This Is What Life Is Like In Small Town Pennsylvania
Nick Johnson Nick Johnson
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 Published On Nov 10, 2023

Is THIS the last remaining place people can move?

If you’ve been paying attention - I’ve been working on this whole Tiny Town 2.0 series. The goal is to pick random small towns and see what it’s like there and try to build a case that you guys should think about moving to em. I’m still at the beginning of this, and it’s clear that some small towns make more sense than others.

But this is the first truly great small town I’ve visited. It’s called Manheim, Pennsylvania. I didn’t really know much about the place before I got there except that it met all the criteria: It has less than 10,000 people, low crime, and it’s affordable. But after spending a day here and talking to folks, I think you’ll think it’s as nice a place that I do.

We’re going to drive around Manheim a bit and look around the general area, and talk to people who live here, too. We’ll meet the town mayor, the state representative and a local business owner, too. It’ll be fun. So let’s get started.

Manheim, Pennsylvania. Population 4,858. It’s here in Lancaster County in southeastern PA. This small town certainly isn’t dying. It’s thriving. There’s no former mill town but now falling apart vibe here, pal. It’s a middle class wonderland. The surrounding area is very conservative and it’s very safe. Those are good things, right?

For those of you who are fiscally aware, you’d be a little jealous to hear what the home prices here. In a little bit, we’ll look at the neighborhoods, but the average price for a home here is about $289,000 and not going up very fast. Places just outside of town are far cheaper.

In many big cities, there are bidding wars for homes, and people are buying homes sight unseen, often after multiple offers. Not here. That’s just what makes the idea of moving to a small town very desirable.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my short time researching small towns, it’s that you definitely might probably maybe will get bored. Most of us have become accustomed to being stimulated all the time. Manheim isn’t COMPLETELY boring - I mean there’s cafes, coffee houses and a few restaurants. And the town holds events all the time in this square where you can buy produce or listen to music and eat great food. Can you see yourself having an hour long conversation with your neighbor about how good the local high school football team is? I can.

Just five minutes away is the little town of Lititz. It’s also an amazing little place to live. it’s actually been called the best small town in America by various publications that you may or may not have heard of.

Even further out is the city of Lancaster. It’s a mid sized city of 60,000 people. There’s all sorts of stuff to do there. And Hershey’s Park is 30 minutes away. Major cities are within a couple of hours drive. Even the beach isn’t too far. But you’d have to learn to downsize your shopping habits and live within your means a little bit.

You can do it. Many have said you WANT to do it. A recent Gallup poll indicated half of Americans said they’d prefer to live in a small town or rural area these days.

There are all sorts of opportunities for work.

When you move to a small town like Manheim, you’d make friends that will LAST. It’s like instant Facebook friends.

But the biggest upside to moving to a tiny town is the deep connections you make.

Everyone I talked to said it's the sense of community that makes Manheim special. When there’s an emergency, people all chip in and help one another. They a volunteer fire department. The whole town shows up for the high school football games on Friday nights. That’s neat right?

New opportunities arise in places like Manheim. It’s a chance to redefine who you are.

And have you ever had an amish sour cherry pie??

What about work? Can you work from home? Cause then you’re set. But most of us don’t have that luxury. If you’re lucky enough to be able to find a job you love in Manheim, there’s a decent chance you’d be able to walk to work.

Rural PA people. I'm telling ya. There’s literally thousands of places like this all over the country. You don't have to move here but this is an example of what it would be like if you made the plunge. Small towns might be where it's at. The only challenge is deciding WHICH small town to move to. And I’m on the case everyone. Stay tuned.

#pennsylvania #moving

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