Moving to St Louis area - IL or MO side?

rlong5 · March 31, 2011, 11:29 AM

I'll be moving to the St Louis area this fall. The job location is a few miles north of the city, on the IL side of the river. Living on the IL side would be convenient, but the whole concept of needing the government's permission to continue owning my firearms chafes me. I've never lived where a FOID was used, and am hesitant to do so now. But it sure would be nice to have a short commute for the first time in about 18 years.

Anyone here been faced with a similar decision? What were your main considerations?

MadHatter1 · March 31, 2011, 11:49 AM

On another site that I frequent, there's a thread running about how important 2A rights are, and how it impacts your decision about where one lives.
Im not sure what the difference in your commute would be if you lived on the MO side of the line. But the ability to CC and have comparitivly unrestricted access to firearms would be a major point of consideration for me. Also look into other quality of life issues... cost of living (particularly housing), tax liability, property taxes, state income taxes, schools if you have kids, crime rates, etc

Technosavant · March 31, 2011, 11:51 AM

If you are interested in firearms, there's no comparison. MO's laws are light years better than IL (all that can be said in favor of IL's gun laws is at least they don't have an AWB in place). MO also has lower fuel prices and a more financially secure state government. IL does not have personal property taxes and housing prices tend to be lower for a similar home in a similar area.

Generally, commuting from MO to IL isn't too bad. It's the reverse that gets all jammed up in rush hour- more folks live in IL and work in MO than the other way around.

North STL county can be an iffy area- some parts are just fine, some are pretty bad. Depending on your desired commute, living in St. Charles County may be an option (if your new job is in the Alton area, it is probably worth looking into; getting from north St. Charles City into Alton isn't too bad).

If you like, you can PM me with any specific questions, but firearm-wise, Missouri has it all over Illinois. No wait times for purchase, no FOID, one of the most widely accepted CCW permit, NFA legality (currently, at least a C&R FFL is required, but easy to get), and we aren't ruled by Chicago's anti-gun politicos.

I know guns won't be your only criterion, but if you are any kind of gun enthusiast at all, IL is not going to be a happy place for you.

GaryM&P · March 31, 2011, 12:47 PM

Definitely MO.

Kreyzhorse · March 31, 2011, 02:48 PM

If you value firearms and your freedom, I'd steer clear of Illinois.

Check out www.handgunlaw.us for a breakdown on some of the laws between the two states.

rlong5 · March 31, 2011, 10:22 PM

I appreciate the input, gentlemen. Thank you.

Davey · March 31, 2011, 10:32 PM

Quote:

If you are interested in firearms, there's no comparison. MO's laws are light years better than IL (all that can be said in favor of IL's gun laws is at least they don't have an AWB in place).

Cook County does have an AWB in place. No where near the border though. Just tossing that out there.

schutzen · April 1, 2011, 06:48 PM

Definitely settle in Missouri. Illinois just raised their taxes 67%. My Aunt lives near Peoria, the taxes on her house are $3400 per year while the taxes on mine in Kentucky are $1100 for a larger house.

Plus Missouri is very firearms friendly.

precision_shooter · April 1, 2011, 07:05 PM

Quote:

NO to Illinios

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Definitely settle in Missouri. Illinois just raised their taxes 67%. My Aunt lives near Peoria, the taxes on her house are $3400 per year while the taxes on mine in Kentucky are $1100 for a larger house.

Plus Missouri is very firearms friendly.

My taxes here in Texas ae around $3500 per year...Wish it was only $1100

March 31, 2011, 11:29 AM	#1
rlong5 Member Join Date: March 20, 2006 Location: Colorado Springs Posts: 93	Moving to St Louis area - IL or MO side? I'll be moving to the St Louis area this fall. The job location is a few miles north of the city, on the IL side of the river. Living on the IL side would be convenient, but the whole concept of needing the government's permission to continue owning my firearms chafes me. I've never lived where a FOID was used, and am hesitant to do so now. But it sure would be nice to have a short commute for the first time in about 18 years. Anyone here been faced with a similar decision? What were your main considerations?

March 31, 2011, 12:47 PM	#4
GaryM&P Senior Member Join Date: November 2, 2009 Location: Corvette City Posts: 104	Definitely MO. __________________ http://www.bggrgc.com/ http://www.idpa.com/

March 31, 2011, 02:48 PM	#5
Kreyzhorse Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2006 Location: NKY Posts: 12,463	If you value firearms and your freedom, I'd steer clear of Illinois. Check out www.handgunlaw.us for a breakdown on some of the laws between the two states. __________________ "He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson

April 1, 2011, 06:48 PM	#8
schutzen Member Join Date: January 5, 2006 Location: Far Western Kentucky Posts: 78	NO to Illinios Definitely settle in Missouri. Illinois just raised their taxes 67%. My Aunt lives near Peoria, the taxes on her house are $3400 per year while the taxes on mine in Kentucky are $1100 for a larger house. Plus Missouri is very firearms friendly.

March 31, 2011, 11:49 AM	#2
MadHatter1 Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2010 Posts: 151	On another site that I frequent, there's a thread running about how important 2A rights are, and how it impacts your decision about where one lives. Im not sure what the difference in your commute would be if you lived on the MO side of the line. But the ability to CC and have comparitivly unrestricted access to firearms would be a major point of consideration for me. Also look into other quality of life issues... cost of living (particularly housing), tax liability, property taxes, state income taxes, schools if you have kids, crime rates, etc

March 31, 2011, 11:51 AM	#3
Technosavant Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2007 Location: St. Louis, MO area Posts: 4,040	If you are interested in firearms, there's no comparison. MO's laws are light years better than IL (all that can be said in favor of IL's gun laws is at least they don't have an AWB in place). MO also has lower fuel prices and a more financially secure state government. IL does not have personal property taxes and housing prices tend to be lower for a similar home in a similar area. Generally, commuting from MO to IL isn't too bad. It's the reverse that gets all jammed up in rush hour- more folks live in IL and work in MO than the other way around. North STL county can be an iffy area- some parts are just fine, some are pretty bad. Depending on your desired commute, living in St. Charles County may be an option (if your new job is in the Alton area, it is probably worth looking into; getting from north St. Charles City into Alton isn't too bad). If you like, you can PM me with any specific questions, but firearm-wise, Missouri has it all over Illinois. No wait times for purchase, no FOID, one of the most widely accepted CCW permit, NFA legality (currently, at least a C&R FFL is required, but easy to get), and we aren't ruled by Chicago's anti-gun politicos. I know guns won't be your only criterion, but if you are any kind of gun enthusiast at all, IL is not going to be a happy place for you.

March 31, 2011, 10:22 PM	#6
rlong5 Member Join Date: March 20, 2006 Location: Colorado Springs Posts: 93	I appreciate the input, gentlemen. Thank you.