I got to thinking about small town Texas and so many that are disappearing as the previous two generations pass on, stop farming, sell land, sell small business, etc.

And it made me wonder: what small towns will still be small 20,30,40 years from now? What is the criteria needed to stay small?

X hr drive from urban center?
X mile distance to nearest interstate?
Current population under X?

What are your thoughts? If someone wanted to buy a place today, and have a 20 year plan to retire to that home, and wanted a darn good guarantee it would still be small town Texas - what would be your data points for picking a place? Any guesses on towns that might fit the bill?

Grew up in a small town. City moved closer and closer. So we left and moved to a small town that had some cousins.It is another small area and it has stayed small for years. Don't see it growing too much for many years. Its just too far to big city for most. Cant tell you where it is because of obvious reasons.

Look at many of the East Texas towns. Logging will never be what it used to be, no real economic development on the horizon, etc. You also have to want to change, and I believe many are happy to see no growth. My hometown has shrunk since I grew up, and is nothing compared to what it was when my parents grew up. I love the area and plan to move my family there this year, only because I have a seasonal job and it's an easy commute. Otherwise I'd have a tough time making a living with my skill set in the area.

One high school is a good small town definition to me

Sheesh I was thinking under 2500, maybe 3000. Like a two stop light, one high school, small grocery store kinda place.

Sasappis said:

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What do you consider a small town? 50k, 30k, 15k or 5k?

What do you consider to "still be a small town"?

The best bet is a county seat.

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2A or smaller, maybe 3A. Growing up Crockett was considered a good sized town, Lufkin and Nacogdoches were the big cities. My hometown is 275, it's all about perspective I suppose.

Town I grew up near has doubled in popn since I was a kid. 300+ people today.

I think most of the small towns in the panhandle will stay small.

SunrayAg said:

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I think most of the small towns in the panhandle will stay small.

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Username checks out.

CenterHillAg said:

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Sasappis said:

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What do you consider a small town? 50k, 30k, 15k or 5k?

What do you consider to "still be a small town"?

The best bet is a county seat.

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2A or smaller, maybe 3A. Growing up Crockett was considered a good sized town, Lufkin and Nacogdoches were the big cities. My hometown is 275, it's all about perspective I suppose.

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I grew up in San Augustine, but moved to the big city of Nacogdoches a few years ago!

No Chili's

Most of the small towns in Texas have another small town just like it eight miles down the road. Out west where I now live, a small town can be a gas station/cafe/post office with a k-8 grade school. High school is a boarding school over an hour away! I'm a two hour drive from the nearest Wal-Mart and love it. I still like small town Texas life,though.

I'm from Fort Stockton so I'm not worried about going big.

One Dairy Queen, preferably not remodeled

jja79 said:

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I'm from Fort Stockton so I'm not worried about going big.

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But you have a mesa covered by a vineyard, desert brine shrimp, a spring, a huge pecan orchard, and the Firestone test track. What's not to love??

Edits because I can't code.

One establishment.....at the end of the cruising strip that serves as THE turnaround.

Mr. AGSPRT04 said:

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One Dairy Queen, preferably not remodeled

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This

You know a town is small when the new principal is hired, and his four kids increase the district's enrollment by double digits.

I'd say there is some ratio of chain restaurants to non-chains. Once the franchises outnumber the locally owned places, it's not a small town.

Is it small enough if the local theater projects a movie on the side of the grain elevator as a makeshift drive in to give folks something to do during the COVID- 19 ordeal? Because that happened in Dumas, Texas, the County seat of Moore County, Texas.

Childress

100-140 miles from Amarillo, Lubbock, Wichita Falls,
OK City

6000 people in the county.

Grew up there, family is still there. I left to go to A&M wondering why anyone would live there. I'd give a lot to move my family back there now.

They've got a heck of a nice golf course in Childress. When I lived in Wichita Falls, we had a group that would play the course on a somewhat regular basis.

HBJ said:

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Childress

100-140 miles from Amarillo, Lubbock, Wichita Falls,
OK City

6000 people in the county.

Grew up there, family is still there. I left to go to A&M wondering why anyone would live there. I'd give a lot to move my family back there now.

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For a small town I know a lot of people from Childress.

Hamburger Dan said:

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They've got a heck of a nice golf course in Childress. When I lived in Wichita Falls, we had a group that would play the course on a somewhat regular basis.

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I'm guessing that was before river creek in Burk?


My small town had two famous movies filmed in it. It will always be small, and has hovered around 1800 population for years.

Go where people don't want to be. I promise you that in 20 yrs the crappy parts of west texas will still be crappy and empty.

Post
Dimmitt
Hereford
Lamesa
Brownfield
Tulia
Littlefield
Leveland
Friona
Snyder

HBJ said:

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Childress

100-140 miles from Amarillo, Lubbock, Wichita Falls,
OK City

6000 people in the county.

Grew up there, family is still there. I left to go to A&M wondering why anyone would live there. I'd give a lot to move my family back there now.

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Actually the best town in Texas. My children left very young and they still talk about moving back. They are all in their mid 20s now.

I loved that town. Still do. I am from Clarendon but worked in Childress for several years.

expresswrittenconsent said:

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Go where people don't want to be. I promise you that in 20 yrs the crappy parts of west texas will still be crappy and empty.

Post
Dimmitt
Hereford
Lamesa
Brownfield
Tulia
Littlefield
Leveland
Friona
Snyder

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This is so true. It's funny when most people say they want a small town to raise a family what they often mean is that they want a small town 30 minutes from Austin, Houston, Dallas or San Antonio. I grew up in a small town but live in a big city now. I often wonder if the trade-offs are worth it for my family. There are pluses and minuses for both.

Sonic in Beeville

expresswrittenconsent said:

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Go where people don't want to be. I promise you that in 20 yrs the crappy parts of west texas will still be crappy and empty.

Post
Dimmitt
Hereford
Lamesa
Brownfield
Tulia
Littlefield
Leveland
Friona
Snyder

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Akchewly

LEJ said:

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expresswrittenconsent said:

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Go where people don't want to be. I promise you that in 20 yrs the crappy parts of west texas will still be crappy and empty.

Post
Dimmitt
Hereford
Lamesa
Brownfield
Tulia
Littlefield
Leveland
Friona
Snyder

Akchewly

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Purt' near nailed every branch on my family tree with this list! Friona is the the familial anchor!

If the town participates in Meth Watch.

TwoMarksHand said:

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Hamburger Dan said:

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They've got a heck of a nice golf course in Childress. When I lived in Wichita Falls, we had a group that would play the course on a somewhat regular basis.

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I'm guessing that was before river creek in Burk?


My small town had two famous movies filmed in it. It will always be small, and has hovered around 1800 population for years.

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TwoMarksHand said:

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Hamburger Dan said:

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They've got a heck of a nice golf course in Childress. When I lived in Wichita Falls, we had a group that would play the course on a somewhat regular basis.

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I'm guessing that was before river creek in Burk?

My small town had two famous movies filmed in it. It will always be small, and has hovered around 1800 population for years.

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Nope. I coach golf, my buddies and I are somewhat golf snobs. It wasn't uncommon for 6-8 us to drive 3-4 hours to play golf throughout the summer. I love Scott and River Creek, even worked there for awhile. I left for Lubbock four years ago. I don't miss WF too much, but I sure miss P 2, Casa Manana, and P3.