Small Town Living??

[Fatrack]

Hey Guys,

Have you ever thought of moving to a small town (3K or less)? Any of you ever done it? Do you currently live in a small town?

The wife and I are considering a move to a small town in Montana and the more I think about it, the more I realize how big the dicision really is. I've put lists together weighing the costs and benefits, goods and bads trying to really analyze the situation and although I have a couple good lists, I still don't have an answer.

Sitution:
Family with three young kids.
A Job I can do from anywhere.
A family network (wife's side) in the small town.
Cost of living in the small town is about 60-70% of current situation
Great Hunting and Fishing in both locations
Good schools in both locations

Any thoughts or advice from people who have thought about or actually moved to a small town would be appreciated.

 

[.280 Remington]

I went from an area of 60K+ down to a town of about 3,000, and then a year after that moved to a town of about 300.

So far no regrets. Its nice to have a bigger community no further than 1 hour away though.

Its a bit of an adjustment, but you just have to plan a little in advance. The thing I miss most is not having the choices around when I feel like going out to dinner or something.

Where are you thinking about moving to?

 

[nidahunter]

I would live in a small town in a heartbeat. Kind of grew up in one in the middle of the country, and loved it. Its is nice,however, if there is a larger town close by for the shopping convieniences.

 

[RobG]

Everybody knows your business...

 

[Fatrack]

Everybody knows your business...

Yeah, thats what I've seen. As I think about this component, I wonder if its that big of a deal. Ok, people will talk....so what. I am who I am. However, I guess this mentality could change once your in the thick of it.

 

[ERSS]

Grew up in Seattle, but for past 20 years have lived in Idaho. A major consideration in small town living is the distance to a city/town with all the services that may be needed ( medical care, work opportunities, entertainment, airport, etc. ). I now live outside "city limits" of a town of 700, but in 30-40 minutes I can be in more populated areas of 50,000 or 20,000. That seems about right to me.

 

[Fatrack]

The closest "Big City" has a population of 60K and is about an hour away and has all of the amenities and more "choices" among thos amenities.

 

[Nameless Range]

I live in an unincorporated "town" of about 100 people in Corbin, though I am 20 minutes from Helena. I love small towns, and if there wasn't a strong correlation between the length of an individual's commute and that individual's likelihood of suffering depression, I'd move further out.

I love the sense of community offered by small towns. I went to high school in Boulder, MT, which has about 1100 people.

RobG says that "Everybody knows your business", but this is synonymous with "Everybody knows you". It's not a bad thing, and I like seeing familiar faces everywhere and being able to strike up conversation with everyone. Additionally, I think there is a lot to be said about the way children are raised in small communities. You know the kids that your kids are hanging out with, as well as their parents. In my experience, the tight-nit nature of small towns actually reduces the "clickish-ness" that occurs in bigger towns and schools.

For me, a strong sense of community comes easier and is more robust in smaller towns/communities, and it is an important part of life that those in larger population centers have a higher likelihood of missing out on.

 

[Kurt R]

I grew up in a town of about 6,000 people. As an adult, I have lived just outside of a metropolitan area of about 400,000. On the most important things in your life, your children and marriage,the issue is how you raise your kids and treat your wife, not where you raise your kids, etc. Something else to think about is the opportunity to save 40 or 50% of your income, as opposed to the 10% of your income that you are probably doing now, and retire early.

 

[----]

After living my entire life in Missoula, I moved to a town that fits your 'small' criteria a couple years ago, and it's been amazing so far. To be fair though, I still work in Missoula, and my new town is practically a suburb of Missoula.

An hour from a town of 60k... got to be Great Falls... if you're moving to the Front I say go for it.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Have you thought about the wind?

 

[.280 Remington]

Have you thought about the wind?

Just add a couple MOA clicks to the windage dial and squeeze the trigger

 

[LopeHunter]

I grew up in a town measured in the 100s of population.

Positives:

Since everyone knew everyone, people looked out for one another and noticed if a stranger showed up or someone was acting odd.

During crisis, townsfolk gather round the wagons. If was a flood then we all sandbagged along the river even if we did not have a farm at risk. If a tornado hit a farm then we showed up to clear away the mess and rebuild.

No rush hour traffic.

People learn to entertain themselves by playing cards with friends or holding a fish fry.

Housing is generally lower cost than the nearest big city.

Cons:

Limited selection in local stores.

Everyone knows, or thinks, they know your business.

You are the "new family" for a couple of decades and if you voice a strong opinion then "you just do not understand how we do things here in Hooterville."

Small job market. Little upward mobility as a result.

There are limited skills in town if you need something fixed or made custom. Probably not a dry cleaner, may not be a library, etc. May not be a hospital.



As for me, I could never live in a small town again. I do best where diversity is not only accepted but also embraced. I like to have a broad variety of quality food and entertainment choices. I fly a lot so need to be near a major airport. I am getting old enough that I appreciate having quality medical help minutes away.

 

[devon deer]

The first 32 years of my life i lived in a city population excess of 100,000
Hardly ever spoke to my neighbours or knew their names.
I moved with my young family to a village 22 years ago, population 1,000
I know most people to say hello to, and loads of people by name.
But only a 15 minute drive to the city.
But the best part was raising my kids in the country, made them what they are today, awesome!
Cheers
Richard

 

[2rocky]

I'm a believer in looking at Citydata.com and looking at the stats for your town in question.

Is the age range of the town right for you?
Is the religious make up what you are used to?
Who are your neighbors?
Are more people from somewhere else or multi generational natives?
Is your income level going to be well above the average for the community?

Other things to think about,

Do you like being an active part of a community? Lot of these small towns have Volunteer Fire dept's that badly need people who work in the community during the day.

Are you a Type A person that wants results fast? small town vendors tend to be more easy going, and laid back about delivery dates and times. I've seen people get testy about that.

Do you come from a background similar to the people in the small town? Ranching, Farming, Mining, Timber? There seems to be a coffee clutch for each of these industries in small towns. If you can relate to them then it is easier to integrate in the community.

Can you shop for a months worth of supplies at a time? Loading up at Costco is sometimes the only way to get the brand of your favorite peanut butter since many small towns may not have a national supermarket chain.

Can you overlook narrow views that might not align with yours? Small towns tend to be Conservative, even if you thought you were out on the right.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I lived in Missoula, then Bozeman, and now live in a town of 100 (@ 50 in the winter). It's about 40 mountain highway miles to anything other than a gas pump. We have been house (and once car) bound due to highway avalanches 5 times since 2012.

I think you have a very good handle on what it could mean for your family, both the pros and cons. The most difficult part of where I live is the weather. Insane amounts of snow and we saw 4 nights last week between -30 and -42. When the weather disallows playing outside much and there's no amenities it can be a tough combo.

I think it would have been much harder to transition to a tiny town with teenage kids. Doable, just trickier. On the flip side, older kids can appreciate a mountain lifestyle much more than young kids. Can you wait it out? I'm in the process of trying... As for everyone knowing your business, I haven't had an issue with this. If you've got some self confidence I think it reduces the problem significantly.

 

[Wyatt G]

I live about 10 minutes outside of a town of 15,000 and 30 minutes from a city of 70,000, my standards most likely aren't the same as you because im from the central valley in california but living in a small town or outside a small town with access to larger cities is very nice.

 

[.280 Remington]

Another nice thing is they generally have a low crime rate. Its nice to not lock car doors or leave for the weekend without worrying about coming home to an empty house.

 

[pointingdogsrule]

Everybody knows your business...

Lived in "small towns" most all of my life. I would not trade this small town for anything. I live in Ossian, Iowa... population 832. A small grocery store, two gas station, two hardware stores, flower shop, two bars & two banks.

Yep "everybody knows my business":

I can walk into the two local banks (without an appointment) and chat with the owners and get a loan in a matter of minutes. (within reason)

If my house was to catch fire..... there would be hundreds of friends here in seconds offering help and aide.

If my child was born premature and had huge health bills..... The community would come together and raise $75,000 through a meal and auction of donated items.

If I farm and happen to die before harvest... there will be many combines in my fields taking the crops out for my family. Done without even asking.

If I want to take 6-8 kids to a hunting and conservation camp or hunting ... the parents are OK with that because they know me and can trust me.

If I need to be taken to Rochester (Mayo) for a surgery ... there are tons of people offering to drive the 90 minutes for the surgery.

If I forget my wallet at home... no need to worry, I can charge at the local grocery store, restaurant, hardware store, gas station, flower shop & auto repair shop.

During the Christmas and Easter seasons... all the churches come together in celebration.

As with every small town.... I wave to everyone as I drive & get a wave back.

As mentioned above... low crime rate & it doesn't hurt knowing the town cop.

If a person passes away you can bet that there will be many friends offering sympathies & the viewing line will be out the door at the funeral home.

Yep, "everyone knows my business" and I would NOT change it for anything in the world.

good luck to all
the dog

PS: get ready to serve on many. many committees... church, fire dept. town council, conservation boards, fraternal organizations.... sounds like trouble??? No, it's lot's of fun. Seriously.

 

[RobG]

RobG says that "Everybody knows your business", but this is synonymous with "Everybody knows you". It's not a bad thing,

Unless they don't like you . Or you are a private person. Ever wonder why the people in small towns don't mind it? Because the ones that did mind it were miserable and moved! . Personally it didn't bother me, but I never got to experience it as an adult.