https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/ Free help for Americans thinking about leaving the big city for a small town in the U.S.: the free book by Frank Rolfe and Dave Reynolds, a step-by-step guide and cost-of-living tools. en-us https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/making-friends-in-a-small-town/ https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/making-friends-in-a-small-town/ Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Say yes to invitations, volunteer, lean on your kids' activities, join a church or civic group, show up for town events, and avoid one common trap. https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/how-to-research-a-small-town-online/ https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/how-to-research-a-small-town-online/ Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT A step-by-step evening plan using free government tools for people, prices, crime, schools, hospitals, internet, flood risk, taxes and local news. https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/how-to-visit-a-small-town-before-you-move/ https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/how-to-visit-a-small-town-before-you-move/ Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Plan the trip like a first date, ask the right locals, then go back to see the town at night, on a weekday and in the season you'd dread most. https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/is-a-small-town-right-for-you/ https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/is-a-small-town-right-for-you/ Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Twelve honest questions about work, doctors, driving, shopping, privacy, pace, weather, friends, kids and family to answer before you move. https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/retiring-to-a-small-town-on-a-fixed-income/ https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/retiring-to-a-small-town-on-a-fixed-income/ Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT A practical checklist for retirees: hospitals and Medicare, property tax breaks, winter driving, airports, housing options and real price data. https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/small-town-suburb-or-exurb/ https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/small-town-suburb-or-exurb/ Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Plain definitions of urban, rural, metro and micro areas, Frank Rolfe's take on exurbs and super-commuters, and how to pick what fits you. https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/what-to-check-before-buying-a-house-in-a-small-town/ https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/what-to-check-before-buying-a-house-in-a-small-town/ Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT The book's four cautions plus a practical checklist covering inspections, well and septic, flood maps, internet, property taxes, surveys and zoning. https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/what-your-paycheck-is-worth-in-a-small-town/ https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/what-your-paycheck-is-worth-in-a-small-town/ Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Government price data shows how far a $75,000 income stretches in the rural part of a state, with six worked examples and the fine print. https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/working-remotely-from-a-small-town/ https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/working-remotely-from-a-small-town/ Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT How to check internet at a specific address, plan a backup, find a place to work, handle office days and time zones, and rethink your career. https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/financial-benefits-of-small-town-living/ https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/financial-benefits-of-small-town-living/ Fri, 11 Sep 2020 12:00:00 GMT Frank Rolfe's short list of where small-town living saves money: housing, school tuition, recreation and keeping up with the Joneses. https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/dont-get-too-close-to-the-repairman/ https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/dont-get-too-close-to-the-repairman/ Mon, 01 Jul 2013 12:00:00 GMT Contractors are often the first people you get to know after a move, but here's why they shouldn't become your circle of friends. https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/my-small-town-story/ https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/my-small-town-story/ Mon, 01 Jul 2013 12:00:00 GMT Perry Burget on leaving Denver for the small town he grew up in, the rough first years, and why his family stayed. https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/city-living-a-culture-of-bad-value/ https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/city-living-a-culture-of-bad-value/ Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:00:00 GMT Why the near absence of pushy retail is one of the quiet luxuries of small-town life, for your kids and for your budget. https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/build-a-family-estate/ https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/build-a-family-estate/ Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:00:00 GMT Why a family home meant to last for generations is easier for heirs to afford, and to keep, in a small town than in a big city. https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/mayberry-does-exist/ https://www.smalltownguide.com/articles/mayberry-does-exist/ Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:00:00 GMT Frank Rolfe on moving from a big city to a small town and finding that the friendly, look-out-for-each-other Mayberry is real.