We very often hear stories about people who live in some of the world’s biggest cities, and how much they love to be part of iconic urban environments like New York, Chicago and L.A. but very rarely do we hear people talk about the benefits fo small town living. My buddy Daniel DeKoter and I are residents of Osceola County, Iowa, a very small county with a population of almost 7,000. This small town living that we have become accustomed to is wonderful and filled with benefits. Dan is an attorney in Des Moines and instead of moving closer to his work, he prefers to stay living here in Osceola County, and making the 40 minute commute to work each day, and here is why.
Lower Cost of Living
Th cost of living in smaller towns is almost always cheaper than living in a city, comparatively speaking at least. It is not just the rents and the property prices that are cheaper either, here in the small towns like Osceola County we pay less for bills, utilities, taxes and even groceries and gas. Even between here and Des Moines just 40 minutes away, the cost of living is much cheaper.
Less Crime
Crime figures in small towns across the USA are negligent, especially when compared with bigger cities. We have no gangs in small towns, no organized crime, and very little petty crime too. This is mainly because we are such a tight knit community, and that naturally lends itself to a more secure neighborhood. It isn’t a rare occurrence to find kids playing alone outdoors, doors left open and bikes unchained in the street. Living in a neighborhood with practically zero crime is really refreshing way of life in this current world.
Less Traffic
Traffic in many major cities is an absolute nightmare, especially during peak hours. The people who do live in big cities must lose so much of their life just sat in a car waiting for the traffic to free up, a problem which small towns simply don’t have. The result of such heavy traffic in these big cities is a huge increase in the amount of pollution, something else which we don’t have in the smaller towns. Basically, in smaller towns you can breathe better, and enjoy more time doing what you want to do, because your journey times are significantly reduced.
Slower Pace
Nobody hurries in these small towns quite the way that they do in the cities, we seem to have more time for everything and that creates a far more relaxed and stress-free way of living. In the city everything is crazy and fast-paced, this results in people only being out for themselves, and never stopping to look at the world around them, not to mention increased stress levels. For a slower and more chilled out way of living, a small town is the answer.