Living in a small town?

[Luv2BeFrugal]

Anyone out there living in a small town who'd be willing to share their experiences? My Dh and I are thinking small town for our move next year (something we've talked about for a long time), but we've both always lived in a city of at least 250,000 people.

Advice? Input? I'm SO sick of traffic, crabby people who are rude to each other , and high taxes.

[lisettelovebug]

I live in a small city but up until 2 years ago lived in a small town - too small!!! (probably 10,000 people at most - including surrounding tiny towns) lol.. The city we live in probably has 25,000 people I would guess... It's not too big and still has some of the small town charms to it. One of the main roads in town is just full of shops all the way down. They have all kinds of events and it is very nice. Especially today when there are so many malls. We have a few major companies in the area (corning inc and dresser rand). Especially where I live (actually rent) it is very nice. We have pretty quiet neighbors, a yard, off street parking and the elementary school is just two blocks away. There is plenty to do around here (shopping, bars, parks, etc). We're in the fingerlakes region so there is lots of parks, places to fish and camp all within 25 miles.
Some of our expenses... hmmm...
rent is $525 (average around here is $600 - ours includes a $50 discount for paying it by the first) it's a 2-3 bedroom half house with livingroom, diningroom, kitchen, basement, driveway and fenced in backyard. We live across from a cemetery so the neighbors are pretty quiet!! lol
Electric runs about $40 a month. Natural gas is not too bad.. runs about $200-$300 in coldest of winter.
Houses start selling at about $65,000 for 3 bedroom... but these usually need a little bit of work. But for 100,000 you can have an awesome house here.
Some areas around here have higher taxes but it depends on the county and the school district. The one we're in isn't too bad, but when we go east of here to the next town (actually this is where DH would like to buy a house) the taxes are higher because of the school district - it's a very good school system though. They pay about $2500-$3000 a year whereas we pay about $2000 a year for a house that is valued at about $80,000.
Alright I can't think of anything more.
Lisette

[itsahumanzoo]

We live in the polar opposite of a small town, but I know how you feel. More and more I'm wishing we lived somewhere else. When we were in Florida, we visited family friends in St. Cloud, and I was just in love with the small-town feel of the place. Unfortunately we won't be going anywhere anytime soon, but if we do, I'd like it to be somewhere like that.

[sdrjeolsen]

Kathryn,

I have lived in both small town and huge city. I grew up in a rural area, the closest town was 3 miles away had had a population of 35, next town was 402 and then the big town 10 miles away had 3000. Got married moved to Chicago suburbs!!! Can you say SHOCK!!! Then lived in a town of 400,000. Now rural again, closest town is 9 miles away and has 1500 people.

It really depends on your personality but I totally love small town. The people are always nice for the most part...you have the occasional rude jerk anywhere, but being nice is a part of survival in a small town. The businesses all know you. I went to the bank to open an account and they let me do stuff for my husband in his absence...they let me change his pin when I changed mine. I don't need deposit slips or ID when I withdraw, they know who I am and just make the transaction...one time I had my daughther with me and I menitoned to her I like the butterschotch suckers, now every time I go through the drive through they always hand back my deposit slip and a butterschotch sucker. At the Post office, I can just ask for my mail, in the city I had to show ID and if I didn't, I couldn't get my mail...even though it was my parcel that they were holding!!! AAARRRGH!

Could be good or bad, that everyone knows you and knows all about you. I don't mind, guess I just know that comes with the territory. If you tell one perosn you went to the Dr, by the weekend you'll have 20 ask you whats wrong with ya. The people like to talk forever and about everything.

Schools are usually better, the teachers are more interested in the kids. They tend to know the families personally and you will hear if they are acting up.

Downside -not always much to do. Not like in a city. Not a lot of cultural stuff if you are into that. You may have to drive more to get places...so more $ spent on gas. Groceries, if you're lucky enough to have a small convenience store nearby, are usually much higher. Ours charges $5 for a gal of milk and 3.80 for a bag of marshamllows! you get the picture Business close on a whim. If Aunt Jane is sick, the local cafe might be closed for days while family takes care of her. Everything is jsut really laid back.

Our taxes are much lower, but the roads are not as well maintained. They expect people to actually take some responsibility for themselves, and not rely on Gov. and tax dollars to come to their rescue. When it snows, you stay home for a day or two. If you want the library to carry a book, you don't request they buy it, you buy one and donate it for everyone else to enjoy when you are done with it, etc. There is just a lot of common courtesy and looking out for each other.

Sorry for the novel. Good luck on finding just the right place.

[Edna_E]

I'm in one under 30,000 for the second 10-year-stint in my life (1985-1995 was in northern NM, 1999-now am in SE NM). I've also done big cities in CA, AZ, and TX - and I MUCH prefer small towns. The main thing I would warn someone to watch out for is the distance to get to big-city amenities like medical facilities and airports - the rest of it tends to kind of work itself out for most people that I've watched CHOOSE it (not so good for people who are forced by parents or a job). People are more aware of who is doing what in smaller communities, and are more likely to offer to help, but also more likely to gossip (big surprise!). I spent 7 years convincing people that I truly did not want to be set up on dates - I've been single for nearly 20 years now!
I have a less-than-10 minute commute to work, and it is a whopping 8 miles to the far side of town! Oddly, one gets to where one thinks hard about whether it is "worth it" to go "that far!"

[HandyMom]

I'm SO sick of traffic, crabby people who are rude to each other , and high taxes.

I have to laugh because I say the same thing about living in this small city which I still think of as a little "who ever heard of it?" town that is about to price me right out of here with high property taxes and no places to shop to save me any money on food or anything else, especially gas!

[DJ1972]

Our town is population 3200, and I love it. I like knowing everyone, most importantly, I like knowing who my kids are hanging out with and knowing the parents well enough that they will gladly tell me if my kids are up to something. There isn't alot to do around here (25 miles to the closest theatre and 45 to the closest mall), but that just means we have to be creative and learn how to entertain ourselves instead of depending on expensive outtings....which I don't mind. The school system is great, I know all the teachers personally, alot of them were my teachers, so communication is easy and frequent. I know I will never move willingly, I am just not a city girl.

[jamie79]

I have done both and now I live in a town of about 9000 people. I will never live in the city again. I live 20 minutes to a city so if I want to go to the mall or something like that then its not a far drive. We have a Superwalmart in this town, plus a bowling alley and a movie theater. I love the fact that there is not alot of traffic. We have a small hospital in this town which is affliated to the big one in the city so medical care is not an issue. The small town we live in is very family friendly so there is always some kind of festival going on or something else. I feel like I can breathe.

[sunshine]

I live in the stix --- 3 miles from the nearest "town" of 120 people. Small towns are great in some aspects, hell in others. If you make a mistake- you'll never be allowed to forget it. Small towns have their rude and obnoxious people too --

There is not much choice in a small town -- one grocery store (if you're lucky, we don't even have that), one school and one teacher per grade level, only one or two churches -- so if you don't happen to be that particular denomination , you have to drive (in our town we have a Methodist and Christian church -- tough luck if you are Catholic, nearest church is 30 miles or Lutheran, nearest church is 15 miles, or Pentecostal, nearest church is 25 miles)

[nwmissourigal]

We live in a very small town of 1800. We do have a grocery store, a dollar general, a sonic, subway and a Casey's store. We also have a bank, postoffice, and a little hometown cafe. We live in my husband home town and we know everyone. The nearest Wal-Mart and large grocery store is about 15 miles away. We will on 10 acres and no neighbors and no noise..just the crickets and the birds singing. Our taxes are very resonable and our utlitlies are very resonable. We have several churches here also. I came from a town of 10,000 and so the transition wasn't bad. We are 45 minutes from Kansas City so we can go into the city if we like, which is rare. I wouldn't give up small town living for love or money and I don't think the city folk would take to having horses in our back yard!! You will never regret downsizing to a small town...Kathy

[fernykins]

I don't think I could live in a small town..... not where everybody knows everybody elses bussiness. My sister lives in a one horse town in Montana on the N. Dakota border. Went back there after my mother passed and the one cop in town kept driving back and forth checking us out lic plates said Ca. So of course we were bringing drugs in. lol A lt of farmers. My dad told us about one year where there was an over abundance of one veggie so the farmed were filling up any car they didn't find locked........... now I can just picture it.
Fern

[annymoll]

I like living in a small town. Yes, everyone knows your business. But, if you aren't doing anything-who cares?People do watch out for each other, and sometimes they are a bit nosy.I had someone come by the other day and afterwards a neighbor came over and asked me ,"Who was at your house this morning, they sure stayed a long time". Ya just gotta smile.The same people watch the place like pit bulls when you are gone on vacation.I love walking down the street and having neighbors come out with garden veggies or a cookie- I count my blessings in a world where in some areas hunger is so prevalent.There is always someone to help jump start a car, shovel snow or babysit in a pinch. You are expected to do the same for others.Life does move at a slower pace, but if I need an action fix I go away . I don't want it to come here.

[Luv2BeFrugal]

Sounds like small town like would suit Dh and I just fine. We're just learning to garden, we like people, we're very quiet (don't like noise), we aren't interested in city cultural activities (I like to sew and want to learn to draw...that about as creative as it gets). We're Catholic so would have to find a small town with a Church relatively close. We're pretty much homebodies who like to go for walks every now and again. Would fit in quite well at the Walton's. I want indoor plumbing and electric lights...don't really care about the rest.

I'm really enjoying reading all your posts! We picked up a book called "Small Town Bound". Anyone read that? I would love a hometown diner where people know each other and chat and it's just meat and potatoes food...not fancy odd stuff (yes, I'm boring...hahahahahaha).