Nearly half of all Americans think the grass is greener somewhere else. For small towns and rural areas like western South Dakota, these dreams suggest great opportunity.

According to a recently released nationwide survey by the Pew Research Center, nearly half of all Americans say they would prefer to live in a small town or rural area. Of those who haven’t already acted on this dream, most live in cities (as opposed to suburbs) and are over the age of 30.

What keeps these people from moving? For most, it’s the lack of a job. But as more Americans discover opportunities to work remotely, many are likely to seek their ideal communities in rural America. The New Pioneers profiled are already moving to small towns and rural communities in South Dakota and working for employers or clients far away.

The American attraction to small town and rural life is deeply rooted in our culture and history. The Pew survey found that perceptions of a higher quality of life in small town America still color our attitudes about where many of us want to live. Three our of four Americans, for example, say they want to live somewhere where the pace of life is slow rather than fast. By nearly the same percentage, Americans prefer to live in a community where people know one another well — a small town as opposed to a city.

Residents of small towns and rural areas, as well as suburbs, are more likely to be satisfied with their communities. They say crime is not a problem, and well over 80 percent of those surveyed felt that their communities were good places to raise children. Small town and rural residents were bothered less by traffic than their urban or suburban counterparts.

People in small towns and rural areas, as well as suburbs, fell more connected to one another. Compared to city dwellers, a greater percentage of them say they have plenty of friends living nearby. Rural and small town residents also report that they have more family living with an hour’s drive.

But the Pew survey also highlights factors that could present challenges to small towns and rural areas seeking to attract the create workers who drive the knowledge economy. Young people, for example, still prefer to live in cities — although not all of them. A little more than one in four under the age of 30 would rather live in a small town or rural area.

Embracing different races and cultures is also an issue. Although 65 percent of all those surveyed said they preferred to live in a community with a mix of different races, rural and small town residents were more likely to say that they preferred to live with people of their own race. Small towns and rural areas were also more likely to have older and less educated populations, suggesting they would be less open to new ideas.

Overall, the Pew survey suggests that small towns and rural communities interested in revitalizing their economies by attracting more residents can capitalize on the longing of city dwellers for a more leisurely and connected way of life. But to be successful, they will need to prepare their communities to be more accepting of people who may not look or think like everyone else in town. The reward for greater tolerance may be greater prosperity.

To link to the Pew Research Center report: http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1096/community-satisfaction-top-cities.

(This entry originally published on www.dakotaday.com)