I’ve lived in mid-sized cities or smaller cities near major metro areas my entire adult life.
Since I’ve downshifted, I sometimes think about moving to a really small town or rural community.
I loved living in Tamaqua as a child. However, that was a long time ago. Since then, I’ve only known city and suburban life. I’m accustomed to the conveniences like:
- Nearby groceries, stores and restaurants.
- Public utilities for water, electric and gas.
- Access to doctors and hospitals.
- City services like police, EMS and trash pickup.
Like any place, where I live has downsides too:
- High property taxes and homeowner’s insurance (hurricane windstorm insurance is a killer).
- Frequent crimes including car thefts, purse snatchings & break-ins. It’s regular enough that if you forget to lock your car at night, there’s a really good chance anything left inside will be gone in the morning. If you leave your garage open unattended, someone will steal your tools, bikes and lawn mower.
- A lack of community. Most neighbors don’t talk to each other.
- Noise. Traffic. Litter. Zoning codes.
I imagine some of these downsides would disappear in a smaller community.
What I Think A Small Town/Rural Living Might Bring
Community
I life a simple life. I enjoy being alone with my wife and pets. I like having a small close knit group of friends and neighbors. In Tamaqua, everyone knew each other. We had a shared history and shared experiences.
Less Crime/More Trust
I think this might come simply as a by-product of fewer people and everyone knowing each other. In Tamaqua, we often left keys in our car in case a neighbor needed to move it. We rarely locked doors.
Quiet/Solitude
I imagine this is highly dependent on location. However, I imagine there would be less noise from traffic, leaf blowers, airplanes, sirens and thumping car stereos.
Lower Cost of Living
I’d only move somewhere cheaper. The property must be less expensive, the insurance/taxes lower and the maintenance less.
I think as long as I have water, electricity and Internet connectivity (with USPS, UPS or FedEx delivery) and a grocery store within a 30 minute drive, I could live quite frugally.
Am I Kidding Myself?
I wonder if this is just a “grass is always greener” thing for me. I’ve moved so often, that every few years, I get this “itch” to move someplace new.
I know this – I’m not going anywhere right now. That said, I could be moving down the road.
I know nothing about rural living other than what I’ve read on a few forums. If I moved somewhere rural, I’d need to carefully select a place that was easy to manage because the last thing I want is to become a slave to maintaining my property. For example, I like how farms and fields look, but I am not buying a tractor to mow them.
Small town living might be better. I could get a small house in a less dense part of town, but be close enough not to have to do everything on my own.
I think a smaller college town might be just what I will be looking for in my next move.
Where do you live and what do you think?
I don’t always solicit feedback on my posts, but I am genuinely curious to hear about your thoughts and experiences.
Have you moved from a city to a small town? Lived in a rural area? Plan to move to another area in retirement? What do you see as the pros and cons for an early part-time retiree leaving the suburbs/city for small town America?