Why moving to a small town is good for your family & business

So what does rural or small town mean exactly?



And how can it help you raise a family and build a business?

Open land and regions with populations less than 500 people per square mile and small towns are considered rural. It affords a lifestyle fit for anyone really. We ourselves are small town residents, with somewhere around or under 800 people in our humble town. It’s an incredible opportunity for raising a family and beginning a business as well.

In reality a small town or rural community can be a saving grace and/or the best suited option for a family and a business looking to grow. Overall most people experience a balance in life, a quieter existence, and a tight knit community engaged in small yet surprisingly fun events and happenings. We ourselves chose moving to a small town for these exact reasons.



Let’s dive into some real deep and more meaningful reasons though, the ones to help with your decision and or consideration.

The strong sense of community and pride

This is first and foremost and will be one thing you notice right away. The sense of community comes from the rugged nature of life. Folks tend to grow strong bonds over even the smallest to-do’s and events. It’s really incredible, it might take time to adapt to how things work but once you’ve established yourself and shown you’re there to be PART of the community you’ll realize it’s something truly unmatched.

Diving into local Events & Missions

As a business these are your ticket to integrate, and the more you do it the more you become a part of the economic fabric. If you don't have money to sponsor events get yourself some inexpensive shirts and visit the events, network a little bit and be seen. By being seen you give the feeling that you WANT to become a part of the group, they'll support you knowing this. And often times your price is secondary to what you contribute.

Community events are something to behold as well. You’d be surprised how creative and fun a simple event can be with even the most limited resources. Here our local convenience store puts on a party some festivals may envy. Basically… even the smallest towns have something going on. And if they don’t, it’s only a gorgeous short drive to next town.



But that’s just the start, our next reason is good as gold!

The lower cost of rural living, and the simplicities of the small town lifestyle

We live in a time where the cost of living can be debilitating to some. Small towns and rural communities boast an affordable lifestyle, and are well known for creating a simple life to live by. If the bottom line is one of your concerns then you’ll love a farmers market, full of the freshest produce, hand-made original recipe jams(made with more love than you think), and artisan gifts created by a local at a more than fair price.

Think Big & Drive Growth

Many may see the absence of mainstream businesses as a downside. While you may not find a *Big Company* coffee shop in sight, rest assured that your craving for gourmet coffee will not go unsatisfied. Even in my small town, the local gift shop offers a great selection of both iced and hot coffees, customized to your liking.

But here's the real kicker - picture yourself as a spark of innovation, where your ideas can combine and transform the town into something truly remarkable. It could very well be you at the helm of this transformation, gaining recognition and admiration on a smaller but more notable scale!.

Let’s not leave out the home and property prices. I mean you might not get much, but then again that is only limited by your opinions and your willingness to build. To be fair, I paid the property price and ended up with a house and well. A little TLC while you live and work from it and it shouldn’t lose value, if anything as long as it’s maintained and remodeled little by little it should even return you a little money.

A minimalist quality of life, but still fit for kings and queens

Oh the simple life… It’s yours for the taking around here. Aside from being a tad more prepared from the stores being closed early (if 7pm is early) you’ll enjoy the loudest noise being a train or tractor rolling by everyone once in a while.

Most small towns have perks you'd never expect. Like after school programs to reduce daycare costs, and other community programs that larger towns couldn't scale. If you hate traffic, but like friendly people a small town is a perfect fit for both your family and business.



One particular item I find especially great about the small town setting is the work-life balance. Traffic is 2.2 minutes from the front door to school parking lot, work is 1.1 more minutes. Groceries within blocks, and repair specialists everywhere, it’s really easy to balance when there’s so much less to worry about like traffic and time. Saving money on the smaller things, combined with a tad more time equals more meaningful family time.

Unbound access to exquisite outdoors and nature activities

If the first few reasons were not enough the outdoors are sure to win you over. So there might not be many pool parties and raves to go to, but the massive seemingly forever skies and lack of human structures gives a visual of real harmony. A simple walk on the river bank and you might find antler sheds or Montana moss agates if you're in my neck of the woods.

Participating in sporting events can be fun and help maintain a healthy ecosystem. In rural areas, the abundance of wildlife like deer can sometimes lead to imbalances in population, which can have negative consequences if left unchecked.

It’s a wild way to live, and you don’t even have to be part of it. No one here will say you have to, nor look down on you for not, but hey we just want you to save some pennies for the winter heating bills and get quality protein minus the packaging.



Take a breath, close your eyes, imagine dew collected on the tip of a pine bough. The water droplets ready to release, drizzle to the tip, and fall, a smell familiar but strangely new and ever so satisfying. That’s life with less pollution, with the sweet notes of freedom sung on the breath of chickadees and eagles.

Safe neighborhoods and unparalleled peace of mind

This reason here alone should be enough for any parent or family to consider the rural community or small town life. I think it’s weird everyone needs to lock everything in the bigger cities. I’ve left for days and forgot to lock the door on an occasion or two, didn’t lose any sleep over it. Heck, in sub zero temps (-30’s *F) you’ll see empty vehicles running so they don’t freeze the groceries in parking lots. In the big cities you’d feel lucky to return to the car at all.

Think about the freedom

It's not uncommon here for herds of kids riding bikes, fishing poles on their backs heading to the river. Does it come with some dangers? Yes, but adventure isn't always clean and safe, and critical thinking takes practice. What you won't need to worry about is the things that come with a city, like open air substance abuse and unclean streets. All towns big or small have pros and cons, but when it comes to liberty and freedoms, small towns boast less regulations and more growth opportunities.



The crime rates are almost always low but it doesn’t hurt to ask your chosen real estate agent. In rural areas you shouldn’t be surprised by the cleanliness of parks either, whether it’s a city park or a fishing access site. The locals take pride (that sweet small town pride) in these areas, and some of them take active roles in keeping it clean. Not just safe, but surrounded by good hearted people with close ties to land.

A better quality of life for your family and it’s growing wish-list

It might sound crazy but the quality of life might be minimal but it feels good knowing there’s such low crime and how affordable a home is. Small towns boast a connected community as well, where kids have safety as well as plenty of things to do. It’s not uncommon for kids riding bikes all over town, walking to the laundromat to get candy bars, and even hiking to the fishing hole with their buddies, not once worrying about what they look like while they do it.

People tend to take of each other, when someones kids outgrow things the item sometimes is never sold. Just handed from one caring family to another. I'll use my own experience. I built a small picnic table out of composite decking. Sure I could have sold it, but it serves a better purpose at the daycare. And my cedar play set? Another zero cost life enhancement from one family to another.

Living in a small town or rural community may not offer the hustle and bustle of city life, but it provides something even more valuable - peace of mind. The stress relief and quality of life that comes with residing in these areas is worth every penny. You will find that the quiet is amazing and the views are priceless.

Imagine waking up to the sound of birds chirping and the gentle rustle of leaves instead of honking cars and construction noise. You can take a walk in nature and feel all your worries melt away. The sky seems bigger, the air fresher, and the pace of life slower. It's a simpler way of living, but one that offers a quality of life that is hard to match in the hustle and bustle of city living.

A more one on one kind of schooling experience for your children

For the parents reading this, I am sure you’ll love the rural experience. With smaller classes our kids have a good chance of getting the knowledge they seek, being more able to participate and achieve better results. Now no community is without some kids that fall behind, but in smaller communities it’s easier to assist and faster to assess, leaving no kids left behind.

The sports programs are a testament to community collaboration, with schools from a vast region able to coordinate a schedule. And back to the small town pride, if you can’t make a trip there is almost always a way to make sure your kids can go. Bottom line, I will never regret moving to a small town.

The opportunities from first glance seem slim, but take a second glance and it’s just a boom town ready to grow in an image of its occupants, you just need to decide if you’re ready to be part of something.

A less congested ecosystem for starting a business

Obviously small towns mean less population, but that doesn’t mean you’re limited to your location when starting a business in a small town. I myself have been known to drive 36 miles for a dinner at a bar in an even smaller town than i live in. People in smaller communities love to see growth, and if you’re part of it you’re remembered as such, quite the contrast to the big cities where you’re just a number and tax revenue.

But the nice thing? Less competition… If you’re not afraid to travel inside an immediate area you’ll be able to start on a better foundation. Plus as creatures of habit it just takes breaking through to a few to get the trust of the many. The ecosystem is ripe, and if businesses were bold they could help be the catalyst in smaller towns. Not just adding jobs but helping to shape a community and garner true respect.

One business, one client, it can change a lot and be a game-changer in a small town. As an example I remember back when I had a small contracting company. I had a new client call for a window replacement and she was on a tighter budget based on retirement. Knowing the difference of what was normal to charge and what she could pay wasn’t going to kill me. I obliged. Upon completion she happily paid, thanked me, and not long after I had more calls for work. And even better the next year I went back and did more, didn’t have to haggle and got a meal. Win win.

Help be part of a grateful and expanding local economy

We mentioned the story about my grateful window client, it doesn’t stop there. In small towns it’s easy to grow and keep every ounce of your integrity intact. In fact it’s expected, the rural folk are grateful for having a strong moral compass for business. Not judging by what a review may say but what the crowd without keyboards are saying.

Everybody has an almost odd gratitude, for literally everything. "Thank you", and "pardon" or "excuse me" are part of the daily lingo. You might actually get into an argument over who gets to pay for a meal or go first in line, but not how you’d expect. “I’ll get the tab” or “you go ahead" and "go ahead of me” is more like how you’ll hear it. It may take some getting used to if you’re coming from a big city, but you’ll probably notice right away.

As a part of that rural community or small town you too will be ingrained, a part of the flow and part of a story that you have a bigger part in. Don’t let the media cast a shadow, we win as one in our communities and politics take a back seat in disasters. Oftentimes folks leaving their own mess to come to yours and help, bumper stickers aside.

So in finality and my humble opinion, your family and business will grow and thrive in a small town or rural setting.

Moving to a small town or community obviously (to me anyways) has so much more to give you and your family than you realize. Real opportunities to have a nice quiet life, while being part of something bigger. Your family or your business are part of something, an origin story all in and of itself. Growing old with a community footprint you can be humbled by and happy with is the small town dream.

Better and faster than you think.

Find a small town, do some research. With affordable homes, great schools, and amazing business ecosystems you almost can’t lose. The good folks would never let you, we tend to take care of each other.

If you’re considering moving to a small town I encourage you to find a local real estate agent, talk to them, let them hear your story and allow them to show you how the small town and rural revolution fits you. I assure you it will be one of your better decisions that stays true longer than the dollar holds its value.