Small town living isn’t for everyone. And neither is countryside or big city living. We are all built differently, we want different things in life and we all vibrate to different stimuli – it’s the reason why choosing where to live is such a personal choice.
The place we call home shapes us and has a huge impact on the quality of our lives. Small town living has its pluses and minuses, but what matters most is how it aligns with your core values, life principles and desired lifestyle. Let’s dig deeper into this topic.
Small Town Living – The Two Sides Of The Coin
Small towns can be beautiful places to live in. They generally offer a more quiet and meaningful existence and they make it easier for you to feel part of a community. In addition to the obvious perks of lighter traffic, less pollution, proximity to nature, and a lower cost of living, small towns can offer you more time and a more suitable context for a slow life. They are certainly less glamorous and less vibrant than big cities, but they score high in charm and authenticity.
However, small towns lack the infrastructure and amenities of larger urban areas. Downsides like no airport, limited healthcare services, scarce job offerings, and fewer entertainment venues and cultural activities make it a less popular choice among those who work in a niche field or love active social life, but also to young people in search of the right career, who need a large array of development opportunities.
Limited diversity and lack of anonymity can be other turnoffs for people considering small town living. These urban communities may lack diversity in terms of culture, ethnicity, and viewpoints, which can lead to a lack of exposure to different perspectives and experiences. In small towns, everyone tends to know each other, which can lead to a lack of privacy and even gossip.
Let’s discuss these aspects separately:
Amenities
One of the biggest downsides of small towns is, in my opinion, the underdeveloped healthcare system. Fewer specialists and healthcare facilities lead to longer wait times for appointments and limited medical services, not to mention the need to commute to larger cities for more specialized consults and medical procedures or better hospitalization conditions.
Direct transport connections by train or bus with larger cities are another disadvantage when living in a small town, so in many cases, you must either rely on your personal car or get used to changing several means of transportation in order to reach the desired destination.
Small towns also offer fewer shopping options, restaurants, entertainment venues, and cultural activities compared to larger cities. Having fewer and less fancy restaurants means you can’t enjoy fine dining near home, and if you’re a fan of exotic cuisines, chances are you can’t satisfy your cravings anytime you want.
Cultural activities are important to a great deal of people, especially to artists and those working in creative fields. They might find it difficult to adapt to the poor cultural landscape usually found in many small urban areas.
My town, for instance, has a beautiful theatre and several small museums, but not all small towns do. However, the truth is there are times of the year when there is little to do when you go out, especially for families with kids.
Entertainment
Small towns are known for hosting fewer events and entertainment opportunities. The good news is this way you can make the most of each event when it happens.
When tens of exhibitions, premieres, concerts, festivals, and parties happen all at the same time, there might be a certain pressure to try to do it all. You often end up doing nothing and you experience the fear of missing out, all together with feelings of frustration and disappointment. I know it happened to me. But of course, it depends on your lifestyle and leisure preferences.
Education and Career
Professionally, things can get a bit challenging indeed. Not many corporations and big companies have offices in small towns. You have way fewer career advancement opportunities and you can’t make a career shift every 2 to 3 years. Things can also get tricky if you are a specialist in a niche field, a scientist for instance.
However, in a small town, you can work for a local business contributing to the wellbeing of the community or you can consider entrepreneurship yourself. Wages are lower, but hey, everything is a trade-off – in this case, trading money for time and a simpler life. Freelancing and remote work are also great options that can help you keep your usual income.
Small towns lack the variety of education and learning opportunities for students and experienced professionals that you normally find in larger urban areas. It might be harder to specialize, achieve high performance in a certain field, or change your career path in a small urban community where openings in key positions in respected companies and institutions are rare.
You should also know that small towns don’t have a great educational offer – from kindergartens to high schools, there is a limited number of specialties or teaching methods to choose from. Private schools are a luxury, while colleges and universities are in most cases nonexistent. Fewer educational resources and extracurricular activities represent another aspect to take into account by parents and future parents who flirt with the idea of small town living.
How I Chose Small Town Living
To me, living in the capital city of Romania between my 20s and my 30s was a great experience. It helped me build a certain mindset and perspective on life and it was exactly what I needed to realize how I wanted to live the next chapter of my life.
One of the lessons I’ve learned is that you shouldn’t rush the process – maybe it’s meant to be like this: to be exactly where you are now, doing exactly the things you’re doing, and eventually get all your answers.
A piece of advice: don’t wait until you’re 100% sure or you’ll never make the move. There will always be doubts – people, places, and experiences to leave behind. So if you have the main logistics figured out, maybe this is one of those moments when you’ve got to listen to your guts.
Once my husband and I started dreaming of raising a family, we put more thought into the idea of a slow life and moving to a more quiet place, closer to nature. The fact that we both came from the same hometown and we always felt a special connection to this place made it easier for us. Easy as in not having to choose from 20 random towns, because the decision itself wasn’t easy.
I believe we talked about moving and transitioning to a slow-paced life for about 3 or 4 years, but we lacked a specific trigger to make this life-changing step. However, once we started picturing how our life could unfold here, the idea started to grow on us and when our son was born, it just felt the right thing to do.
Leaving a place where you spent a decade of your life and where most of your friends live, all for returning to the place you grew up as a child, is a bitter-sweet decision. There are times when we miss the city that adopted us for 10 years, but once you slow down, it is difficult to picture yourself back where everything was on fast forward.
The 10 (most important) Perks Of Small Town Living
If you’re considering moving to a small town, you should be prepared to live the `win some, lose some` principle on your own skin. There are some really important downsides to take into account, but if you dream of a simpler and more meaningful life, and you’re not ready to give up a big city for the countryside, then small town living might be the right next step for you.
Let’s move on to the top 10 most important perks of living in a small town:
- A slower pace of life. In a small town, everything moves more slowly and there is generally less competitiveness and pressure to be doing something all the time. Living in a smaller urban area allows for more time to relax, spend time with family and friends, and pursue hobbies and interests. Shorter distances, shorter commutes, and fewer distractions leave room for more quality time spent on what matters most in life. However, keep in mind that slow living is a choice and a mindset. Moving to a small town doesn’t automatically slow down your life. You can race, be busy, and be stressed out anywhere if this is your default rhythm, so it’s up to you to start living with intention and reprioritize your life – but living in a small town will facilitate this transition.
- The luxury of time. We all crave more time – more time for us, for the important people in our lives, for our hobbies, for going to the gym or for enrolling in a new course. Needless to say – in a small town, where everything is within reach, you save time every day, in traffic, at the supermarket, when going out, etc.
- Quick access to unspoiled nature. Being able to get in the middle of unspoiled nature whenever you feel like it, in a matter of minutes, even during weektime, is a true blessing. Imagine getting out of the office after a long day and being able to take a long walk through the forest, sitting down by a river, and listening to birds singing (what other people may mostly listen to on YouTube).
- Less pollution. Less industry, fewer cars, and the proximity to nature means better quality air and water. This means a healthier environment for you and your family. Noise pollution is also considerably lower. If you’re used to hearing car horns and engines roar non-stop in the background, rest assured, small towns are much more noiseless. Of course, even in small urban areas, weektime mornings can get pretty hasty, as many people living outside town commute daily to their in-town workplace. While there are some peak hours with heavier traffic, they’re nothing compared with the traffic jams you usually see in big cities.
- Lower costs of living. In small urban areas, the overall cost of living is generally lower – from real estate prices, rent, property taxes, and utilities, to daily expenses like food and entertainment. With fewer places to go out and fewer events to attend, you can find cheaper alternatives for spending your free time – cooking at home, nature walks, outdoor activities, and DYI projects (that are usually low-cost or free).
- Availability of locally grown food. Big cities are usually monopolized by retail corporations and hypermarket chains, thus small producers may have a hard time striving in this competitive scene of consumerism. On the other hand, in a small town, you can easily find food markets with products coming from farms and greenhouses near town. For example, where we live, we have our local `suppliers` for fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, bread, and even our favorite local pastry from where we buy the most delicious gingerbread (when we are not baking it ourselves).
- A more sustainable lifestyle. In a small town, you can always walk or take your bike instead of using your car for everything. When you’re not always on autopilot, you can take time and put more thought into your everyday choices – from what you eat to what you wear.
- Room for more spontaneity. When everything is close to home, nature is all around you, and getting out of town takes about 10 minutes (by car), you don’t have to plan every `town escape` one day ahead. Instead, you have the luxury of being spontaneous, getting in the car or hopping on your bike, driving in any direction, and finding new exciting spots to unwind.
- The opportunity to make a change. Living in a major cultural and economic center means you usually have to play by the rules. And there’s also much noise and competitiveness to cut your way through. You can have a great cause, but it is hard to move things around when big players, well-established in the market, have already taken over. The financial perspectives can be high in large urban areas, yet sometimes it might get harder to make your voice heard. You can easily tick the check box for profit, but making a difference in such crowded scenery is no easy job. On the other hand, small towns still have many needs unfulfilled or unproperly taken care of. Where needs are not yet addressed, you can have a tangible, immediate impact on the community you’re part of. Your message can get through more easily and your actions can have a more powerful impact while knowing that you brought a valuable contribution to your town will come with great personal satisfaction.
- Community involvement and influence. In small towns, residents often have more opportunities to actively participate in local government, decision-making processes, and community initiatives. This increased involvement can lead to a greater sense of empowerment and influence over the direction and development of the town.
Conclusion
It’s worth noting that these perks may vary from one small town to another and that everyone’s lifestyle preferences are different. If you are considering small town living for a change, you should do your research thoroughly and see if it aligns with your personal and professional priorities.
My experience has taught me that deciding to move to a small town mostly depends on what chapter of your life you’re currently in. A good starting question is: what is my priority – build a career in a corporate environment, travel, freelance, open a small business, or maybe build a family? What kind of lifestyle suits me best?
I am curious to know if there are readers among you who live in a small town and what other advantages you’d add to this list.
At the same time, if you’re still living in a big city, but transitioning to a slower-paced life in a smaller town has been on your mind lately, please do share: what are your biggest concerns/ fears about this lifestyle change? How do you think your life would change?
Thanks for reading and wishing you inspired life-changing decisions!
