What to Consider Before Moving to a Small Town
Over the last year, the rate of people working as digital nomads rose by 49% — and while you may not be ready to give up your home to work remotely from the road full-time, you may have considered relocating. Small towns are one option that can offer a dramatic change from frantic city life. Cheaper housing and the chance for more contact with nature may be some benefits, but the downsides also should be thoroughly considered before making the leap to small-town living.
Home Hunting Will Look a Lot Different
Whether you’ve got a family or are on your own, moving to a small town can be one way to achieve the space you crave. Housing is one of the biggest costs for the average American, but it doesn’t have to be. Small towns can offer expansive space at a low cost, especially compared with metropolitan areas where you’ll pay a premium for every square foot.
Job Hunting May Look Different
The population growth of U.S. non-metro areas peaked in 2006, then slid precipitously and shifted from positive to negative in response to rising unemployment, housing-market challenges, and other factors, according to the Department of Agriculture (USDA). People leave their small towns for many reasons, but there is one overarching motivation: The pursuit of a better standard of living. This often comes in the form of increased employment opportunities.
Your Budget Will Change
Your transportation costs may increase when living in a small town, as offerings like public transit are limited and reliance on personal vehicles increases. You’ll also want to factor in the costs of traveling for vacations or seeing family; living in a small town can mean the airport is farther, so it’ll cost you more to travel, in terms of both time and money. And if you need to fly from a regional airport rather than a hub, you’ll have to contend with those often-higher airfares, too.
Entertainment Will Likely Be Outdoors
Within a big city, entertainment options are plentiful. New York is famous for Broadway, quirky shops, and clubs that never close. Los Angeles has urban sprawl filled with everything from busking entertainers to the Santa Monica Pier to Disneyland.
You won’t find those kinds of immersive entertainment in a small town. You will, however, have a chance to feel more relaxed in the slower pace of life you’ll find in rural areas. And outside the metropolis, you’ll be able to explore more nature — especially if you put down roots in one of the many national park gateway towns across the U.S., some of which even feature as the best small towns in which to live.
DIY Will Be a Necessity, Not Just a Hobby
Finding good employees is the №1 challenge faced by business owners in many small towns, as brain drain may siphon off young and capable hires who flee for greener pastures. What does this mean for you as a new small-town resident? It might mean that finding someone to do home repair or renovation probably will be much harder in a rural town. Rather than choosing a contractor from the array competing in a big city, you may have to contend with waiting lists for, say, the only good plumber in town, or hire a local handyman who, even without licensing, may have a backlog of work. Check out this blog: Cove Smart
