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There are lots of small towns out there that seem to be stagnant or declining. But there are some standouts. I'm looking for some small, very family-friendly towns that are proud, lively and have bright future.
There are lots of small towns out there that seem to be stagnant or declining. But there are some standouts. I'm looking for some small family-friendly towns that are proud, lively and have bright future.
Kearney kind of stands alone, as far as being near a big city. A drive to Omaha for the day would be a bit much, when you include whatever your activity might be for the day. Doable, but a little far for me. Kearney has a 4 year college, with a student population of over 6,000, so that always helps a smaller town stay relevant. It's a nice size for a small city...not too small that there's nothing to do.
What is considered to be a small town within this context? Ithaca NY(city) is about the same as both of these small cities in population and is seeing a good amount of development.
Saratoga Springs is another NY community that is in a county that has been growing and is close enough to Albany, Lake George and the Adirondack Mountains.
What is considered to be a small town within this context? Ithaca NY(city) is about the same as both of these small cities in population and is seeing a good amount of development.
Saratoga Springs is another NY community that is in a county that has been growing and is close enough to Albany, Lake George and the Adirondack Mountains.
Under 50,000 in population, which Ithaca is, though some people may want it to be bigger, like under 100,000.
I prefer small towns that are growing well. They are more interesting to watch as more new stores and housing additions come in. Maybe even a new factory. Kearney is growing faster than Ithaca or Saratoga Springs. So is Cookeville.
Surely, about every state has one of those small towns doing unusually well. In Oklahoma it would be Durant. However, not sure if it would count as a very family friendly town since it's home to a huge casino-hotel complex.
Under 50,000 in population, which Ithaca is, though some people may want it to be bigger, like under 100,000.
I prefer small towns that are growing well. They are more interesting to watch as more new stores and housing additions come in. Maybe even a new factory. Kearney is growing faster than Ithaca or Saratoga Springs. So is Cookeville.
Surely, about every state has one of those small towns doing unusually well. In Oklahoma it would be Durant. However, not sure if it would count as a very family friendly town since it's home to a huge casino-hotel complex.
To be fair to Ithaca, it is only 5.39 square miles. Kearney is 14.88 square miles, Cookeville is 35.77 square miles and Saratoga Springs is 28.07 square miles(with a pretty dense Downtown/core). All are similar in population, but may have differences in terms of built environment/infrastructure development. So, some of this may depend on what a family is looking for.
I know that both Ithaca and Saratoga Springs also have good schools and would be another factor for families to consider.
There are lots of small towns out there that seem to be stagnant or declining. But there are some standouts. I'm looking for some small, very family-friendly towns that are proud, lively and have bright future.
Fredericksburg Texas to me is one of the very best. I almost don't want to mention it because some of the locals there might get mad. A true gem of a downtown to boot.
Also, Placerville California. Same vibe, different region of the country.
Home to Cornell College and 20 miles north of Iowa City (University of Iowa). Very quaint and very family oriented. Excellent schools and programs. A lot of young professionals live here and many new housing developments. Beautiful countryside and parks.
Last edited by smpliving; 02-21-2023 at 04:33 PM..
Cookeville has a university and relative proximity to Nashville. It also doesn't have the drawbacks of rural Tennessee.
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