Giving Compass' Take:

• The rising costs of housing in many cities is driving young professionals to seek affordable housing in rural cities. While these areas offer many advantages, there are often culture clashes to deal with. 

• How can philanthropy support the development of affordable housing? How can people moving to rural towns enhance the area without displacing local priorities? 

• Learn about realistic affordable housing solutions.

Despite the rapid growth of urban areas, there is a trend of young people moving the other direction. According to rural sociologist Ben Winchester in a 2012 study by the University of Minnesota Extension Center for Community Vitality, 30- to 49-year-olds move to rural areas in search of a safer, more secure, and simpler life. They also come for affordable housing, outdoor recreation, and better schools. In fact, U.S. rural populations increased by 6 million between 1970 and 2010.

It’s a small but steady movement, bringing young, educated professionals to rural areas. And for those who move, it can provide an opportunity to buy a home—and a pathway to achieving the American Dream. But those considering rural life should move with open eyes and tempered expectations.

Snowflake and Taylor, twin towns about 175 miles northeast of Phoenix, epitomize small-town America. The two towns feature quaint downtowns, friendly neighbors, a top-rated school district, clean air, and a much slower pace of life for their 10,000 residents.

The two towns are also a great place for home-based businesses, thanks to great internet service.

But there are certainly culture clashes between new arrivals and long-time residents. Tuckfield says she’s fielded many angry phone calls from new homeowners about barking dogs, chickens, or horses next door during her 17 years formerly on the Taylor Town Council, including two years as mayor. She recounts presiding over a council meeting where “one couple threw a fit because their neighbor’s kids were in 4H and were raising cows and pigs,” she says. “But, the whole council was agog and replied, ‘Are you kidding me?’” The land was zoned agricultural, and the town wasn’t about to rezone it.

Read the full article about young professionals in rural towns by Debra Utacia Krol at YES! Magazine.