Small-town living has a reputation for being idyllic. It’s a slower pace of life, with more room for reflection and leisure than city life. In a small town, you can get to know your neighbors and become part of a strong community.
But moving to a small town has its drawbacks. You might find yourself with limited employment options or limited entertainment options. You might have to drive to the next town to buy groceries or other essentials. You might find yourself busier than you expect as you integrate into the community. Before you move to a small town, make sure you know what you’re getting into.
Employment Options Will Be Limited
If you want to move to a small town, it’s best to have a job lined up before you go. That’s because your employment options will be severely limited in a small town. You might need to work outside of your chosen field in order to make a living. Good opportunities can come along in small towns, but you may also need to be prepared to make your own employment opportunities. Even if you have a job lined up in the small town of your dreams, your spouse might struggle to find work. Older kids who want to work part-time might be limited to jobs like babysitting, shoveling snow, or mowing lawns.
You’ll Get to Know Everyone
One thing that they say about small towns really is true – everyone knows everyone’s business. If you’re looking at Boone, NC real estate or real estate in other small towns, you should be prepared to give up the anonymity and privacy of city life. People in your new town will be watching what you do and probably gossiping about it – people always gossip when a new person moves to a small town, and the smaller the town, the more they’ll gossip.
As you settle in and begin to integrate into the community, you’re going to find that you can’t avoid people when you’re living in a small town. Everywhere you go, you’re going to run into someone you know. You’re likely going to have to chat with them, too. Even a simple trip to the grocery store in a small town can take an hour or more because you’ll have to have conversations with everyone you might run into there.
You May Have to Travel for Entertainment and Shopping
Most small towns don’t have much to offer in the way of entertainment. Depending on how small the town is, there might only be a couple of restaurants and zero nightclubs, movie theaters, or shopping malls. Many residents of small towns have to commute to a bigger towns with more entertainment options in order to get out of the house. You might find yourself driving multiple hours each way just to eat at a restaurant or go shopping for clothes, home goods, and other necessities.
Public Transport Options Will Be Scarce
You won’t have the option of hopping on a bus or subway when you live in a small town. Some small towns may have limited bus service, but you may not be able to count on a bus coming every 15 minutes. You may have to wait an hour or more between buses if there are buses at all. And many small towns don’t have many Uber or Lyft options, either. If you’re lucky, you may be able to call a traditional taxicab. However, it’s best to have your own transportation if you plan to move to a small town. If the town is small enough, you may be able to bike from place to place, but a car is the better option, especially if you’re going to want to leave town regularly.
Small-Town Life Can Get Busier Than You Expect
Most people move to small towns because they want a quieter, simpler way of life. But small-town living can be busier than you expect because you’ll be expected to participate in community life. If you have young children, for example, you’ll be expected to volunteer with the PTA. You might be expected to work at your new hometown’s yearly festival, become involved in a church, or decorate floats for the yearly parade. Most small-town residents chip in to help with issues in the community, and you might be looked down upon if you don’t contribute.
If you’re looking for a slower pace of living, moving to a small town might be for you. As long as you can handle the realities of rural living, you can make a beautiful small town your home.
