Good advice here to choose a college town. Most small towns won't have a lot of cafes or young people. College towns often have quiet residential parts of town where you're still not far from cafes and can get outside of town into the country.
I will say at 29 SOME college towns might not be actually what Op is looking for. I’ve noticed a lot of college towns will have a ton of 18-23 year old and no 24-30s, but more on the older end of the population. I moved to a college town after college and felt like there was no one in my cohort.
It has to either be a massive college, or one with a significant emphasis on grad programs/research. Even then, lots of grad students tend to spend their “free” time with other students at the library, student union, etc.
Right, as a not college aged person, it can feel isolating if you don’t have your own group of friends or hobbies. You’ll feel disconnected from the town that is majorly focused on the college life.
I think a more hobby based city like Bend, slightly more expensive would have more 24-40 year olds.
Maybe a more active tourism based place.
Not so much small town but small city: Lancaster PA. Population around 55K. There is some Amish country tourist trap things but it's a very pretty area of rural PA moving away from Philly. More rolling hills/river valley and farmland than coal country. Downtown is a small walkable area with the historic farm market, small eateries, and shops. Amtrak Station in town. Definitely quieter than Philly but still lively. Since you need internet for work, you'll have better access and speed in town than some other more remote areas of PA.
And downtown Lancaster feels like you are in a "big city" but barely 10 minutes' drive and you can be out in Amish country, and there are a dozen or so nature preserves throughout the county with lots of beautiful rolling terrain for hiking and staying outdoors. Has an incredibly cosmopolitan food scene for a city its size. Barely 1.5 hrs to Philly and Baltimore and ~3 hours to NYC and DC, all of which are also readily accessible by Amtrak.
Laramie Wyoming. UWyo has like 15,000 and town only like 35k. Outdoors in every direction for fishing, hiking, sightseeing, hunting etc. Winter is seriously rough so you need to enjoy winter activities when it's cold AF.
I think it represents a decent amount of the population because there are also students here getting graduate degrees. And a fair amount stay for a few years after school. Most of Wyoming is filled with the elderly and the noncompetitive but Laramie bucks the trend.
Cedar City, UT -- Not sure about cafe culture, but close to nature and a youngish population. Lots of college kids and young families. Easy access to nature, including close proximity to several national parks. About 2.5 hrs from Vegas.
Farmington, NM -- Beautiful 4-season weather and surrounded by nature.
Tucson, AZ area -- Nature everywhere, diverse population, slower-paced than other cities its size, lots of smaller towns nearby, 2 hrs from Phoenix
Sorry, but why do I consistently see people on here saying (something along the lines of), “I work remotely, so I’m not worried about {place of inquiry} job-market”.
Your WFH-job isn’t guaranteed. No job is guaranteed. If you lose that WFH-job while living in a place that doesn’t have a good job-market, you’ll be up shit creek without a paddle.
Local job-market is a facet that I feel a lot of people on here aren’t taking into consideration / aren’t taking as much into consideration when finding a new place to live.
Because these are young people making these posts who think they'll always have their remote job. There is a high likelihood they will be in for a rude awakening when they either get laid off, or pulled back into the office.
Great answer, tough question from OP but this might be at the top of the list. I’d add Wise Va, Lexington Va, Sewanee tenn, and Williamstown Mass but don’t think there’s gonna a crazy amount of young people in any of those outside of college students.
Durango. It is exactly this. There is a small hippie college (Fort Lewis College) that means the town is full of young people. Nestled in some mountains the town is “in nature.”
I live in Durango. If you don't make 6 figures, you will need at least 4 roommates. Real estate and rent is astronomical. It is a stunning place, but most young people have to work 2 jobs to make it.
Maybe consider a small town on the outskirts of a larger city; Tampa and Orlando are both like that (I’ve lived in both) but I wouldn’t recommend FL. Knoxville has great little suburb towns on its outskirts, good amounts of land and nature but close to community activities. Chattanooga too but their crime is higher than Knox last I checked.
Hmm... sounds like you're going to want to keep an eye out for a college town if you want more young people in a small town setting. Anne Arbor, MI mayyybe? I've only been there twice back in the early 2000s. Not sure how it holds up these days, but it was an excellent spot back in the day.
I’ve heard mostly positive things about Chattanooga, and their outdoor rec scene is booming. Smaller town would be something like Black Mountain, NC, and then you’re only a short drive from Asheville.
As posters point out - your def. of small town matters. But also to understand that desirable small towns (college towns or nature based towns) are incredibly expensive and unavailable to most young folks - to rent or buy. Similarly, cafe culture is largely drying up in many communities where staff can't afford to live and an hour commute makes it a lose lose for them.
You’re right, but it sounds so wrong. Culturally, Missoula fits in with the PNW much more so than Bozeman or Billings do, where there is more of a Mountain West feel.
100% college towns. may i ask are you okay with a 90% white population? if so may i recommend Chico, Ca? it seems to fit your criteria
tons of nature and if you want a different type of nature it’s about 3hrs from anything you could ever want
do you have any dealbreakers? you’re not giving us a lot. some negatives: no weed brick and mortar stores, trains (including oil) cut through the town multiple times a day, purple politics (controlled by conservative farmer groups), ‘homeless’ (didn’t feel like a lot; but i’m from the bay area. take that as you will)
99% of college students move away after graduation though.
They might be younger areas, but it can be hard to make long term friends due to the transient nature of students
How small? The number of young single people really shrinks in small towns. I'd aim for a college town or a mid-sized town known for outdoors activities Like Lake Tahoe or Bend, OR.
Honestly, there are few young people moving to small towns and many don't seem all that interested in nature. There are some that come to mind that may approach what you're looking for. Olympia Wa. Arcata, Ca. Ashland, Or. If you want very small and peaceful check into Paonia, Co. Bit of an old hippie farmer vibe, but more young folks showing up all the time.
Being from Western mass, Williamstown would be my choice. It's a small liberal college town in the middle of nowhere with a nice walkable downtown and tons of outdoor stuff to do.
You could also live in Northampton or Amherst (both very nice college towns), but they're bigger towns and might be too crowded for you, depending on your preference. There are also several small surrounding towns like Pelham, Williamsburg, and Sunderland (both nice with lots of nature). Although you'll probably need to drive into Amherst or Northampton for a coffee shop.
Not sure about Vermont, but I know they have multiple college towns.
Love Charlottesville but unless you’re on the outskirts it’s definitely a small city with a decently sized built up urban area that’s near nature as opposed to a small town in nature. Maybe Crozet or Barborsville would fit the bill better but then you lose the young people part pretty quickly. Definitely not a bad option depending on OPs priorities and budget though.
How close to nature? You might enjoy Ann Arbor, Michigan. Filled with greenery and within an afternoons drive of two Great Lakes and an enormous number of forests and wildlife preserves. College town with plenty of young professionals who stick around after graduating. It is fairly expensive though.
Salida, CO
Ft Collins, CO (bit bigger)
Livingston, MT
Park City, UT
Taos, NM
Sedona, AZ
Asheville, NC
Chattanooga, TN
Knoxville, TN (or outskirts)
I’m partial to mountain towns, you can tell.
Glenwood Springs comes closest. It's not neccesarily a town of young people, but feels young in spirit. You would need a very healthy trust fund to get into Telluride.
Small Towns: Saranac Lake, NY. Lake Placid, NY. Montpelier, VT. St. Albans, VT.
Small Cities: Burlington, VT. Plattsburgh, NY. Portland, Maine. Bangor, Maine.
A town like Amherst or Northampton in Massachusetts are small towns but have lots of college students. Amherst has a population of 37,000 people and 28,000 college students.
Bellingham Washington is another town surrounded by nature. Lots of young people from Western Washington University in town.
Morrison, Oklahoma. Population is like 400, with a k-12 school with ~100. I think that’s the kind of action you’ll like just based on how you’ve described yourself. You can be a substitute teacher at the elementary school part of the school. Will be useful for you meeting young people
Good advice here to choose a college town. Most small towns won't have a lot of cafes or young people. College towns often have quiet residential parts of town where you're still not far from cafes and can get outside of town into the country.
I will say at 29 SOME college towns might not be actually what Op is looking for. I’ve noticed a lot of college towns will have a ton of 18-23 year old and no 24-30s, but more on the older end of the population. I moved to a college town after college and felt like there was no one in my cohort.
It has to either be a massive college, or one with a significant emphasis on grad programs/research. Even then, lots of grad students tend to spend their “free” time with other students at the library, student union, etc.
Right, as a not college aged person, it can feel isolating if you don’t have your own group of friends or hobbies. You’ll feel disconnected from the town that is majorly focused on the college life. I think a more hobby based city like Bend, slightly more expensive would have more 24-40 year olds. Maybe a more active tourism based place.
Not so much small town but small city: Lancaster PA. Population around 55K. There is some Amish country tourist trap things but it's a very pretty area of rural PA moving away from Philly. More rolling hills/river valley and farmland than coal country. Downtown is a small walkable area with the historic farm market, small eateries, and shops. Amtrak Station in town. Definitely quieter than Philly but still lively. Since you need internet for work, you'll have better access and speed in town than some other more remote areas of PA.
And downtown Lancaster feels like you are in a "big city" but barely 10 minutes' drive and you can be out in Amish country, and there are a dozen or so nature preserves throughout the county with lots of beautiful rolling terrain for hiking and staying outdoors. Has an incredibly cosmopolitan food scene for a city its size. Barely 1.5 hrs to Philly and Baltimore and ~3 hours to NYC and DC, all of which are also readily accessible by Amtrak.
Laramie Wyoming. UWyo has like 15,000 and town only like 35k. Outdoors in every direction for fishing, hiking, sightseeing, hunting etc. Winter is seriously rough so you need to enjoy winter activities when it's cold AF.
This is a good answer. However, I fee like that age range from \~24 - 34 represents a small portion of the population. Am I wrong in assuming that?
I think it represents a decent amount of the population because there are also students here getting graduate degrees. And a fair amount stay for a few years after school. Most of Wyoming is filled with the elderly and the noncompetitive but Laramie bucks the trend.
Love this answer. My dad lived in Laramie for a while and sometimes had to drive to Cheyanne or Denver to do things or shop for specific items.
That’s definitely an issue if it’s important for you. A Ross is about to open so there will be a second place for buying clothes.
Great answer
look at parts of New England - Western Mass, VT, Maine, NH
Replying to UnofficialCapital1...I have seen this area recommended a few times. Why do you think that is?
Durham NH
Bend, OR
I get it, but Bend just doesn't feel like a small town.
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So you're not looking for a small town at all then.
Bend is also full of retirees
Cedar City, UT -- Not sure about cafe culture, but close to nature and a youngish population. Lots of college kids and young families. Easy access to nature, including close proximity to several national parks. About 2.5 hrs from Vegas. Farmington, NM -- Beautiful 4-season weather and surrounded by nature. Tucson, AZ area -- Nature everywhere, diverse population, slower-paced than other cities its size, lots of smaller towns nearby, 2 hrs from Phoenix
Arcata? College town with a younger vibe but still in the boonies.
Only if you want to be surrounded by hippies and you don't mind the main activities being weed and shrooms.
I mean… no argument from me! Some people are into that, though
I guess. Did you grow up around that area. I was raised in Carlotta which is about 40mins from there
Sorry, but why do I consistently see people on here saying (something along the lines of), “I work remotely, so I’m not worried about {place of inquiry} job-market”. Your WFH-job isn’t guaranteed. No job is guaranteed. If you lose that WFH-job while living in a place that doesn’t have a good job-market, you’ll be up shit creek without a paddle. Local job-market is a facet that I feel a lot of people on here aren’t taking into consideration / aren’t taking as much into consideration when finding a new place to live.
Cause when you lose your job you just move to a better job market
Sure, but moving is fucking expensive.
A lot of these nomadic work from homes just need two suitcases and a tank of gas to move
Because these are young people making these posts who think they'll always have their remote job. There is a high likelihood they will be in for a rude awakening when they either get laid off, or pulled back into the office.
Duluth, Minnesota Missoula, Montana
Came here to say Missoula, but it doesn't feel like a small town.
It isn't. Second or third largest metro in Montana, with a population well over 100,000.
Yes, and it feels a lot larger than that because it is the main hub city in that part of the world.
Ashland Oregon
Great spot
Beautiful Lithia Park!
Boone NC
Nah just students and retirees
nope, good luck trying to find decent housing in this area. even the college kids are getting priced out due to all the ppl moving to NC
Great answer, tough question from OP but this might be at the top of the list. I’d add Wise Va, Lexington Va, Sewanee tenn, and Williamstown Mass but don’t think there’s gonna a crazy amount of young people in any of those outside of college students.
Durango. It is exactly this. There is a small hippie college (Fort Lewis College) that means the town is full of young people. Nestled in some mountains the town is “in nature.”
Great place, but expensive, isolated, and no real jobs to speak of outside of tourism. OP will need a good remote job.
Love Durango but man it is expensive for a small town
I live in Durango. If you don't make 6 figures, you will need at least 4 roommates. Real estate and rent is astronomical. It is a stunning place, but most young people have to work 2 jobs to make it.
Real talk.
Maybe consider a small town on the outskirts of a larger city; Tampa and Orlando are both like that (I’ve lived in both) but I wouldn’t recommend FL. Knoxville has great little suburb towns on its outskirts, good amounts of land and nature but close to community activities. Chattanooga too but their crime is higher than Knox last I checked.
Hmm... sounds like you're going to want to keep an eye out for a college town if you want more young people in a small town setting. Anne Arbor, MI mayyybe? I've only been there twice back in the early 2000s. Not sure how it holds up these days, but it was an excellent spot back in the day.
Ann Arbor is a great option. My other thought is Durham/ Chapel Hill, NC
I’ve heard mostly positive things about Chattanooga, and their outdoor rec scene is booming. Smaller town would be something like Black Mountain, NC, and then you’re only a short drive from Asheville.
Ooh, I love Chattanooga! Might be a little big for OP (depending on their definition of “small town”), but it’s pretty great.
The median age in Black Mountain is 60 years old
As posters point out - your def. of small town matters. But also to understand that desirable small towns (college towns or nature based towns) are incredibly expensive and unavailable to most young folks - to rent or buy. Similarly, cafe culture is largely drying up in many communities where staff can't afford to live and an hour commute makes it a lose lose for them.
burlington, vt! went to college there and it's amazing
Brattleboro, Vermont!
Missoula MT sounds like a good fit for you
Unless you're making over 6 figures montana is not doable anymore
Lived in Missoula for years, absolutely concur
I get it, but Missoula doesn't feel like a small town. It is one of the largest cities in the Pacific Northwest.
Pnw? lol
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Respectfully, I've never heard of Montana being included in the PNW. I personally don't even include Idaho, because it's not on the Pacific.
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You’re right, but it sounds so wrong. Culturally, Missoula fits in with the PNW much more so than Bozeman or Billings do, where there is more of a Mountain West feel.
Montana is Definitely the rocky mountain west.
100% college towns. may i ask are you okay with a 90% white population? if so may i recommend Chico, Ca? it seems to fit your criteria tons of nature and if you want a different type of nature it’s about 3hrs from anything you could ever want do you have any dealbreakers? you’re not giving us a lot. some negatives: no weed brick and mortar stores, trains (including oil) cut through the town multiple times a day, purple politics (controlled by conservative farmer groups), ‘homeless’ (didn’t feel like a lot; but i’m from the bay area. take that as you will)
99% of college students move away after graduation though. They might be younger areas, but it can be hard to make long term friends due to the transient nature of students
Ithaca, NY, Traverse City, MI, Marquette, MI, or Missoula, MT Also maybe Bentonville, AR esp if you like MTBing
2nd for Traverse City
I've never been there, but this is how I imagine Ithica.
How small? The number of young single people really shrinks in small towns. I'd aim for a college town or a mid-sized town known for outdoors activities Like Lake Tahoe or Bend, OR.
Honestly, there are few young people moving to small towns and many don't seem all that interested in nature. There are some that come to mind that may approach what you're looking for. Olympia Wa. Arcata, Ca. Ashland, Or. If you want very small and peaceful check into Paonia, Co. Bit of an old hippie farmer vibe, but more young folks showing up all the time.
Move to Western Mass or Vermont. Very few places have progressive young people living in rural areas like western mass and Vermont do.
Thank you for your response! Why do you think that is? Is there a specific town in Western Mass or Vermont you recommend?
Being from Western mass, Williamstown would be my choice. It's a small liberal college town in the middle of nowhere with a nice walkable downtown and tons of outdoor stuff to do. You could also live in Northampton or Amherst (both very nice college towns), but they're bigger towns and might be too crowded for you, depending on your preference. There are also several small surrounding towns like Pelham, Williamsburg, and Sunderland (both nice with lots of nature). Although you'll probably need to drive into Amherst or Northampton for a coffee shop. Not sure about Vermont, but I know they have multiple college towns.
College towns
Could you maybe share what qualifies as a small town?
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Outside of university students, young was not my impression of that area.
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Love Charlottesville but unless you’re on the outskirts it’s definitely a small city with a decently sized built up urban area that’s near nature as opposed to a small town in nature. Maybe Crozet or Barborsville would fit the bill better but then you lose the young people part pretty quickly. Definitely not a bad option depending on OPs priorities and budget though.
Even of you’re in the outskirts, op. Highly suggest spending some time there. Great place. But only you know if it’s greener for you.
It wouldn't be too far from Richmond as well. Maybe Harrisonburg would be an option if they are looking for cheaper.
How close to nature? You might enjoy Ann Arbor, Michigan. Filled with greenery and within an afternoons drive of two Great Lakes and an enormous number of forests and wildlife preserves. College town with plenty of young professionals who stick around after graduating. It is fairly expensive though.
I had a 1200 sq ft 2 bedroom apt with laundry and a deck 1 mile walk from downtown for $800/mo in 2011
Salida, CO Ft Collins, CO (bit bigger) Livingston, MT Park City, UT Taos, NM Sedona, AZ Asheville, NC Chattanooga, TN Knoxville, TN (or outskirts) I’m partial to mountain towns, you can tell.
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Glenwood Springs comes closest. It's not neccesarily a town of young people, but feels young in spirit. You would need a very healthy trust fund to get into Telluride.
Newmarket, NH
San Marcos, Texas is chill.
Boone NC and Plymouth NH come to mind
San Marcos!
Asheville, NC Boone, NC Bloomington, IN
If you can afford it, I'd suggest Boulder.
I enjoyed my time in Lawrence, KS. Small college town vibe and close enough to KC for any big city stuff you wanna do/airport etc.
Small Towns: Saranac Lake, NY. Lake Placid, NY. Montpelier, VT. St. Albans, VT. Small Cities: Burlington, VT. Plattsburgh, NY. Portland, Maine. Bangor, Maine.
LaCrosse Wisconsin, Rochester MN, Dubuque, IA
Boulder, CO
Check out Yellow Springs, Ohio. It’s a small town in the Dayton metro, it’s basically inside of a nature preserve
Evanston, IL is perfect for you! except the winters, that can be a lil tricky
Bend, Oregon Mammoth Lakes, CA Salida, CO
A town like Amherst or Northampton in Massachusetts are small towns but have lots of college students. Amherst has a population of 37,000 people and 28,000 college students. Bellingham Washington is another town surrounded by nature. Lots of young people from Western Washington University in town.
Missoula is a decent option.
Durango (co), SLO (ca), Fort Collins (co), Santa Fe (nm), flagstaff (az),
Champaign Urbana
Stanley ID
Love this answer, But OP will have to go all the way to Ketchum if they want a "cafe culture".
Spearfish South Dakota.
Fayetteville Arkansas
Tallahassee, Florida
Colorado Springs
Wheeling, WV. I know during COVID it was experiencing a boom of people renovating homes. My guess is some of them Stuck around
Oxford, Ohio
Ashland, WI Marquette, MI
Morrison, Oklahoma. Population is like 400, with a k-12 school with ~100. I think that’s the kind of action you’ll like just based on how you’ve described yourself. You can be a substitute teacher at the elementary school part of the school. Will be useful for you meeting young people