There are towns that wouldn't exist at all but for transfer payment checks (barely) sustaining the few people that didn't leave. That's not every small town, to be sure, and that dynamic is true in a lot of neighborhoods in cities, but all of them are depressing.

Carlo4 said:

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You'll live to 85-90 with much higher odds in a small town with little stress.

I noticed it one time when I went to a funeral for my Godmother's mom out in Mt. Pleasant. Every headstone has people living to those ages petty routinely.

Always remembered that. Wife and I will do that one day.

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Life expectancy is higher in cities.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/people-in-rural-areas-die-at-higher-rates-than-those-in-urban-areas/?amp=true

Small town living isn't for me at the moment, but it seems more desirable the older I get. I have always lived in large cities, with the exception of my time at A&M, but I am growing more and more sensitive to the noise and chaos of the city.

I'll tell you one thing about small towns...we don't put up with no s***!

Slicer97 said:

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I can't understand the appeal of living in a large city if you're not single.

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Job opportunities.

it is depressing. nothing to do, homogenous population, not much culture, lesser education opportunities, decaying facilities. no thanks

I lived in a small town until I was 15 and then my family moved to College Station. After having lived in both and as I have gotten older, having all of the amenities of a city is nice but I would rather move back to a small town. Small town values, the friendliness of the people, better for kids are some of the things that I like over a big city.

Token said:

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it is depressing. nothing to do, homogenous population, not much culture, lesser education opportunities, decaying facilities. no thanks

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Depends on the town.

What definition are you using for "homogenous"?

jwoodmd said:

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infinity ag said:

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I love Google Maps, so I just pick random small towns and turn on Street View and "walk" through the neighborhoods. They all seem deserted, no one even on Main Street, most places seem dilapidated and deserted. Houses are so far apart in some cases that you don't even have real neighbors.

College Station is the smallest town I've lived in so I don't know how it is to live in places like Dime Box, TX or Loda, IL.

Is it really as depressing as it seems? What do residents of these towns do for work?

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Being your point of reference is overcrowded India where Indians who come to the US sit on top of each other even in a large empty room, you'll never be able to figure out small town America.

Now, sadly small town America is dying. Small towns that 30 years ago were quaint and had some life to them are ghost towns and as my daughter says "totally suicidal" if you spend too much time there. Abandoned homes with weed infested yards can ruin a neighborhood. Small towns once were also independent (you had shopping, banks, insurance agencies, mechanics, doctors, respectable small hospital, restaurants, etc.) but are no longer self sufficient. If one wants to be away from the big city, you need some acreage to build your own environment.

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Wal Mart killed small towns in the 70's and 80's. They've been dying for 50-years.

agracer said:

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jwoodmd said:

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infinity ag said:

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I love Google Maps, so I just pick random small towns and turn on Street View and "walk" through the neighborhoods. They all seem deserted, no one even on Main Street, most places seem dilapidated and deserted. Houses are so far apart in some cases that you don't even have real neighbors.

College Station is the smallest town I've lived in so I don't know how it is to live in places like Dime Box, TX or Loda, IL.

Is it really as depressing as it seems? What do residents of these towns do for work?

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Being your point of reference is overcrowded India where Indians who come to the US sit on top of each other even in a large empty room, you'll never be able to figure out small town America.

Now, sadly small town America is dying. Small towns that 30 years ago were quaint and had some life to them are ghost towns and as my daughter says "totally suicidal" if you spend too much time there. Abandoned homes with weed infested yards can ruin a neighborhood. Small towns once were also independent (you had shopping, banks, insurance agencies, mechanics, doctors, respectable small hospital, restaurants, etc.) but are no longer self sufficient. If one wants to be away from the big city, you need some acreage to build your own environment.

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Wal Mart killed small towns in the 70's and 80's. They've been dying for 50-years.

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My small town hometown didn't get a Walmart until the 90's - but, yea, Walmart was/is the worst thing for a small town.