Many White folk whose parents, or more likely, grandparents, lived in small towns are now moving back to them, as they become less isolated, and are now really exurban areas near growing metropolitan areas like the Dallas-Fort Worth Metromess.
They cite "better schools" and "small-town values" as reasons why.
I'll tackle "better schools" later. Let's look at some "small-town values" issues first.
First, income inequality can be as bad in a small town, even one of under 5,000, as in a big city. If just a few people are lucky to have oil wells, like many a small town in Texas, that's how it happens. Plus, the income inequality is in your face. Bill Gates' lakeside mansion may be half an hour away from downtown Seattle. The oil-funded 5,000 square foot rural mansion is next door, or nearly so.
And, that classism can pop up at school. At a small town school district, everybody's at the same high school and in the same class, and the rich kids can wave it in others' faces.
But, small town people are so honest, right?
Erm, three car burglaries in a month, with all of them involving cash and/or gunz that neighbors likely knew to look for.
Small town folks not paying what they should pay on the honor system for the local newspaper? Personally experience that one.
And, of course, in a small town that's not truly multi-ethnic, there's small-town racism.
And, that is separate from the partially parallel issue of small-town insularity.
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