Small town life is mainly considered to be absolutely different from life in a big city. There are a lot of funny and scary books about small town life. Thanks to novels by Stephen King we often fear the life in a small town in America, although many dismiss his portrayal and claim that there are a lot of good things about small towns. It is hard to figure out the advantages of living in a small town, as some can view them as disadvantages, so we will give you fifteen points in which life in a small town differs from life in a big city.

1. Everybody Knows

While it is easy to remain a stranger in big cities, that is impossible to do living in a small town. Small town dwellers know each other well, and whenever you do something the whole town is most likely to learn about it.

2. Shops

Those who got used to life in the big cities may consider the lack of opportunities to shop at national retailers as one of the main small town problems. Yep, it may be hard to imagine, but people in small towns may not have Walmart.

3. Pollution

The one aspect in which life in a small town is definitely better than life in a big city is the smaller level of air pollution. But everything depends on the concentration of industry; if the small town you live in is near the Nuclear Power Plant… oh, boy…

4. The Grass is Greener

Yep, the grass is greener on this side. Small towns usually have much more green spaces than the big cities.

5. Lower taxes

Yep, taxes in small towns are generally lower than in big cities. Real estate is also less expensive comparing to big cities. No Walmart, but you can actually buy the place you’ll live in.

6. Absence of Traffic

You are unlikely a fan of traffic jams. If so, then life in small towns was made for you, as there are no traffic jams in them. Actually, there is barely any traffic at all.

7. Less Public Transit

In case if you are wondering why there are no traffic jams in small towns, here is the answer – there is less infrastructure for public transit, fewer buses, fewer trains, fewer cars, etc.

8. Limited Access to Healthcare

When it comes to health problems, a small town is probably not the best place to be, as access to innovative healthcare is, unfortunately, limited.

9. The Internet is Not That Widespread

You’ll be surprised, but the Internet is not as widespread as you have thought. Actually, not all of the townsfolk may have access to the web. If you are addicted to social networks, probably a small town is not your cup of tea.

10. Death Silence

If you move from a big city to a small town, you are more likely to have problems with your sleep for the first few nights. You were complaining about how noisy the big city is? You are going to miss it. You will spend first few nights in a small town understanding what the “loud silence” means.

11. Neighbors

When you live in a big city, it is easy not to know the name of your neighbor next door. When you live in a small town, however, you are most likely to know all your neighbors who live down the street.

12. Pay Some Time Later

When you live in a small town, you can often pay for your groceries next day, if you happened to have no money with you. Same goes with gas stations.

13. People Leave Their Doors Unlocked

When you live in a small town, you can leave the doors of your house open. Moreover, if you came to visit one of your neighbors while he or she is absent, you can always come in and wait for them inside.

14. Schools

Schools in small towns have teachers who have taught several generations of one family.

15. Boss’s Friends

When it comes to businesses in small towns, often employers and employees are either friends or even relatives. On the contrary, in big cities, employers may not know his/her employees personally.