Think "Cool Communities" are limited to great urban areas? Think again. For many Gen X'ers – who are mobile and don't take to The Big City – the Rural Advantage is where it's at. "The Rural Advantage" is the phrase used by the National Rural Economic Developers Association (www.nreda.org) to lure companies and talent alike. What's cool about Rural America? "Cheap and Cheerful" comes to mind...
Take Hays, Kansas for example. Hays is home to a humongous college crowd and equidistant to both Denver/Boulder's snow and Kansas City's Plaza. Young talent who choose Hays can plug into a rich academic and research community by day and road trip to intense skiing, snowboarding, or shopping on the weekend. Hays' vibrant college scene is affordable to Gen X'ers in their early earning years, yet accessible to the recreational opportunities that are front and center for the next generation.
Or how about DeWitt, Iowa? The Wall Street Journal reported last month what many Gen X families already know: in Rural America your dollar goes farther. Yes, salaries are lower in outlying areas, but the cost of living is also more wallet-wise. And with lower crime rates and more "wholesome" environs, watch Gen X'ers repopulate their home town, rural, Midwestern communities the minute they start their families.
Comments
