It can be (Daphne, Alabama, for instance), but not the small towns of Grapevine, Keller, or Boerne, Texas. Go here to check out house prices all over the country. And remember low housing costs generally mean lower salaries.

THE SCHOOLS WILL BE BETTER

Or safer, or more discipline, or less drugs ... Check it out. Some rural schools are poorly funded. My friends who moved found their elementary-school daughter in a mobile classroom with a teacher who said she "didn't have no idea…"

JUST LIKE HERE ONLY SMALLER

Not necessarily true. In Lillian, Alabama, population 4800+, the median age is 56.6.

IT'S SAFER

In driving around Lower Alabama, where the houses are nestled under trees back off the road, I was struck with how safe it was ... and wasn't. A burglar would certainly be more visible in a suburban area. Looking up the crime statistics is one way to verify your fears or fantasies.

Talk with someone who lives there. When we moved to SA, we were told that the crime rate was high but mostly centered in X part of town. ER figures confirmed this. Crime statistics need some interpretation.

THE TRAFFIC WILL BE BETTER

In semi-resort Lower Alabama, the traffic was considerable as I neared the towns of Foley and Mobile. In the country, the traffic was sparse and the scenery enchanting but I put on my thinking cap. The traffic was very slow - 35 mph on some of the county roads and on my brief sojourn I got caught behind tractors and other farm equipment on roads without passing lanes. The unpaved roads didn't look so charming when I thought about heavy rains. If it's a burgeoning area, road construction may not have kept up. Think like a resident, not a tourist. Check these things out for yourself, and zero in on how YOU feel.

THE PACE WILL BE SLOWER

And just how slow and in what areas? When there's a slower pace there's a SLOWER PACE ... like finding out there's only one person in the county who lays tile and he's booked for months. Be sure when you visit the place to get out of the "tourist" mode and feel it as it would be to live there. Moseying down the main street with a stop sign on every corner while you're fascinated with the quaint little shops is one thing, but trying to get a broken toilet fixed quickly, or to get out of town in a hurry to meet a plane with all those "rural drivers" is another thing. In some areas there's still no cable.

THE PEOPLE WILL BE FRIENDLIER

Well, I hope I'm wrong, but since I spent my summers in a small town, yes, they are friendly if you're from there, or when and if they know you and you've passed whatever ‘test' they had in mind. Small towns can be cliqueish. Also, if you aren't used to them, it can be a suffocating feeling to realize that the same 30 people will be at the church, at the football game, and roaming around main street. If you like to meet new people every day, keep this in mind. Also, as my grandmother used to say, "Everyone knows your business in a small town."

SHOPPING

You may be taking for granted that there's a convenience store on the corner and an Office Depot a mile down the road. If you're really out in the country, it may take you 20 minutes to go pick up a gallon of milk, and you may have to drive to the next "big" town for a Wal-Mart. Focus on how you live day to day and what you must have to be happy, i.e., is it important to have a mall nearby with a big clothes and book selection, or will the Internet suffice, or the occasional trip into the city? Supplies can be over-priced in small towns, and services limited.

THE AIRPORT

San Antonio has one of the most centrally located airports imaginable, a selling point when I moved here. If you live in Rockdale, Texas, you have to drive an hour to Austin, a peripheral airport, or 2+ hours to San Antonio. Check out the distance, and consider if this is a big concern to you.

HEALTH FACILITIES

When my former in-laws were in their 70's they moved off the Lake in the country they'd been living on for 10 years, and moved up to San Antonio. They realized they were living 70 miles from the nearest ER, that neither of them could lift the other into a car if they had a heart attack, and the phones went dead every time it rained.

In some places one pediatrician may serve a 200-mile radius.

IS IT JUST A PRETTY FACE?

Like the man who marries a beautiful woman, you'll be most satisfied if you give the decision time and look beneath the surface. I have a friend who lives on one of the Caribbean Islands and when I say, "How are things in Paradise?"she says, "close ... small ... stifling ..."They would've been happier remaining in Montreal and traveling to the Caribbean, she says.

LESS LAWN CARE

Perhaps true, but my friend who lives in Jamul, Ca. says the dirt is driving her nuts. No manicured lawns and no sidewalks, it's true, but lots of dust and dirt in the house and in the car.

THE CHOICE

Many people move happily to small towns and are pleased; others are surprised and unhappy. If you do the research, you can avoid being in the latter group! Use your EQ to feel out the situation and make a good decision.

Instead of Pouring Rent Money Down the Drain, Why Not Buy the Drain?

Deciding to keep a Budget

Should I Buy a House Now, or Later?

So Much Debt... What Do I Do?

When To Refinance?