URBAN RURAL INTERFACE
 

Healthy and safety

At this point at least, no one is sure when or if COVID-19 will disappear. And there’s little doubt that an event as widespread as this virus has been has changed both lives and attitudes for a generation or more. Despite the many advantages of urban living, Americans may be increasingly ready to move to rural areas to minimize the possibility of COVID-19 exposure or even a future pandemic.

 

Less expensive housing

Rural America, by and large, has not experienced the home price appreciation phenomenon seen in many large metropolitan areas. Not only is it possible to purchase a home in a small rural community at at usually less of the cost of a similar property in a large metro area, but it’s also possible to buy land and have a custom home built.

Currently the price of lumber is very high, and some individuals are using more steel and other building materials. Many rural counties have high building permits for new construction.  But if you’re selling a metropolitan home, you may also receive enough proceeds to make an all-cash purchase. Perhaps you want to consider shared housing to cut your costs. Many former rentals are now vacation rentals leading to scarcity in the rental market.

Everything slows down

Many people find that with the slower pace of small town living you will spend more recreational time with your family or quality time with your friends.  There’s an unexpected change in pace from a big city to a small town, where everything from buying groceries to drinking coffee is often done slower and more deliberately than in a more urban environment.

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Public transportation is scarce

Your chances of finding a bus with multiple departure times, or airport may be slim to none. And forget about Uber and Lyft! If you’re lucky, the town may have a daily bus that leaves once or twice a day to neighboring areas.  Owning a car is a must if you don't live in town.

Education priorities may be different

The unspoken expectation that you’ll graduate high school, go to college and eventually embark on a career path is often absent in rural regions.  The unemployment rate for young people may be higher than in an urban area. Many people in small towns, particularly in rural or remote regions, have family ties to the area and are complacent doing ordinary jobs as long as they get to stay local.

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Diversity comes in different forms

Small towns aren’t always culturally varied, but what may surprise you is diversity in different forms, from the animal and plant life to the townspeople’s social characterizations and creative skills. From ranchers, loggers, farmers, or artists, people identify in different groups.  There is sometimes heighten awareness of "old timers" vs "newly arrived" folks. Sometimes, what makes a town different is what eventually makes it feel like home.

Business and personal frequently mix

Clichés depict small towns as gossipy with tight-knit, locals-only social groups. What people don’t really tell you about these locations is that keeping business and personal life separate is tricky and many people have to maintain multiple roles with others. Your mechanic may be your tax client. You may be your nurses therapist. And in small towns, many people know each others business.  Its not unusual to walk in a café and know most of the people in it.

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Traveling hours to a big box store isn’t crazy

For people in small towns, especially in remote areas, traveling great lengths for food, shopping, entertainment and more is the norm—even if that means driving three and half hours to another town and back on a Saturday just to scour a mall or bite into a delicious burrito from the region’s best food joint.

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Medical services may be difficult to access

Many small towns have very limited medical support. If you’re used to the convenience of booking a doctor’s appointment and being seen right away, you may have trouble adjusting to the lengthy wait times for medical services in rural towns or that many medical clinics are not taking new patients. Seeking specialized treatment will leave you with even fewer options, greater waiting times and a fair way to travel in order to be seen.

The job market is limited

A smaller community will have fewer employment opportunities. Many fortunate people can work remotely from home. If this is your plan, make sure you research the internet connection of your projected neighborhood.  Mountains and remote areas have less choice for connectivity.  What no one tells you is that you’ll likely need to compromise to make ends meet. If you’re moving to a rural area  for reasons other than employment, it’s important to be mentally prepared to work in jobs outside your professional qualifications. The flip side of that is that many small businesses have difficulty in finding qualified or employable applicants. 

There’s a strong sense of community

Once you join the community you may find an abundance of like minded communal support. Business owners tend to support each other. Other groups, whether its organic farmers, or artists tend to know and offer opportunities to share information and support. Service clubs are common. A  sense of community support and inclusion versus competition can be refreshing.

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It’s not necessarily safer

There’s a preconceived notion that rural or small towns are more secure than big cities, but that is not always true. Perhaps people never used to lock their house. That's changing, as is mail being stolen from your mailbox, illegal pot grows as neighbors, etc.  It’s important to prioritize your safety when you move to a small town, even if you feel comfortable with the locals. 

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