There's a continuing battle in Hall County, and other counties around us, too, about growth. Over and over, we have heard most of the arguments pro and con, and they don't change much. So it was interesting the other day to see an article in the current edition of the Progressive Farmer (yes, I read the Progressive Farmer) entitled "New Faces of Rural America". It was a well-researched article about city folks moving to the country, and why they are doing that. First, it points out that the last census shows rural counties in America are growing while urban areas are losing population. The article is about why that is happening, and why it is likely to continue. Good highways and more comfortable cars makes commuting possible, despite the traffic. That is basic to the trend, but add to that the fact that the internet is allowing more people to work (at least, part time) from home and the distance becomes even less of a burden.
The trend toward moving to rural America has been well underway for a decade or more. The article points out that people "simply want to get away from cities." There is the concern about safety, gangs, the influences on their children, all the other problems and pressures of city living. But the recent increase in the movement to rural areas is more than that. "Could it be nothing more than values have shifted?" the article asks. "Has a sense of well-being become more important in our lives ... and money a little less so?" To which I will add: we are seeing a good bit more of this type thinking in market research studies done since 9-11. The Progressive Farmer article notes that a W. K. Kellogg Foundation survey done last year "... found that Americans (see rural America) as the epitome of traditional, family values, a place where life is slower, more friendly and richer in community."
As I read that article the thought struck me: sounds a lot like Northeast Georgia to me.
This is Gordon Sawyer, from a window on historic Green Street.
Monday
August 4th, 2025
9:54PM
