# Have you moved from a good size city (population >150k) to small one (pop. < 20k)?



## janus10 (Nov 7, 2013)

*Have you moved from a good size city (population >150k) to small one (pop. < 20k)?*

My wife and I have always lived in cities that are of decent size and, for the past 30 years, have lived in the GTA which gives us easy and quick access to the most populous region in Canada.

We are contemplating selling up (once she is no longer working) and moving away to buy something a lot cheaper. The least expensive homes (which are still far nicer than the home we have today with great features, top end finishes and 2-10x the amount of land) are almost always in very small communities.

I fear that the weekly chore of buying groceries, or the need to go to a general store (like a Canadian Tire) will become a 20-30 minute 1 way drive. Right now, within 20 minutes, I can walk to: Shopper's; TD, BMO, CIBC, RBC, Scotia banks; Metro, Longo's, RCSS, Walmart Superstore; Community Centre + Library, etc.

I'd like to hear from anyone else who has made that transition and what the experience has been. I should add that I almost never set foot inside a mall or store except for buying food and the occasional household/garden item. I am more than happy to order things online.


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## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

Are you talking about moving to a rural area (acreage living), a small town, or a small city?

Acreage living is a lot different than city living, so it's not for everyone. Oh have to be pretty handy, especially in winter when things tend to go wrong.

If you're going into a small town, life is fairly easy, but your choices are limited if you want to shop, go out for dinner, etc.

A small city usually has 90% of what you'd want, along with some choices. 

Not sure about you, but I don't go to Canadian tire very often and most smaller towns have something equivalent regardless.


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## steve41 (Apr 18, 2009)

I moved from Vancouver to a small island with a Winter population of 1,000. There is a Co-Op with everything I need (fresh groceries, booze, hardware, post office....) At my age, I have no need for fancy clothes or toys. Books, netflix and beer.... what else is there? Oh, and I can _*walk*_ to the local pub.


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

I live 5 miles outside Cobourg Ontario and all the places you name, are less than a 20 minute drive. If I lived in town it would be 5 minutes.

I don't know what to say. Living in a small community may be different in many ways *cough*boring*cough* but a long drive to the store is not that big a problem.

Maybe you should visit any community you are thinking of moving to, and just hang around and walk around for a Saturday and get the feel of the place.


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## 1980z28 (Mar 4, 2010)

janus10 said:


> My wife and I have always lived in cities that are of decent size and, for the past 30 years, have lived in the GTA which gives us easy and quick access to the most populous region in Canada.
> 
> We are contemplating selling up (once she is no longer working) and moving away to buy something a lot cheaper. The least expensive homes (which are still far nicer than the home we have today with great features, top end finishes and 2-10x the amount of land) are almost always in very small communities.
> 
> ...


In june this year,i moved from Kitchener waterloo,to a small community in NL population less than 3000,,,,you become part of the community everyone will know who you are,,,,easy to get help or help each other,,,all is very friendly,,cost to live is very low,,,,all my bill are less than 1200 per month,,,house,taxes,utility's,insurance,gas,grocery's,,,,i mean everything is less than 1200 per month,,,
i have my own house,well,septic,126 acres of land,house built on 26 acres,own car,grow own root crops,have chickens,cut own firewood,,,very busy,,,,have set things up here for the last 11 years in preparation of retirement,,,,also no debt what so ever,,,,,easy to reduce your cost in a small town,,,,amazon is your friend


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## tygrus (Mar 13, 2012)

When I lived in Calgary, yes it had lots of amenities but I found myself only going out a couple times a week. Usually two social functions and then and afternoon of shopping. Commuting all week and then in traffic for my leisure activities was hell.


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## twa2w (Mar 5, 2016)

I have lived in rural sommunities of a few hundred people where nearest neighbour was 3 km away, in small towns of several thousand, mid size towns and cities as well as places like Toronto and Calgary.
Some of the smaller communities were remote and others were near a larger center.
All had advantages and disadvantages. All had people who loved them and people who did not.
Some people thrive on the bustle of downtown Vancouver. Others prefer a slower pace of a rural commumity.
Some want a little of both so either get a cottage or move to a smaller community near a larger center and commute in occasionally to go to a ball game or ballet.
Social life can be different in a small town as well.
Some communities are very welcoming, some are more reserved.
Who is your circle of friends, where are your kids, grandkids, what are your hobbies, are you outgoing and social? Do you need to see cars or people around you ie a little hustle and bustle. What is your health like- how far from a major medical center do you want to be?
This stuff will be more important than where you shop, but generally it is true that selection will less and prices will more the smaller the community. This applies mostly to clothes and groceries. Other things may be less in a small town.

A 1/2 to 1 hour or so drive 1 or 2 times a month to go to Costco, CTC, or a larger center to stock up may be a nice outing for some.

I am in Calgary now but would love to move to a smaller community. Alas the spouse, who is originally from the small remote town of Cochrane Ontario, won't agree.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

We live in a small community where we walk to shopping and services. Trips to CTC and Costco require a drive of 30 minutes. Good compromise. 

Same in Mexico. Just replace CTC with Autozone.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

I grew up and worked in a medium sized city, transferred for work to a small city, and then moved back when we retired.

There isn't much to do in a small city and the cost of living is higher with less competition. It is good for children that are small but with teens........boredom = problems.

I guess we are more urban now and are looking for a downtown condo with balcony that overlooks the trendy area of the city.....festivals, activities, restaurants etc.


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## steve41 (Apr 18, 2009)

Keith.... Park Royal isn't a small community, it is part of Greater Vancouver surely.


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## cedebe (Feb 1, 2012)

steve41 said:


> Keith.... Park Royal isn't a small community, it is part of Greater Vancouver surely.


It's in West Vancouver proper, isn't it? Maybe it feels like a 'village' to those that seldom stray? I'm thinking of the older population, in particular.


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## janus10 (Nov 7, 2013)

Just a Guy said:


> Are you talking about moving to a rural area (acreage living), a small town, or a small city?
> 
> Acreage living is a lot different than city living, so it's not for everyone. Oh have to be pretty handy, especially in winter when things tend to go wrong.
> 
> ...


We've seen homes that are somewhat rural and that is definitely a non starter. So, we would be looking for something in a small city or on the outskirts of a larger city. 


I have a food allergy that would mean I could simply buy certain items in bulk when in a large city that has the choice I need.


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## janus10 (Nov 7, 2013)

Rusty O'Toole said:


> I live 5 miles outside Cobourg Ontario and all the places you name, are less than a 20 minute drive. If I lived in town it would be 5 minutes.
> 
> I don't know what to say. Living in a small community may be different in many ways *cough*boring*cough* but a long drive to the store is not that big a problem.
> 
> Maybe you should visit any community you are thinking of moving to, and just hang around and walk around for a Saturday and get the feel of the place.


We actually looked at Fort Erie years ago so my wife decided we should stay at a B&B for the weekend. She realized it wasn't big enough for her in terms of buying things she would need. Another factor is that a small city that isn't growing (economy, population, infrastructure, etc.) could become a bigger problem the longer one lives there.

As an example, we drove through Innisfil on the weekend and it was encouraging to see the Town Hall, Police Station, YMCA all looking fairly new. It seems that with all of the new development and increase in tax base, they are investing that into providing more services. This would be encouraging to see in any new city we end up choosing for our new home.


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## dougbos (Jun 4, 2012)

We moved from Toronto to Belleville Ont. It was great - you could get from one end to the other in 10 minutes and no sitting in traffic jams. It had all the big box stores and specialty stores in the downtown area. The one thing that I think you need to consider is the availability of medical services. We kept our GP in Toronto and were willing to drive back to Toronto if needed. There was a shortage of doctors and only 1 walk-in clinic at that time. I sat in one for 7 hours once. Another consideration in retirement is if you have grandkids and how far away do you want to be from them.


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