| Weather | | How much crime? | | What are the neighborhoods like? | | What are the people like? |
| The weather in the Ozarks, especially here in Ozark, MO is very moderate - not alot of snow, not alot of heat, the only thing to really worry about is the seasonal Tornados - which tend to either go below us across the Missouri-Arkansas State Line or North of us up the I-44 Corridor - affectionately known as Tornado Alley. | | Ozark, Missouri is nestled right in the middle of the Ozarks and has been named the Meth capital of the world the past few years, with much of Missouri really trying to shed that moniker through legislation making it harder and harder for would-be chemists to procure the legal ingredients necessary to make the illegal substances. As such - the crime is, for the majority, drug related or theft that is secondarily drug related. | | I know everyone says there are no bad parts of town and in Ozark, because it is a smaller town - there really isn't a terrible part of town. The North and East neighborhoods; Apple Creek, Barrington Springs, even up to Millwood and Fremont Hills tend to be newer and a little more on the pricey side, whereas the neighborhoods to the South tend to be older, smaller and less costly bringing lower income families. Surrounding Ozark are farms and cattle ranches that also fall into Christian County and call Ozark home. | | The people in Ozark are very clique-ish, with families that have been here for decades and decades. My wife was running for school board a few years ago and, seriously, the opposing candidates entire platform was that his Mom, and Grandma had gone to Ozark High School. That was it! There was no substance - just a brief glimpse into the good-old-boy network in Ozark. And that in a nutshell is a what the people are like here. If you went to school here, or if your family went to school here, or if your great grandmother's second cousin happened to go to 5th grade here - then you will do just fine. But if you did not have the fortune to attend the Ozark School System; a very good school system might I add, then you will better fit in with the 1000s of people who have moved into Ozark and into the newer sub-divisions from out of state because of the low-cost of living and safety for their families! |
| Downtown Area | | Restaurants | | Schools | | Single life |
| Ozark has a nice old square around the main county building. Around that square are a few eclectic stores, a coffee shop, a restaurant and a deli/sandwich shop making it a nice weekend few hour browse! | | What are the best restaurants? Hmm? Ozark is not the best place to go out to eat. Aside from the typical fast-food fare, there just isn't much in the way of really good eating! But again - Springfield is just a 15-20 minute drive north with all of your mid-range dining chains, and a few great local eateries. | | Incredible! The school system in Ozark is top-notch, both with their focus on education as well as their focus on athletics. Ozark High School is ranked tops in the State in almost every category, winning numerous State recognitions every year! | | Annhhh! Not so much! Ozark is a sleeper community, really, for Springfield, just a 15-20 minute drive north. As such, Ozark itself is not what anyone would call a dating hotbed. Springfield on the other hand has many colleges, two major hospitals, professional sports, and loads of events going on every weekend that bring out the crowds - and lots of singles! |
| Noise | | town comparison vs. | | Best hospital | | Tourist attractions |
| Hwy 65 passes right through part of Ozark, but just a mile in from that is the peace and quiet of the rolling hills of the Ozarks. | | In Christian county there is also one other main town - Nixa and that town borders right up to Ozark making this High School rivalry the biggest in the area. Ozark has a lower cost of living as a whole, but Nixa is much more business friendly and has a few of the mid-range restaurants that Ozark hasn't seemed to embrace and let into town.
Springfield is the closest bigger town, being only 15-20 miles north of Ozark. Springfield is where most of the people living in Ozark work, as well as where most of the shopping, dining, playing, entertainment going is done. Springfield has everything that Ozark does not and is close enough that it isn't out of the way to get to sometimes every day of the week either for work or shopping/dining on the weekends. | | There is a small clinic from both of Springfield's major Hospitals in Ozark - Cox Health and Mercy, but most people run the 15-20 miles into Springfield to the major hospitals for appointments or for emergencies. Those two hospitals are top-notch, winning national recognition every year. | | The Square is a nice place to spend a few hours on the weekend as well as the Finley River Park. At the park are the community ball fields, the Rodeo Stadium where a few times a year there are great Rodeo shows that come through town. In the fall Ozark always has one of the biggest Arts and Crafts fairs in the area - always a fantastic weekend event. |
| General comments | | | | | | |
| Ozark is a small town. It feels just like a small town. The people aren't overly friendly to outsiders, and there is definitely a good-old-boy kind of feel! And in spite of that, there are so many new people who have moved in to Ozark from out of county or state that find each other and bond, making this a friendly and safe place. The schools are great and one always has the sense that their children and family are safe. High School Sports, as in any small town are the big-time, with the entire community out to support the teams of the season | | | | | | |
