Retiring to a rural setting or small town

[hesperus]

Grew up and went to university in larger cities (chicago, seattle) but have lived in smaller towns since 1996. Currently live in a town with population of 17K, 6 hours from Denver, 4 hours from Albuquerque (closest major city), but with all amenities you could want. Great restaurants, entertainment, festivals, movie theatres, great healthcare and hospital, a regional airport, and most importantly - fantastic mountain recreation within minutes. One can often hear residents muttering "just another day in paradise", and I have to agree. But as the eagles song goes, "call someplace paradise, you can kiss it goodbye". Not quite there yet, but more retirees are moving in, and traffic 'congestion' is something that we now are starting to deal with. Relatively speaking however, it's still better than anywhere else I've lived. DW and I wouldn't trade it for anything. We realize that when we travel, we return to a place that many would love to visit, let alone live in.

 

[brewer12345]

We are looking for some acreage on the outskirts of a smallish town. Would like to be no more than 20 minutes from healthcare. We want to raise most of our vegetables, have access to or raise free range chickens for eggs and have some cats and more dogs. Our idea of YOLO!
Oh yeah, and a miniature donkey and a cinnamon colored alpaca!
Denver has too much traffic and too many people!

I am right there with you on all counts, DW not so much. The reality is that we ended up in the burbs, it is getting built up farther and farther out around us, and I am not thrilled about it. We aren't moving though, so I have beehives, quail and a garden on my 1/3 acre and regularly get out to more rural environs. If I could find some acreage just to play with at a reasonable distance without spending a lot of money, I would jump at the chance.

 

[Huston55]

Grew up and went to university in larger cities (chicago, seattle) but have lived in smaller towns since 1996. Currently live in a town with population of 17K, 6 hours from Denver, 4 hours from Albuquerque (closest major city), but with all amenities you could want. Great restaurants, entertainment, festivals, movie theatres, great healthcare and hospital, a regional airport, and most importantly - fantastic mountain recreation within minutes. One can often hear residents muttering "just another day in paradise", and I have to agree. But as the eagles song goes, "call someplace paradise, you can kiss it goodbye". Not quite there yet, but more retirees are moving in, and traffic 'congestion' is something that we now are starting to deal with. Relatively speaking however, it's still better than anywhere else I've lived. DW and I wouldn't trade it for anything. We realize that when we travel, we return to a place that many would love to visit, let alone live in.

Sounds like Durango. I've always liked that area but, not a skier & don't like cold weather.

We also live in a small town (7k) just outside SF, that sits on the edge of 80,000 acres of protected natural area, the weather is virtually perfect (for us) and, we can be in the city in <10 minutes. This is our paradise.

Regarding the OP, I don't think I could ever return to live in my hometown of 2k people (or any other similarly isolated location). I've been gone too long, my close friends/family are almost all gone, and there's really nothing there for me except a bit of nostalgia. I do like to visit occasionally to see the few folks I'm close to but, a few days is enough.

 

[Bamaman]

We're in a medium size housing market with 140K people--but 2 hours from 3 large cities. We have mall and most of the popular fern bars--all of which are busy. We've never experienced a better level of healthcare in our 2 hospitals--after living in large, impersonal cities.

Throw in a major lake/river in the middle of town with incredible residences at fair prices. We're fortunate to have 2 Robert Trent Jones golf courses on our street. In town, our housing prices are ridiculously low, and so are property taxes.

All in all, I prefer small but adequate size cities that are not very far from large cities. We can always visit our relatives and kids living in the big cities if we can find time to go.

 

[haha]

Is it for you or not for you?

I assume that this is more about you. Is it right for you?

And are you sure that crime does not exist? Small towns in rural America can be grim places, and heroin, Fentanyl, etc are commonly enough employed to dull that sense of nothing happening, and nothing gonna be happening.

Ha

 

[ejman]

We have been living in SW Oregon for almost 2 decades now after living in big metro areas before. We are in a heavily forested area where most properties are in the 5-20 acre range. Many retirees from California that are attracted to a more rural environment create an eclectic environment where many different lifestyles seem to coexist with little friction. One can participate in community life as much or as little as one wants to.

Nearest town (pop 30,000) is 12 miles away with most all facilities we need with a bigger town of about 80,000 45 miles away with an airport and all the shopping we could possibly want. The big city (Portland) is a 4 hour drive.

It's been wonderful for us, over the years we have raised chickens, turkeys, ducks, goats, had a donkey, now mini horses, a large garden, experimented with all kinds of things - it's basically been play time with moments of not so much fun - as when a water pipe breaks somewhere between the well a quarter of a mile downhill and the house and you have to find the break and fix the pipe which is buried 2 ft down - easy to do when you are 50, maybe not so much at 75. All in all, we intend to stay here until no longer able to.

 

[W2R]

Medical care for me involved one internist appointment and one dentist appointment every six months in my 50's and early to mid 60's. As late as age 66 I was lifting a total of 20-28 *tons* of weight at the gym three times a week, and was unusually healthy for my age.

But in my very late 60's, I am starting to fall apart I suppose. Now, I have regular appointments with several specialists as well as my internist. I had cataract surgery two years ago and might be having knee surgery at some point too. I am glad that I live just a mile or two from the biggest and best hospital in my area, with lots of labs and doctors' offices in there too. If I had to drive from a rural location into town for medical appointments, lab tests, and doctor appointments, it would be SUCH a drag.

One of the reasons why my Dream Home is my dream home, is that it is on a very quiet, tree lined street tucked away and secluded but still near everything anyone could ever need. It is so peaceful that it could just as easily be located in Mayberry RFD.

My suggestion is to look for someplace that is 5-15 minutes away from a big medical center like what I have, instead of an hour or two away, so that you can spend your later days enjoying retirement instead of driving long distances to doctor appointments. YMMV

As for getting to know people, one thing I have learned from all my moving around during my life, is that you just have to accept that most people have full lives and no more room for an additional friend. They are not just sitting there waiting with great anticipation for you to jump into their lives. I sure can't hold that against anybody. So, when I move somewhere (big city or small town alike), I find it is necessary to make a whole lot of effort to make a few friends and that at some point, you are accepted and everything gets a lot easier. I still hear people talk on the internet about how New Orleans is so exceptionally tight knit and clique-y and how it is impossible to become accepted among old time New Orleanians if you move there from out of town, but IMO that is just an excuse.

There is a lot of advantages for living in small towns. You become part of a small group, crime doesn't exist, can trust everyone and know everyone, you don't have to lock doors and so many outdoor activities to do. You can live so cheap but still so rich with the quality of life.

You can become part of a small group in a city just as easily.
Crime *does* exist, or at least I have always locked my doors in a small town.
Yes, small towns are cheaper to live in generally speaking, I think.

 

[wdwwildbill]

We live in a mid-sized city in NC, and have a small cabin at a resort 30 miles where we have the "small town" we want. The doors are unlocked nearly all weekend, people know about each other's lives, care about each other and living there is cheap (or as cheap as you want). I consider this the best of both worlds.

Sounds like the perfect set up...

 

[GalaxyBoy]

While not a small town, in Richmond there used to be a joke,

The old joke goes something like this: An elderly gentleman has died in Richmond. Born in Raleigh, N.C., he has spent all but the first few years of his long and productive life here.

He has been raised and educated in Richmond. He has married a local woman and they, too, have raised their children here. He has succeeded in his profession and been active in local civic and charity affairs.

Therefore his Richmond obituary reads: "North Carolina Man Dies Here."

 

[Souschef]

I grew up ion NYC,left for Los Angeles as soon as I graduated, lived in the San Fernando Valley until I retired.
Moved to Ventura County to a semi-rural town of 30,000. I love the slower pace, and we are 15 minutes away from the city of Ventura, with medical facilities that are excellent.
We have supermarkets, drug stores, and almost everything we need here.

 

[HFWR]

Aside from the chronic meth/opioid use, blight, unemployment, and the "bubble" that goes with small-town living, how would you like it if Golden Corral was the premiere restaurant in town?

 

[COcheesehead]

I think the definition of "small" is relative. 30k vs 180k vs 2k produce drastically different "towns".

 

[Midpack]

I think the definition of "small" is relative. 30k vs 180k vs 2k produce drastically different "towns".

I was wondering the same thing with this thread. The "small towns" we've lived in have been populations from 30-80K, within an hour of a major metro area with populations from 2-10M. Some people undoubtedly think 30K is not a small town, like we do.

 

[Katiek]

I would definitely consider a small town, but at this stage in life, not a rural area. I'm planning ahead for a time when I won't be able to drive. In most rural areas, that wouldn't be feasible. A small town that had basic things within walking distance would be nice, but I'd want it to be within reasonable distance to a city with a top medical facility. I think a smaller city is probably the right balance for me.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I think as I age, the relative closeness to health care will be more and more important. The Air Force let me live in a lot of different areas (populations of about 20K to about 6 million) and we have decided that our "forever" home will be within 20-30 minutes of a mid-sized city and *not* in a cliquish small town. Thankfully, in "fly-over country", you can have a very decent spread of land and a home for not a lot of $$$. And, the mid-sized (500K-1M population) cities will be relatively close. We are quite through with "neighborhood" living; it's just not our cup of tea anymore. The only thing that is keeping us in the 'burbs of Atlanta is my elderly Father and when he's gone...so are we.

 

[Teacher Terry]

We lived in a town of 2k when young (my DH) was from there and we were accepted but it was not for me. We were 5 minutes away from a town of 20k and an hour to Syracuse. We have also lived in the burbs of a 450k population and we have now moved to 2 miles from downtown which we love. Walking distance is great for when the weather is nice. when I go back to the 100k town I grew up in there definitely is not enough to do.

 

[Sunset]

I would retire to a small town in heartbeat as long as there was a movie theater and a few good places to eat. My concern is where I live while I am still raising my kids. The city has a lot of drawbacks, I currently live in a town of 700, but I worry my kids are growing up very sheltered and unexposed to the 'real world'. Everybody they know is just like them.

For my younger years I grew up in small town, everyone knew me and I was free as a pre-teen to wander and play anywhere. It was very free.

I have zero regrets about growing up there, even if I was not exposed to the 'real world' which is full of terrible things, drugs, crime, violence.

We had well off folks, and some so poor, they had no running water and no toilets in the house (outhouse). Race was not an issue, as being a child it was not a factor and there were no gangs, no 'hoods' to separate us.

This town was so small there was no theater, 1 small independent grocery store, 1 garage for repairs, probably 100-200 homes, with farms behind most homes along the main street.

 

[ER Eddie]

My ideal is a town about 75,000 to 150,00 with a couple universities and opportunities for adult education. The town should be friendly and open, not insular.

I don't think I'd like living in a more rural setting, because I wouldn't want to be that far from hospitals, shopping, and universities.

 

[Backpacker]

My whole county doesn't have 25k people the "big city" nearest us is about 15k people. I dread going to the big city - give me the small town all day long. Retirement for us is staying put as a home base with the option to travel. I know where to find the city stuff and all that goes with it. Nice place to visit... but I wouldn't want to live there.

 

[Walt34]

Enticing, but if I had a 2 hour drive to a good hospital three years ago I wouldn't be posting here today.

Very likely the same for me too. When picking a location I had that thought in mind and I was glad I did.

Even without any emergency scenarios in mind when I got north of 64 it seems the Dr. visits have been increasing exponentially and I sure don't want to have to drive two hours for every office visit. And really, I don't want to have to drive an hour to get to a decent grocery store. But we both grew up in suburbia so perhaps we're spoiled.

 

[NW-Bound]

I was reading the thread "Alternatives to Santa Fe?" and didn't want to take anything away from that thread so I would like your thoughts on living in small towns or rural setting.

Does any one have to desire to live in rural America? You won't have the fancy things or all the great stores to go to at your finger tips. I'm talking 1 or 2 hour drive to big city shopping and good hospitals etc..

There is a lot of advantages for living in small towns. You become part of a small group, crime doesn't exist, can trust everyone and know everyone, you don't have to lock doors and so many outdoor activities to do. You can live so cheap but still so rich with the quality of life. I will say it is a very simple life with out any of the fancy things in life.

Is it for you or not for you?

My 2nd home in the high-country boondocks is in an unincorporated town. There are two nearby US post offices serving two different Zip codes, and they were not even sure where I belonged. The town is just a couple of square miles along a highway, surrounded by a national forest. The population is around 2,000, although it is higher if the census counted the weekenders like myself.

Go west on the highway, one gets to a town 55 miles away. Eastward, the highway leads you to another town 40 miles away. That's where people go for groceries, if they do not find what they need in a local country store. These towns have about 10,000 people each, and each has a hospital though I do not know what can be done there. Both have a Home Depot, good grocery stores, Walmart, etc...

I actually thought about selling my main home to retire up there. Then, I realized that I enjoyed the 2nd home as a retreat when we were still working, particularly in the summer to escape from the heat (it is at 7,000 ft elevation), but living full-time may not work out so well.

I started to see that healthcare would be a problem, as there is no pharmacy, and a doctor who operated a small clinic there packed up and left shortly after I came. A neighbor said the doctor could not make a living with Medicare and Medicaid. There's a dentist, but I have not needed to visit his office. There are two hardware stores with fairly good inventory. There's a Dairy Queen, and two gas stations, plus half a dozen burger and taco joints. That's pretty much it.

It is nice and quiet though. Crime rate is low. Most of the nicer homes are owned by weekenders, and may be easy to break into, but one would not find many valuables, so thieves may not bother.

I have a large deck, almost 1,000 sq.ft., overlooking a hillside, and with panoramic view of the national forest. In fact, I bought it for the unique location. I will keep it as a retreat for now, but living there full-time is no longer a consideration.

 

[street]

My whole county doesn't have 25k people the "big city" nearest us is about 15k people. I dread going to the big city - give me the small town all day long. Retirement for us is staying put as a home base with the option to travel. I know where to find the city stuff and all that goes with it. Nice place to visit... but I wouldn't want to live there.

Lol! Yep my county has 7500 people and an hour away a town of 17000. The little town I live on has a nice hospital with a good doctor and if something major 1 to 2 hours from large hospital. Crime is everywhere but in a small town (25 to 1000 people) if you are a druggy everyone knows and he will be arrested easier in a small town then a big town. Everyone watches out for everyone in a small town anyway the small town I have lived in and where I am now. I guess I'm with Backpacker I am a small town/rural person and have absolutely no desire to live in a town of even 30000.

 

[NW-Bound]

Talking about life in a small town where you know everybody, how about one where you share a roof with everybody?

How about this town with only 4 residents? In 1956, the town population was already down to 57.

Now, members of just one family are the last hangers-on. Margaret Collins serves as the town's clerk, and her husband, Don, is mayor. Collins' brother lives next door, and is married to her husband's sister — both are town councillors.​

In the summer, some part-timers come to their cottages, and the population jumped up to 10 or 11.

Welcome to Tilt Cove, Newfoundland. It even has two street lights. I went on Google Earth to look for street views, but the Google driver either has not heard of it or had problems finding it.

See: Canada's Smallest Town, Tilt Cove, N.L., Has A Population Of 4.

 

[street]

NW-Bound >>> that retreat sounds like a nice place. I see where some have posted they have a cabin or a retreat as well. I also have a cabin on 80 acres with great fishing and hunting which I go to often. Very remote and one way in and one way out in a box canyon. When I'm not there I want to be there. I love the solitude and being in touch with nature. I could never live there year around conditions are to extreme but I spend all the time I can there. To get to it you walk about 1700 feet all up and twisting. Not sure when I get up in age if I will be able to make the climb. In winter you snowshoe over a mile to get there.

 

[NW-Bound]

My place is not that isolated. It's only 1/4 mile from the highway, which is partially visible from my deck.

I do have some neighbors down the road, with about 1/2 being weekenders. The county snow plow turns around at my lot corner, so only the last couple hundred feet might be tough when it snows hard, which it does not do often. The people down the road, I do not know how they manage as it gets steep.

The home is not large, but comfortable and well built. I spent more on that home than on my main home.