I hear you. I grew up in the Northwest, though on the other side of the state. I have lived in Iowa, about three hours from the Yankton area. I have also lived in Arizona, Tennessee, California, Boise, ID, Whidbey Island, WA, and Kauai, HI.
My folks are retired and winter at their home in Yuma, AZ. I just spent two weeks on vacation down in Yuma and seriously considered moving there.
Now, I have lived a fair number of places in the US and the absolute worst, most miserable, cursed place I have ever lived was in Iowa. There are some very fine folks in Iowa. Probably at least a dozen or so. But their culture, their weather, their ecosystems, are just the most awful I've ever experienced.
The culture... Lots of moderate to Socialist thinking out there, largely due to union influence and agriculture. They live off of government subsidies and are very comfortable with Uncle Sam taking care of them. So, they are moderate in views of gun control, taxes, personal freedoms, etc. Elmer Fudd was an Iowan, guaranteed. If you are not from there, they are very tribalistic and will stab you in the back or spread false rumors about you.
Weirdest thing I ever saw was how nice and sweet those people appeared to be, and then witness them say absolute lies about you and then stab you in the back. Just awful. My neighbors told people I was a drug dealer because I drove a new Nissan Sentra. My wife was a lesbian because she hung out with a woman with short hair. Just the most ignorant people I have ever encountered. Except for Hawaiians. Hawaiians are darker and fatter Iowans, lol.
The weather. Lordy, the weather is something to behold. If you thought the wet and overcast mild weather on the Westside of Washington is bad (which it is) then you have not idea what you are in for with the weather in the Yankton area. In the Winter, it is cold. Bone-chilling cold down in the negative temps. And with the wind, it can be deadly cold for weeks.
In the summer, you get temps mostly in the 80's, a few days in the 90's. The record high was in 1936 at 116 degrees. But it's not the heat that hits you, it's the humidity. The humidity is just awful. It might not be as bad up in Yankton, which is showing around 80% humidity, but I remember doing roof work in Iowa in July in 98 degree weather and 98% humidity. Had to take one of the guys on our crew to the ER. Just awful, stifling weather.
And don't forget the tornados. Nothing like having your home, possessions, and family ripped away from you in minutes seemingly randomly.
https://www.homefacts.com/tornadoes/...the%20location.
Yankton, SD is a Very High Risk area for tornados. According to records, the largest tornado in the Yankton area was an F4 in 1965 that caused 53 injuries and 4 deaths. *Tornado risk is calculated from the destruction path that has occured within 30 miles of the location.
Now, if you find a place in the country that seems too good to be true; acreage, nice house, big shop, not too far on gravel, under $200k... Like this one...
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4...06637183_zpid/
Then you better do a search of the area for hog confinement facilities. You get one of those within a few miles of your place, and in the summer, when the wind blows the right direction, it can ruin your life. And even in there isn't one in the area, the homeowner may have gotten word from his cousin in the the county Planning & Zoning board, that a new facility is being planned a quarter mile away and is going to sell ASAP before his home value plummets.
Seems Yankton has seen a huge surge in the number of hog confinements being built in the region...
https://www.keloland.com/news/eye-on...ankton-county/
Yeah, of all the places in the US, that area in Yankton and in 500 miles around it, is just not attractive at all after having lived there for several years.