by Townley on 8/15/22, 2:57 AM with 550 comments
I’m an engineering manager at a fully remote US company with long-term plans to stay (and even if not, no desire to return to the office regularly). I don’t drive but like to walk to the supermarket and restaurants. My wife doesn’t like living in a big city, so we’re in the burbs within walking distance of a little “downtown” area.
It’s a bit of an unhappy medium because the homes we want still cost $1M, yet it’s a long and limited walk. Plus we’re ready for something new. We’d likely both be happier in a town, living just off some Main Street with 20 or so shops. The city is great but honestly I don’t need more than a good diner, a supermarket, and a friendly bar. Nice to haves are a pleasant climate (not too cold), an airport within an hour or so, and decent public schools.
I’m asking here because I hear so much about NYC/SF tech workers being set loose by remote work and leaving. I’ve experienced this with colleagues relocating to SC, Lancaster PA, small towns in Maryland… etc.
Any ideas on whether this mid-sized town dream exists, ideas for cities, and/or how we’d go about finding it?
by rswerve on 8/15/22, 3:22 AM
The one town you mention, Lancaster, PA, is a model of the type.
by subpixel on 8/15/22, 12:19 PM
My observation, fwiw, is that the American small town, self-sufficient and independent from a neighboring city, is a dying breed.
Not all small towns will die the same way or on the same schedule. But here are some things to think about.
- Is there a tourist draw? Do short-term rentals address this opportunity? Every vacation rental is a unit unavailable to the local salaried population and where we live this cannibalizes the fabric of the small town.
- Is the local industry durable? That could be a university, it could be timber, it could be a BMW factory 90 minutes away, it could be a fishing fleet. Where we live the local industry will be eradicated in our lifetime due to climate change. And the state university system is retracting, not growing.
- Do the local schools suffer under-enrollment? Where we live they do not, but neighboring towns have so many retirees and houses turned into short-term rentals that the schools are threatened.
In short, the internet means there are no undiscovered places, and the economics can undermine what makes a place special in the first place. Add to that some places are going to be significantly impacted by global warming.
Today we live in a sort of paradise but we are aware that it may not be our forever home, if such a thing exists.
by throwaway787544 on 8/15/22, 5:23 AM
Honestly... It's kind of great. The people are nice, the scenery is gorgeous, it's pretty quiet, and most everything you need is right in town. Since the community is so poor, all the housing is cheap. Nearby towns are all bought up as second homes for expats. Everything outside town is an old farm.
The worst thing about the place is it's a minimum 2 hour drive to anywhere, and having a car is mandatory to get here. But if you have everything you need, there's no need to leave. There is no Uber/Lyft/Instacart/GrubHub, don't expect any startups here. Cell service outside of towns is mostly nonexistent. Also know that none of your old friends will ever visit because it's way too inconvenient.
The only things I miss are "big city" things and more people around into the same things I'm into. And an international airport would be nice, but it's not like I was flying around the world every weekend before.
by rlawson on 8/15/22, 12:28 PM
Pros
- Great climate 10 out of 12 months
- Friendly people
- Lots of outdoor activities
- Beautiful beaches (Fripp Island and Kiawah especially)
- Low cost housing (altho going up rapidly)
- Greenville and Charleston are very nice
- Heart of MAGA land (this may be a pro depending on your politics)
- First question is about what church you go to
- Can still be shockingly racist at times (altho getting much better)
- Weak zoning so sprawling construction and walkable areas limited
- Food choices can be limited for vegans/vegetarians
- July/August - the heat and humidity are roughby blahedo on 8/15/22, 5:19 AM
But yes, right on, 20 or so shops, walkable downtown with houses an easy walk away, a few good restaurants (including a great diner! :) and at least two friendly bars. Good internet connection if you're in town. I don't get in my car for weeks at a time---and that's probably your hardest item, because anywhere between "pretty small town" and "sizeable city with good public transit" living without a car (in the US) is going to be very very difficult. (Even in a place like Farmville, you don't need the car around town but you'll need it to get out of town.)
ETA: I see from your profile you're in DC now. Come visit! We're only 3 hours away ;)
by Arete314159 on 8/15/22, 4:41 AM
One thing I would suggest is that if you're moving, bear in mind that climate change is making some previously pleasant places much more unpleasant. Look at recent years of fire data, flood data, air quality from smoke, drought, heat, etc.
And finally, make sure the place you're moving to is going to have ample, clean fresh water, and no other environmental problems looming. Don't move to Vegas. Don't move to Salt Lake City. Don't move anywhere that is going to lose power if Lake Mead or Lake Powell dry up.
You can search EWG for your prospective towns. Be aware that many, many towns in the US have way higher PFAS / PFOA / etc. than you probably want. Many have very high levels of other contaminants as well. Some whole-house filters can filter that out but they're expensive.
Here's the EWG report for a sample California town: https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=CA0110009
Search "town name + superfund". Search "town name" + "pollution". Search "town name" + {various natural disasters}. Search "town name" + "smoke". Search "town name" + "smell". Search "town name" + "water."
Go visit everywhere that's on your short list. Ask people about the town.
Good luck!
by CSMastermind on 8/15/22, 4:29 AM
Of course, but you should figure out what specifically you're looking for beyond what you've described.
Do you care about tax implications? Are you planning to rent or own a home? Do you have friends or family in any of these areas?
If you haven't traveled much I'd recommend doing it.
This is the most accurate map breaking down regions in the United States in my opinion: https://i.redd.it/q79o3qo8zz991.png
Just for reference, here is a 'cleaner' version that most people like: https://i.redd.it/y4pxyq5eslh51.png
> ... and/or how we’d go about finding it
Others in this thread have some good search ideas but personally I'd start at the top and narrow it down from there.
If you go to https://www.naco.org/ and click on `county explorer` you can filter the map on a county level across a bunch of different dimensions.
I'd definitely limit your choice to places with high internet speeds, good education, growing population, high scoring infrastructure, etc.
Just keep pruning down until you find a few you think you'd like.
> ideas for cities
I could list dozens but maybe check out: Beaver, PA; Mason, MI; Wilson, NC; College Station, TX; Macomb, IL
Assuming your wife is willing to drive some then: Longview, WA; Castle Dale, UT; Wisconsin Rapids, WI;
by mitchellst on 8/15/22, 1:59 PM
Not so for Muleshoe, Texas.
If you're from the east coast, you might find the perfect physical scene in Oregon. But be prepared that west coasters are different from you, potentially in important ways that affect your ability to find a sense of belonging. Ditto if you're from California and looking at Georgia. Northerners and southerners, of course, look sideways at each other for lots of political and cultural reasons, but there are plenty of reasons to feel like you do or don't belong in a culture that aren't historically, culturally, or racially charged.
Most functioning communities consider themselves to have "good schools." Do you share their bar for that? "Good" for what?
Important questions. Climate isn't he only thing that varies by region. If you don't know the regional culture in an area that interests you, go stay a while.
(I've lived in the Pacific Northwest, both urban and rural California, both urban and rural Texas, Chicago, and New England, and spent substantial time in NYC and the Deep South. Trust me. It's not all the same.)
by scarecrowbob on 8/15/22, 3:56 AM
You say that you just need a bar and a supermarket, but you've probably never lived in, like, Brady, TX or Cuba, NM. Stuff gets small fast, though those are cheap places to live. You can buy amazing houses in defunct oilfeild towns like Pampa, TX. But really, if you have a heart attack there you're in for about an hour drive to get to definitive care.
by Falkon1313 on 8/15/22, 10:43 AM
Ended up buying a house in one of those towns that we had passed through on vacation. Within walking distance of everything we need. It's much cheaper than the big city, or even a suburb near a big city.
by dcolkitt on 8/15/22, 4:05 AM
by herbst on 8/15/22, 8:49 AM
There are restaurants and bars sure, I would ask myself if you actually need 'shopping'
Personally I highly prefer to buy only HQ products which I can look into from my couch other than buying whatever the store has in stock.
by ogou on 8/15/22, 2:51 PM
by s0rce on 8/15/22, 4:14 AM
I'm currently living in Carson City, it has some walkable (older) areas of town but not great. You could try Walla Walla, WA or Baker City, OR.
by pontifier on 8/15/22, 3:51 AM
I found one that seemed too good to be true. a 220,000 sqft metal warehouse and office complex on 17 acres. I thought the price was a typo at $375k.The agent assured me that the price was correct, and I flew out to see the place.
It was in a little town called Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
I offered about 3/4 what they were asking, and they accepted the offer.
Fast forward 2 1/2 years, and I've had nothing but problems. Break in after break in. Can't work through the red tape with the city so my warehouse sits empty. It feels like they are actively working against myself and other entrepreneurs I talk to. At least 2 others who bought buildings and tried to open businesses left after getting nowhere.
Maybe I'm daft, but I ended up buying about 75 more properties here... all surprisingly cheap.
The town is killing me though. I haven't seen my kids very much lately - I don't think it's safe enough for them. I'm probably going to be moving back to Utah in the next couple of months because it's just too much out here.
by xboxnolifes on 8/15/22, 5:05 AM
Because if you really just want a home, a supermarket, a few local restaurants, a bar, a few shops, and an airport within an hour drive, some New Jersey areas come to mind.
But these aren't likely to be dream towns. They will have flaws. Almost certainly will has less walkability than any city you may live in, unless you live on, and never leave, the main strip. There will be less variety in foods, the bar culture you imagine may not be the bar culture that is actually there.
by pugworthy on 8/15/22, 3:51 AM
Housing costs are higher, but probably not the $1M you mention unless you really want to go overboard.
Walk to the store, city bus is free, great place to raise kids, bike paths and trails, and you're out of town into the woods or farm fields in 15 minutes of driving. 1 hour to the coast, or 1 hour to the mountains. University as well as HP, NuScale, and other smaller companies.
People that come here can definitely turn into lifers.
by pbuzbee on 8/15/22, 3:41 AM
by MilnerRoute on 8/15/22, 3:08 AM
I think this site will even contact cities for you that don't have incentive programs.
Another advantage of these city programs is you're part of a cohort of relocaters - so you always have people sharing the newcomer experience with you.
by mkl on 8/15/22, 9:19 AM
This doesn't seem like most small towns would work. Cars become required outside cities in my experience, and small towns mean lots of long drives for basic things.
by zxcvbn4038 on 8/15/22, 4:44 AM
The programs are generally designed to bring people into rural areas, you need to pay close attention to make sure there is sufficient internet for you to work remotely. Places like Frontier top out at 1.5mbps, a little further down the road your internet might be line of sight wireless. Then inexplicably the other side of a hill might be top of the line cable internet. You can’t really trust the web sites, they need to come out and confirm an address can be serviced at the speed you need (without you paying them $10,000+ to run cable)
Oh! Your employer might need to be registered with the state so they can submit your withholdings. You should verify with your HR department which states they can support.
by snarf21 on 8/15/22, 12:57 PM
There are lots of houses downtown for less than $400K and even new "luxury" condos going up everywhere. There is a convenient train that can have you in Philly in an hour for <$20. (also goes to NY) You can be in Baltimore and DC in a few hours and you can be in the Poconos for skiing in the same time. There is the oldest continuously operating farmer's market downtown. (and tons outside the city) There is a thriving art scene (and college). There are tons of ethnic restaurants (there are a lot of relief and refugee orgs). You can be at the beach in two or three hours (depending which one). There are tons of outlets for shopping east of town if that's your thing. There is very little traffic except for 3 specific bottlenecks that you'll learn to avoid. There is a thriving tech community with several weekly meetups that discuss new tech at a local bar.
Come live with the cool kids.
(Source: I live in Lancaster and there is no place better net net)
by matt_s on 8/15/22, 3:25 AM
I imagine you have other factors like distance from family, area of the country, weather, proximity to mountains/beach/parks/major metro for things to do, etc. so those should narrow down what states. Then go on a mini vacation and explore or work remotely from where you’re exploring.
by 13of40 on 8/15/22, 4:29 AM
by christophilus on 8/15/22, 11:45 AM
The town that inspired Andy Griffith’s Mayberry is in the mountains of NC (or maybe it was VA). Stuff like that is all over the place here.
As for me, I chose a small, walkable town that isn’t too far from Greenville, SC (which is itself considered to be a small, walkable town by some folks).
by basyl on 8/15/22, 4:12 AM
You don't want to end up in a coastal city just to find yourself under 1m of water in a few years!
by sharno on 8/15/22, 2:12 PM
by cssanchez on 8/15/22, 4:08 AM
by orangetuba on 8/15/22, 8:02 AM
In small towns, people are very nosy, and it gets incredibly tiring after a while. People stare at you and look you up and down. Except, when it's a college town, because they're used to having strangers around.
by poulsbohemian on 8/16/22, 3:27 AM
Especially now being a real estate agent (which in itself is a story of the changes that come with small town life...), I meet lots of people of all demographics moving into our area. Many have never spent any time here, but are drawn to the pictures in the tourist magazine, so to speak. I'm already starting to see people who bought during covid lockdowns who are now having buyers remorse as they realize that maybe small town life isn't for them. All I'm saying is, do more than spend a weekend in a place before you decide to buy a house and shake up your life - I've legit seen people buy houses having basically never been here, and that's not a wise approach.
Frankly, if you really have the means and don't have family ties keeping you in a place, I'd ask: why stay in the US at all? But regardless of where you go, hone your research in quickly. Don't keep looking at every last little burg in all 50 states. Go rent an airbnb for a couple of weeks and live as though you live there - and make yourself a study of the tradeoffs you'd be making with each place.
by w1 on 8/15/22, 3:39 AM
Home of a small college and a few large obscure athletic events (Unbound Gravel and disc golf nationals). Kansas is also a very reasonable state, politically, compared to much of the midwest. Less than two hours from decent sized airports (MCI and Wichita).
by davidw on 8/15/22, 3:38 AM
Also agree with the 'college towns' comment.
by jason-phillips on 8/15/22, 12:53 PM
> Any ideas on whether this mid-sized town dream exists...
Sure it exists.
> ...and/or how we’d go about finding it?
Sure, you need to do your research and figure that out for yourself. I researched on the internet for about 18 months and did a lot of boots-on-the-ground investigation. I eventually moved to a small town in the Texas Hill Country that I adore. Low crime, very clean and beautiful environment, low cost of living, absolutely fantastic community and gigabit fiber internet.
I then bought a second, larger home in a small town a little closer to Austin that is logistically a little more convenient and not so remote. But again, it has low crime, a local hospital, HEB grocery store, fantastic community and gigabit fiber internet.
Just do your research. It's not so hard but it will take a little time.
The peace and quiet combined with the cost of living is priceless. I couldn't be happier. I love it out here.
by prennert on 8/15/22, 7:29 PM
- travel-time, via connections like airports, train stations, motorways, etc. You will need them when you want to travel, or your spouse needs to get to an office
- weather. Now and predictions of how it will change in the future
- water levels and flood risks and how they are predicted to change over your lifetime (especially important of you like the coast, rivers, etc.)
- forest fires, draught etc might be a factor depending on your climate
- proximity to industrial or academic centers
- general social-economic situation of the place that is interesting to you
Most of this data is likely freely available from public / state sources.
If you don't know the place, rent first, buy when you are happy. Data is unlikely to provide the full picture and you need to live in a place to get a full picture of it's quirks. Make sure to use the facilities you care about to get an idea how they work in practice.
by scythe on 8/15/22, 12:13 PM
Study. You can type "Las Cruces NM climate" into Google and get a free graph. You know your interests better than any of us, and you can look at local event listings, restaurants, venues etc to see what's a good fit. Zillow will tell you about schools and crime, and airports are on the map.
When people go by word-of-mouth based on where other people went, you get a situation where everyone moves to Denver^W Austin^W Nashville, and then it isn't fun anymore. Nobody goes there, it's too crowded. Especially when the discussion is on the Internet.
by foxyv on 8/15/22, 3:59 PM
Small towns that are supported by companies and agriculture have been drained dry by corporate greed. Jobs have been off-shored and taxes have been almost completely avoided. Sometimes a town is supported by a major military contractor, but they aren't terribly dependable. Some places are supported by retirees, but they aren't nearly as affordable.
So if you want to look for a stable small town, look for towns near universities, colleges, or military bases.
by protomyth on 8/15/22, 3:32 AM
by hax0rbana on 8/15/22, 5:58 AM
When you think you found a good one, go visit in person and see if it meets expectations.
If you want a specific instance, check out Champaign-Urbana, IL. There's Research Park, the University of Illinois, a bunch of bars and restaurants, fun art sprinkled around town, gigabit fiber and homes are under $200K. We walk to the grocery store with our wagon and just fill it up instead of using a shopping cart. If you come visit, be sure to check out Black Dog (a barbeque joint). https://yourewelcomecu.com/
by duped on 8/15/22, 3:09 AM
For example check out Geneva Illinois
by radiojasper on 8/17/22, 10:33 AM
The only thing you need is a company in NL and keeping $4500 on your bank account. Registering a company in NL is as easy as buying milk. One visit to the Chamber of Commerce [1] and you're good.
by danwee on 8/15/22, 8:27 AM
by shrubble on 8/15/22, 4:36 AM
Lancaster PA: drive from Park City Mall to the center of Lancaster City, which is the Greist Building, the tallest in the area (has many telecom antennas there) and is near the Fulton Opera House. On the map, it shows 3.5 miles as you pass by Long's Park. Unless it is in the middle of the night, you will be lucky to make it in less than 20 minutes.
by spaetzleesser on 8/15/22, 3:40 AM
by ltbarcly3 on 8/15/22, 3:50 AM
Great schools, very progressive area (at least for MS). No homeless people leaving needles in the streets or throwing poop at me. Quite humid! 5Gb/s fiber to my house from multiple competing providers. Paid way way way below $1M (way below $500k lol) for 2500sft house with a huge yard, walking distance to the gulf of mexico (and a nice beach area) and about a mile from dozens of downtown restaurants. 10 minute drive to Biloxi and casinos and other nightlife. I have lost count of the number of people who have gone down my street on bikes or jogging (or on golf carts, which are street legal here). Gulf Islands National Seashore's entrance is less than half a mile away.
by wikitopian on 8/15/22, 11:38 AM
And it's all at rock bottom prices.
Louisville airport is about an hour away, and since it's a major UPS hub, it's quite nicer than the population of the area would otherwise support.
by tonfreed on 8/15/22, 6:44 AM
Not so prevalent in a city where there's enough people to form smaller subcommunities, but in a small town you can't really do that and will need to put in effort to fit in.
by trcarney on 8/15/22, 7:02 PM
Another place to expand your search are these YouTube channels, From Here to There (https://www.youtube.com/c/FromHeretoThere/videos) and The World According To Briggs (https://www.youtube.com/c/WorldAccordingToBriggs). They might help find places your aren't currently looking at.
by bbatha on 8/15/22, 3:56 PM
by NickSingh on 8/15/22, 12:23 PM
by webwright on 8/17/22, 4:22 PM
I just moved to Orcas Island in the PNW after living in cities (Seattle, Anchorage) for most of my adult life. I'm near the one town on the island (which is REALLY quiet outside of the 4 warmest/touristy months). ~4,500 people year round population. Weather is perfect with near zero rain for 4-6 months but a bit gray / drizzly for the rest. It's rarely cold, but decent ski hills are 2h inland.
The population (like a lot of small towns) is pretty old, but I found the small group of newer folks (lots of tech expats) to be really welcoming.
I can walk to the small airport, which has regular $180-$200 flights to Seattle (show up 10min before departure, 45min flight). Ferries are more work but sometimes you want your vehicle on the mainland for a big group of houseguests or whatnot.
I'm 15min away from getting a paddlboard into two mountain lakes-- both are popular swimming destinations for locals. I have friends pulling crabs and prawns out of the water all summer. There are zillions of islands and inlets around-- it's a playground if you're a boater. 4-5 good hikes on the islands with breathtaking views. There's one (never crowded) gym in town with a racquetball court. There's a board game meetup. A few fancy restaurants, one killer cocktail bar, a good locals dive bar. I leave my door unlocked. There's a "village green" with frequent concerts and a Saturday farmer's market. The schools and kids on this island are amazing. Ferries and small planes can get you quickly to Victoria/Vancouver Island, Vancouver (the city), and assorted other cool small/medium towns.
I'm pretty new to this, but am LOVING it. There are downsides-- not a lot of food variety in town, tough to make new friends if you aren't the kind of person who makes the effort. The gray season is long and VERY quiet, so you definitely need to budget time/$ to travel. The schools are pretty understanding about missed days in the winter because of this.
Hit me up if you (or anyone) ever wants to check it out. I'll buy you a drink and talk your ear off about it.
by emiliobumachar on 8/15/22, 10:40 AM
by fastball on 8/15/22, 9:02 AM
by telebell on 8/15/22, 4:13 AM
by s5300 on 8/15/22, 3:23 AM
Ohio University is a pretty cool place, though slightly secluded.
by matthewcwise on 8/15/22, 4:43 PM
by shusaku on 8/15/22, 11:18 AM
https://www.saltwaternewengland.com/2022/07/new-england-prep...
by bombcar on 8/15/22, 3:45 AM
Then I'd look for towns that have had the population grow in the last decade, or at least stay level, towns that are dropping in population often have issues (though if everything else about it seems right, check it out).
And then I'd visit - stay at a hotel for a week and see what it's like, if it seems good consider a longer stay. I would visit in the "worst" part of the year, not the best! So if you're looking at Duluth you'd visit in the winter, not in spring or fall.
by suprjami on 8/15/22, 11:01 AM
Forget eating out. We just moved from a city of 2.5M to a town of 1500, the next biggest town over has 3000. The thing we miss the most is the variety of food, especially Asian food. However that's all we miss and the benefits are many.
by inrhafi on 8/15/22, 12:53 PM
Like I said, it’s hot there over the summer, and it’s the red middle of a blue state, but the people are very kind. They have an absolutely wonderful coffee shop downtown, a tiny brewery and pub across the street, a couple nice super markets (not so walkable), and some gas station/markets that are very walkable. We lived five minutes from downtown in a neighborhood. We paid $215k for our house, in 2015, so I’d imagine that price has gone up quite a bit, but it’s definitely affordable.
by spudlyo on 8/15/22, 4:41 AM
I grew up in the Thurston County area in the 80s, and went to school at TESC, a hippie liberal arts college I remember the downtown as being charming, with lots of hip cafes, bars, and restaurants. I've considered moving back there myself. That said, in recent years epidemics of homelessness and drug addiction have taken a bit of a toll on the city, but I still think it's worth checking out.
by tlianza on 8/15/22, 4:28 AM
by cbanek on 8/15/22, 7:15 AM
Everyone is thinking like you during the pandemic when remote work was the norm. That pushed up housing prices in weird places, like Boise, and other places like Sedona. Places that are small, typically tourist places, but very nice and pretty. The lack of housing has pushed up prices to ridiculous levels, but once the market corrects, it'll be a different world.
by lovetocode on 8/15/22, 2:44 PM
by KingOfCoders on 8/15/22, 4:03 AM
by sheepdog on 8/15/22, 2:11 PM
One thing to keep in mind as you get older: smaller places may not have all the medical facilities you need. For example, if you get an unusual cancer or need a transplant, your family will be regularly shuttling you 2-3 hours to the nearest large city.
I think that being ~50-60 minutes south of Atlanta would be nice. It's small enough, but you can hop right up to one of the world's busiest airports and get a flight to about anywhere.
by giantg2 on 8/15/22, 3:35 PM
I think you'd have to elaborate on what you think a good school is and what a good climate is. It certainly gets cold for part of the year in PA and MD. It can be quite humid in the summers too. I've heard it can be tough to find a "good" public school in parts of SC (I looked at some SC and NC schools when I entertained the idea of moving there a decade ago. The scores were considerably lower than most MD and most PA were).
by codingdave on 8/15/22, 3:59 PM
by listenupyall on 8/16/22, 2:28 AM
by dncornholio on 8/15/22, 9:49 AM
by NiagaraThistle on 8/15/22, 1:27 PM
by __derek__ on 8/16/22, 1:44 AM
by binwiederhier on 8/15/22, 3:43 AM
by suhastech on 8/15/22, 4:10 AM
by bitcoinmoney on 8/16/22, 7:20 AM
by jimlawruk on 8/15/22, 6:33 PM
by JackFr on 8/15/22, 12:43 PM
The economics of supporting a walkable downtown are just real tough in many places.
by dogline on 8/15/22, 1:58 PM
by vlunkr on 8/15/22, 1:00 PM
I think complaining about any change is just part of small town America.
by ulfw on 8/15/22, 3:38 AM
by ipnon on 8/15/22, 3:48 AM
by quickthrower2 on 8/15/22, 9:26 AM
by jollyllama on 8/15/22, 3:23 PM
that you fit in politically or that your values match, otherwise you could be viewed as an outside agitator.
where agriculture is feasible, preferably with as little non-local inputs as possible (i.e. water)
by pheasant3 on 8/15/22, 3:42 AM
Towns near the Tetons. Jackson of course is crazy expensive, but the towns nearby are amazing.
And the place is more progressive that you might think - for WY
by zeroth32 on 8/15/22, 7:47 AM
by journey_16162 on 8/15/22, 9:23 AM
by skoocda on 8/16/22, 8:15 PM
by stevenalowe on 8/15/22, 9:48 PM
Will be interesting to see if/how starlink changes this
by rwultsch on 8/15/22, 2:49 PM
by MauroIksem on 8/17/22, 4:07 AM
by xtiansimon on 8/15/22, 11:47 AM
Intersect that data with crime and population.
Sounds like a cool data project.
by throwaway6734 on 8/15/22, 2:19 PM
by xupybd on 8/15/22, 8:59 AM
by pneumatic1 on 8/15/22, 11:09 AM
Lansing, MI
Chapel Hill, NC
Wilmington, NC
*Ithaca, NY*
by sneak on 8/15/22, 4:02 AM
I did a stint in a cheap culture wasteland through covid. It may be economically cheaper but the toll it takes on your soul is real.
by braingenious on 8/15/22, 3:35 AM
by RonaldOlzheim on 8/15/22, 9:04 AM
by atarian on 8/15/22, 3:50 AM
by freemint on 8/15/22, 2:59 PM
by rythmshifter on 8/16/22, 2:31 AM
by pzd on 8/15/22, 3:45 AM
by notatoad on 8/15/22, 4:50 AM
Honestly, it sounds like you belong in a city. A town isn't just a collection of perfect versions of the things you like from your city, and cheaper housing. That isn't going to exist. The bars will be worse. The schools will probably be worse. The stores will be further away, or else the housing "just off main street" will he more expensive. The social opportunities will be fewer. If you want to be happy with small town life, you need to find the advantages that exist only in towns and not cities: Outdoor recreation opportunities, family to be closer to, or non-social things you can do on your own with more space like gardening.
by voydik on 8/15/22, 4:43 AM
by chaosbutters314 on 8/15/22, 4:09 AM
by luckyhn on 8/15/22, 3:46 AM
You'd better be sure about that. Having a favorite diner, grocer and bar and only patronizing those businesses is a world apart from having exactly one option. What do you do when the bartender/regulars decide they don't like you. Or your neighbor, for that matter. The one whose family's been there for generations and is buds with the sherrif.
IMO you should find another suburb that you and your wife like. There are major downsides to small town living you're probably not taking seriously.
by daedlanth on 8/15/22, 9:26 AM
by e-clinton on 8/15/22, 11:49 AM
by mikewarot on 8/15/22, 10:18 AM
