Is Small Town USA The New Retirement Destination?
An article in Monday's Wall Street Journal by Kelly Green states what we at Back Roads, Charming Towns already know is a growing trend.
No, not that brown is the new black, but that small towns 
are the new retirement destinations. While golf courses, mountain terrains and shorelines continue to lure many in their retirement years, small town America is a preferred location for an increasing number of us.
What is it about these communities that makes them so appealing?
According to the WSJ, in their conversations with those making retirement decisions, there are several characteristics that draw people to America's small towns:
- the ease with which new residents can make a connection with their neighbors,
- a setting that allows opportunities for post-career activities, such as a new hobby (including surprisingly a renewed interest in farming by many transplants!) or a second career,
- reasonable cost of living,
- meaningful volunteer opportunities, and
- proximity to children or grandchildren.
Specifically highlighted is Mount Airy, North Carolina, the model for the fictitious Mayberry of the 1960s television program. Complete with a picturesque Main Street populated with a community theater, winery, a coffee shop with wireless access and local boutiques, the Mount Airy of today has benefited from its growing appeal as a hometown. Former and current resident Paul Lydens calls the town's friendly nature "the Mount Airy way." In addition to the natural beauty of the area -- located in the foothills of Northwestern North Carolina -- the town has gone to great lengths in recent years to develop open spaces and green pathways, including a riverside park with fly fishing.
According to the article, these types of communities -- with few commuters and core populations of less than 50,000 -- have received a new designation as "micropolitan areas" in the U.S. Census. For a list of these communities, visit www.census.gov/popest/metro.html.
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