Ozark Doesn't Make Sense As A Money Laundering Location. Here's Why
Audiences have a way of commiserating with their favorite fictional characters. When CSI first debuted in 2000, students across the US suddenly started majoring in forensic investigations. When Grey's Anatomy premiered, emergency room doctors around the world started making out in supply closets while on the clock.
But maybe you're not about solving mysteries and saving lives, and feel more inclined towards the thrill-a-minute lifestyle of a money launderer, thanks to your recent infatuation with Bill Dubuque's Netflix series Ozark. Secure in the knowledge that you've finally found your path in life, you pack up your favorite money washer/dryer combo, put your place on the market, and start heading for central Missouri.
Not so fast, you unscrupulous business mogul. Even putting aside the difficulties faced by Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, and company, some thoughtful fans of the series — actually filmed in Georgia, by the way — have pointed out that the Ozarks are a less than ideal place for funneling dirty duckets. It was all posted to Reddit's /r/Ozark forum not too long ago in a since-deleted, highly detailed deep-dive into the show's location and the problems inherent in doing business there. Does the logic hold up? You'd have to ask someone who actually launders money for a living, but the arguments listed will at least make for a compelling counter argument for the next time your significant other tries to convince you to pick up and move to Osage Beach in pursuit of a glamorous life in criminal middle management.
Ozark? More like no-zark.
First off, let's talk demographics. As the Reddit post pointed out, the population of Osage Beach "is under 50,000 with a greater area population of less than 150,000 for over 30 miles and too many roads and routes and not enough businesses to sustain the income."
On a similar note, "the average income for a worker in the Ozarks is about $25,000 and the average in (Missouri) is around $60,000 – that means that most of the people living and working in the Ozarks are earning roughly $15 an hour or there abouts. An average house costs about $150 000, so there's not too many wealthy people living in the area." In essence, when your already sparse neighbors are pulling Panera Bread assistant manager money while you make millions, eyebrows are going to get raised.
Then there are issues with the area itself, which is relatively cut off from the rest of the country. As the show points out during later seasons, the weather in the Ozarks is subprime for most of the year, boasting powerful cold and dampness for eight out of every twelve months. That makes travel in an already secluded, highway-free area a problem. Clients would need to fly into a nearby airport, the closest of which is in Jefferson City, Missouri, a 45-minute drive from Osage Beach. Combine all of this with the utter lack of anything to do for fun, and it suddenly makes sense why Walter White chose to work in a scenic, eventful place like Albuquerque, New Mexico.
However, it's worth noting that, as user Eggmud11 pointed out in the original thread, the Ozarks being such a poor choice of location for Marty's operation actually isn't a plot hole, but an intentional element of the series. "The fact that you did this much research into the Ozarks is impressive, and should emphasize just how skilled Marty is at money laundering," they wrote. "The Ozarks was an act of desperation, and Del knows this. Marty has a four month window in the summer to do all of his laundering, and in later seasons (no spoilers) will have to figure out ways to circumvent this timing issue [...] The show definitely has some plot holes, but this isn't one of them – it's part of the drama!"