Why Cities Boom While Towns Struggle
How do we measure struggle here?<p>Looking at data for the small town I grew up in (current population: 1,200), it has grown by nearly 20% in the last five years. Compared to the nearest major city (~150 miles away), the median household income is 16% higher and the median individual income is 32% higher. The unemployment rate is 22% lower. None of that seems to indicate struggle to me, and anecdotally being able to get back and visit time to time, it doesn&#x27;t feel like it is struggling. Booming seems more appropriate.<p>What may be notable is that the largest employer in town is a tech company who seems to have done quite well for itself, now employing about 150 people. I would suggest the town is doing well because of this company and the spinoffs that have come from it&#x27;s success. That suggests to me that it may simply be that success begets success. Cities boom because they have have preexisting success stories to build from, small towns not necessarily.