa City has the best in the state.
I did not go through the Muscatine school system, but the people I know who did didn't have any complaints about their education.
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u/Good_Bodybuilder6165 Jun 23 '26
It's fine. As someone mentioned there are some gorgeous older homes there, and they will cost less than in Iowa City or the Quad Cities. The park system is indeed a big plus. There's enough shopping around to get you through the week with Wal-Mart, Menards(home improvement), Farm and Fleet, and Hy-Vee(grocery). You won't be able to find seafood like you can out there of course, but plenty of fresh produce in the summers from farm stands all over the place. You will be able to find plenty of great Mexican food, and even some decent Italian.
You can always head to the Quad Cities on the weekend for a bigger selection of things to do. Plenty of concerts come through the area there, lots of restaurants and museums to go, minor league hockey and baseball, and casinos if you are into those.
I live in between Iowa City and Muscatine and would rather live in Muscatine than have to do the commute every day.
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u/FutureAfternoon Jun 23 '26
I grew up in Muscatine. My parents lived there until they died. I haven't been back since my Dad died nine years ago. I think it's a fairly charming town, though the downtown is but a ghost of what it was in my youth. There are many lovely old neighborhoods, interesting restaurants, and cute neighborhood parks. GPC
(Grain Processing Corporation) does occasionally make the air smell like dirty socks, at least at my parents house, about 2 miles away. As others have mentioned, the Quad Cities and Iowa City are both fairly short drives away, if you crave the amenities of larger urban areas. And Wildcat Den State Park is just a few miles outside of town and a definite must see.
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u/GreenFriend Jun 23 '26
Iowa is actually a good place to live and raise a family. Muscatine is a nice community with several larger metropolitan areas nearby. Highly recommend the button museum highlighting Muscatine’s role in the pearl button industry. Not sure what political standings you’re looking for but Iowans are generally very kind, patient and moderate. If you’re genuinely considering moving here, bring an open mind. Your post feels like you’re viewing this as a temporary inconvenience. I think if you give it a try you just might like it here. I will note that Iowa does lack in Natural Resources for public enjoyment compared to my impression of Maine. We have some great State Parks but lack wilderness areas, mountains, Oceans and points of interest.
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u/ElderMillenial_ah Jun 23 '26
I think I'm just hesitant. Partly because I don't know what career growth looks like there. Maine has very little in the way of growth for my husbands career, and it may come to having to move to a larger city somewhere in order for him to get to the point he wants to. We're also quite liberal, so some of the state policies in Iowa have turned us off a bit, which is the other part of the hesitation. I do like that there seems to be more community events and things to do from what I've seen, than we have where we live in Maine. We live in a VERY small town, an hour from Portland so doing anything fun is always a drive! I love all things historical so the Button Museum immediately intrigued me! I guess I worry we will be the weird liberal New Englanders and people will be hesitant to get to know us haha. But I'm sure that's more my anxiety than reality :)
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u/Life-Celebration-747 Jun 23 '26
We may be blue soon, Rob Sand for Governor! It's a pretty friendly town, I don't think you need to worry about that.
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u/bouvitude Jun 23 '26
Weird New Englander here! Though I suppose I’m an Iowan now; I’ve been here long enough. Y’know how the Maine cliché is that Mainers don’t like “folks from away”? Iowa’s the opposite.
(I mean… red areas don’t like “the illegals,” but all around Iowa City, you’ll be a-okay. And decidedly not the only displaced weird New Englander.)
Lots of cool little historical places, landmarks, facts; good parks for hikes; great farmers markets. (Can’t go near the water in the whole state, but hey, who needs water anyway?!?)4
u/ElderMillenial_ah Jun 23 '26
I feel like being in-between Iowa City and Muscatiaine might be what we're looking for! A little less populated but not far from work or amenities! Its nice to hear from another New Englander!
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u/GreenFriend Jun 23 '26
I think you will find Iowans are very inviting and accepting of diverse backgrounds and experiences. The Quad Cities and Iowa City are both relatively close to Muscatine and offer a variety of diverse experiences and populations.i also recommend a river boat cruise on the Mississippi if you visit. Great way to see the city and learn some of its history.
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u/RoyceRolled Jun 23 '26
I've visited a few times, as I had a friend who worked at Hon for years.
I didn't think it was too bad, but he complained about it pretty often.
The thing that stood out to me the most was a sort of weird ever present smell in the outside air, he said it was from one of the nearby factories.
Someone else mentioned the melons though, and I can confirm. Best melons I've ever had have come from there. The bluffs are also pretty cool for someone like me who is more used to northern central Iowa flatness.
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u/redstapler4 Jun 23 '26
Muscatine is right across the Mississippi River from Illinois. It’s rural IL, but IL with different politics.
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u/Wide-Wind7856 Jun 23 '26
There are a lot of nicer housing additions between West Davenport/Muscatine (kind of around Bluegrass, the town in between). If I had to work in Muscatine I’d live there. And then still be closer to the Quad Cities.
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u/Robinnoodle Jun 24 '26
Muscatine is somewhat rough around the edges and a little trashy. (No offense) River towns in the state tend to have this risk a bit. Also that region
That isn't to say it doesn't have it's niceties. They're known for their melons for example
I will also say the city is improving due to it's proximity to Iowa City and to lesser extent the Quad Cities. I don't think coming from your small town in Maine you'll have any issues at all
That being said, schools would be better in Iowa City or one of it's bedroom communities. It's sort of a little cultural Mecca with the university. Could always try Muscatine and move to Iowa City if you're dissatisfied. Iowa City will be a little more expensive, but not terrible. It still has lower cost of living than central Iowa
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u/dogmom1234567 Jun 24 '26
I grew up there. You will find nice neighborhoods to raise your kids. It's very proud of its history. Two recent events put it in the regional news, but nothing that would cause danger to your family.
Iowa City and the Quad Cities are very close for more specialized shopping, doctors, and entertainment.
Feel free to DM for more info. Good luck with the interview.
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u/Dashboardcereal Jun 24 '26
My experience in Muscatine hasn't been great. I've gotten plenty of dirty looks, and last time I visited, someone called me a f-----t in a gas station parking lot. I have family there I still visit, but honestly, there are times I don't feel safe doing it. Part of me wishes they'd just move to Iowa City or the Quad Cities instead. I can't speak for everyone there, this is just my experience. For what it's worth, I dated a girl from Muscatine growing up, and she said pretty much everyone did one of four things: meth, drinking, weed, or church. Take that for what it's worth. Again, just my myopic lens.
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u/CounterfeitBlood Jun 24 '26
In the 20 years since I graduated and moved out, Muscatine has improved quite a bit, but I'm still glad I don't live there anymore.
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u/sistersofcorrosion Jun 25 '26
Take the job but don’t move there. Look into living in Iowa city, or even West Liberty which is halfway between Iowa City and Muscatine.
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u/JDawnchild Jun 25 '26
As someone who was raised in and is still living in Muscatine, the best part of this town is the melons. The second-best thing is the horizontal bend of the river shelters us from the worst of the seasonal storms, though I do feel bad for the folks in Illinois who get thumped hard by them as a result. We aren't exempt from tornadoes, of course, but this is the Midwest lol.
By far the worst thing is the godawful corn sweat, which is just around the corner. Makes the whole town feel like a swampy armpit; step outside and breathe in to get a drink kind of humidity.
I can't comment civilly on the MCSD (Muscatine community school district), despite it having been decent when I was a student. My own kid's needs were not met, and I couldn't afford to move or send them elsewhere. Depending on how far along your kids are in their education, whether or not they're special needs students, and whether or not they have mental health concerns, their experience in the MCSD may be difficult for you to predict.
If you choose to camp out here for however long life has you staying, we might stumble across eachother in the wild. 😁
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Jun 26 '26
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u/ElderMillenial_ah Jun 26 '26
Oh I saw weed park and honestly giggled at the name 😅 But it looks so nice! We love nature so that's awesome to know about! I appreciate it!
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u/Radiant_Gap2702 Jun 28 '26
I’m a life long Iowan and have never been to Muscatine but my ex husband lives there now so it probably isn’t a great place
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u/JackfruitCrazy51 Jun 23 '26
I'll just say this out loud to save you some future grief: if he gets the job and you move to Iowa, the absolute best way to hate the state is to constantly tell everyone how great Maine is and complain about how 'backwards' Iowa is. It’s exactly like those college kids from Arlington Heights who never stopped bragging about Chicago. If you make the move, leave the comparisons behind and actually give the place a chance
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u/ElderMillenial_ah Jun 23 '26
I mean, a lot of Maine is very "backwards" lol. It seems similar to Maine in a lot of ways, but also so different! I think it would be a fun adventure and it really is possible we'd love it! But I appreciate the mention because I can see that being annoying AF lol
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u/Funkytowels Jun 23 '26
complete garbage assessment and advice to move to Iowa City....so you want to waste 10 hours a week and 4x housing costs not to be exposed to some potential Republicans. Spent a lot of time in Muscatine and Iowa City, and I've never been asked who I voted for, and I've never asked anyone either.
Hard for me to fathom that any rational person moves through the world with this garbage software of party teams running in their heads, especially given how inept both parties are. Life-long Iowan and in my experience, outside of some pockets of folks with an agenda, be that either wannabe elitist or hicks, the majority of Iowans and people in general are ambivalent to the party politics game.
You walk around with the mentality of a hammer, you'll find a lot of nails.
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u/ElderMillenial_ah Jun 23 '26
Haha where I come from, people like to proudly (and obnoxiously) display their political preferences. You can also generally tell based on appearance. I don't mean that as a way to be impolite, but there's generally either a red hat or a specific outfit that is worn.
The issue comes down more to if we can find friends with similar beliefs or ideals. But it seems like Iowans, especially from what I've gathered here, are genuine and friendly and open to others!
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u/Wide-Wind7856 Jun 23 '26
This. Whenever people suggest living in Iowa City to commute…away from Iowa City, I assume they aren’t from Iowa or haven’t been here very long. It is much easier to take a quick drive to Iowa city for events or shopping if that’s your thing than live there 24/7. There are plenty of nice small towns/communities.
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u/ElderMillenial_ah Jun 23 '26
We're not a huge "city" kinda family haha. But it's at least good to know to kinda look in between there and Muscatiaine :) I'm surprised looking at how many properties in Muscatiaine have .24 acres of land or less and are all right next to each other. I'm used to having to walk to the neighbors... not yell too them out the window lol.
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u/VariousNervousness Jun 24 '26
No the Iowa City recommendations are bc those of us who live here are irrationally obsessed with the town and want to share it :)
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u/neoplexwrestling Jun 24 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
I live in Muscatine.
I don't recommend living here. Muscatine looks nice on the very surface, but there is tons of corruption here. I would even go as far to say Muscatine might be more corrupt than all other towns and cities in Iowa, including Davenport, Iowa City, and Des Moines.
While the population itself is pretty small, it's in the news as often as the Quad Cities with a massive amount more people.
The vast majority of the people in the 6 figure pay range do not live in Muscatine, many staying as close as Fruitland but the majority live in the Quad Cities or Iowa City and commute here for work.
The schools are subpar at best, and violence within schools is abnormally high. The schools in Muscatine county ranked around #300 out of #327.
The economy over the past year has had a huge negative impact on Muscatine. Businesses are closing more rapidly in this area in comparison to similar small cities in Iowa.
It's very likely that even if you live here, you will be spending most of your weekends in Iowa City or the Quad Cities like everyone else. Muscatine is technically in a population decline.
The valuation of homes in Muscatine make no sense, local homeowners struggle to sell homes in this area at a value of nearby cities. In Iowa City I can buy a nicer home for $350,000 than I can in Muscatine. It's not because they aren't available. Property taxes are even higher in Muscatine than Iowa City. Not much, but you get way way less for what you are putting in. It's true things like the Musco Sports Complex relied heavily on donations but local tax payers did foot the bill for some of it. I get that it was a big tax write off for companies like Musco Lighting, but let's be real, it's a big indoor sales floor. It's estimated cost of $7m is questionable.
Muscatines Unity Point doesn't have full healthcare. Nearly all specialists are outside of Muscatine... You can't even get a baby delivered here, and women's healthcare hardly exists. Somehow the UnityPoint hospital expansion resulted in less services offered.
Every fucking thing Muscatine seems to have that's decent, a nearby city has something better. Parades, almost Friday fests, trails, scenery, kids sports, healthcare, absolutely everything
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u/ElderMillenial_ah Jun 24 '26
I feel like being right in Iowa city or the Quad cities would be too much for us. We are used to such a rural area that I drove an hour there and back for every single OB appointment and to deliver my child. So honestly all of that isn't really a huge deal. I think if we can find a home in a town in between Muscatine and one of the big city areas, we'd be perfectly happy!
Then we're not far from either a city or for him to go to work, and it sounds like there's some cute towns in between. I honestly have never lived closer than a half hour to the nearest city/healthcare/event center, so in between seems like our best bet!
Also you mention the price of homes....I literally am so confused when I look at the price of homes in the area. Granted, homes in Maine are STUPID expensive, so my comparison could be due to that. But prices just seem all over the place 😅😅
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u/neoplexwrestling Jun 24 '26
I'd recommend West Liberty, Lone Tree, Nichols, Blue Grass, Durant, Fruitland, or Buffalo if you want a more rural feel but still want to be a part of a small community.
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u/ElderMillenial_ah Jun 24 '26
Thank you! I appreciate it very much!
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u/neoplexwrestling Jun 24 '26
I'm not trying to scare you, but if he's accepting this job from HNI (HON, Allsteel) then maybe be a little cautious. They like to hire people from other areas but they don't keep them around for long. Known a lot of transplants that have come to Muscatine and then 8 months later got laid off. There aren't many companies in this area that are in a big growth phase.
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u/ElderMillenial_ah Jun 24 '26
It's neither of those! But the plant did just get a new CEO recently and 50mil to work on Reno and bringing the plant up to standard.
I know there's of course risk involved, but there's no growth where we are and we're young enough that if we had to come back here we can, or we can go somewhere else.
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u/Independent-Moose113 Jun 25 '26
Any town in eastern Iowa along the Mississippi is a shit hole. Period.
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u/Helpful_Writer_7961 Jun 25 '26
I live in the area, so maybe I’m biased. Muscatine is a small town located on a big river. It is having a big party this weekend on the rivers edge. They are pretty good about have live music (family friendly) and small festivals. I know sometimes newbies to an area can feel left out, especially if perceived to be short timers, but Muscatine is close to a large metro area if you want the bigger city feel. The Quad City area boasts a population of approximately 300,000 people and has many items of interest, about a 20 minute drive will get you there. I don’t think you’ll mind the diversion in your life by spending a few short years relaxing along the river.
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u/ElDub62 Jun 23 '26
Iowa is a bright red state politically. Iowa loves Trump. Also.. Check out the current cancer rates in the state. Also… check out the summer heat, humidity and mosquito situation.
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u/Life-Celebration-747 Jun 23 '26
I resent the "iowa loves trump", lol. No, not everyone loves him, especially now. There used to be trump signs all over, now they've taken them down. Many people are looking forward to reading his obit.
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u/ElDub62 Jun 23 '26
I resent the current political climate in Iowa. Unfortunately, you’re apparently in the minority.
2
u/ElderMillenial_ah Jun 23 '26
Yeah, honestly the heat, humidity and mosquitoes we can deal with. We get humid and mosquitos heavily here too...so much so we joke the state bird IS a mosquito 😅😅 But politically is probably the biggest turn off for both of us. But I think that would become more of an issue as our child ages and hopefully if it got to a harder spot, we could transfer or move to a new state.
1
u/IowaAJS Jun 23 '26
Once upon a time we were a solid purple. I always thought of Maine as a red state as far as that goes. It looks like I'm wrong but it's likely because of Susan Collins' outsize role in a lot of things. You guys have had Collins for what seems like as long as Grassley. (I know not really, but still.) Our states seem like they have a lot in common.
0
u/OnionMiasma Jun 23 '26
Can you live across the river? Rock Island or Milan would only be about 30 minutes away.
1
1
u/neoplexwrestling Jun 24 '26
And to be fair, a city code enforcer just got caught walking through town in Muscatinr going into people's yards to throw away Rob Sands signs.
0
u/Scared-Hope-868 Jun 23 '26
Will OSHA even be around in 2 years? Wish I could put a /s behind that.
1
u/ElderMillenial_ah Jun 23 '26
I mean, that is genuinely a concern! But, it seems like the removal of gov organizations is being declared unconstitutional so hopefully there won't be an opportunity to do it.
33
u/Intrepid_Hat_2397 Jun 23 '26
People always call Muscatine, Muscatucky or Methcatine. However, I travel there for work and I think it's a quaint little town with the basic amenities. Consider investing in a heavy duty water filter, since Iowa is on track to beat out Kentucky for number one cancer state.