Small town living is not for everyone. I was born and raised in a small town in North Dakota with a population of about 700 people. As a kid going into my teen years, I didn’t like it much.
The Cons of Living In a Small Town
Fewer job opportunities: When there are less places to work, it makes it less likely to find a job in a desired career path, or it may mean driving for hours to work.
Fewer entertainment choices: Smaller towns have less things to do. Going to the mall or movies may be an all day adventure.
Can get boring: The lack of entertainment can also cause boredom and depression. For the youth, this can be a problem.
Costly transportation: The cost of going to the movies or the mall or even just McDonald’s could be spendy both in time and in gas.
More rumors: People in a small community spend most of their days in town, and their source of entertainment becomes conversational. Think of a large game of telephone that starts with one story, and down the line the story becomes twisted from the original.
Risk of running into someone you might not want to: Exes. That is all.
Everybody knows everything about you: It may be a rumor. It may be the truth. Never assume. (This can also be a pro—they know your mother’s uncle’s second cousin, so they know everything about you.)
However, there are some perks to living in a small town. In a tiny community, people are more close knit than others. This means that you probably know your neighbors well, and everyone is a neighbor. Some say it feels like family, probably because half the town is your family.
The Pros:
Less Crime: It tends to be pretty quiet in smaller towns. Because of the low population, this means less crime. It is uncommon to hear sirens, and if you do, you likely know the source of the siren.
Lower cost of living: One nice thing about living in a small town is that the cost of living is low—renting an entire house is half the cost of an apartment in a city.
No traffic jams: Watch out for the one stop sign.
People are more friendly: If you do see your mother’s uncle’s second cousin in the grocery store, chances are you will be friendly with one another and engage in small conversation.
Smaller classes: Smaller classes in schools and colleges mean that you are more likely to get to know your classmates and teachers on a personal level. Students from smaller schools are also more likely to place higher in academic achievement.
Natural scenery: With lower levels of pollution, small towns make it easier to experience nature and lots of it— meaning brighter stars and vibrant sunsets—but watch out for deer.
When tragedy happens: Life can suck sometimes. When tragedy strikes, the whole community comes together. Parades of honor go down the middle of main street where the whole community becomes one. People love and support one another in hard times and celebrate each other’s successes.
Now that I’m in a city, it’s convenient to have my food delivered, or I can go to McDonald’s at any time, but I have to admit I miss the small town atmosphere. And that’s no rumor.
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