Small Town Stereotypes: Dispelling Myths of Life in a Small Town

“Do you all live on a farm?”

Growing up in a small town, I have heard every joke and stereotype there is about living in small town. When I got to college, nearly everyone assumed I had a particular background, one including raising pigs and knowing everyone in my town. I got this reaction especially from people from the city.

Small towns have a reputation for being filled with “country folk” and barns on every corner. Sure, small towns are typically agriculturally based. However, this doesn’t account for the entire population.

I am here to say that small-town stereotypes are typically false. And I can tell you this from my own experience.

Nothing To Do

One thing many people think is that small towns provide no resources for entertainment. I’ve gotten this a lot from my cousins who live in a decent sized city. They used to always ask me “do you even have a grocery store?” Yes, we had a grocery store. In fact, my town had two of them.

In my hometown of Ferndale, Washington, I assure you it was more than meets the eye. Though it was small, my friends and I always seemed to find something to do.

Ferndale is complete with multiple parks, many of which are historical landmarks. My friends and I were usually able to entertain ourselves by going to the parks along the river or playing on the playgrounds in the middle of the night like we were 8 years old. Other ways to have fun included having beach fires, spending hours at Dairy Queen, or going to one of the shows or events that was usually happening every week.

We might’ve had to take a 20 minute trip out of town to go to a movie or go shopping, but that didn’t matter. And it’s beside the point. There is stuff to do in a small town. It may not be appealing to everyone, but it’s part of the mentality that comes with a town that only has one main road.

Everyone Knows Each Other

Again, false.

I can say for sure that not everyone in a small town knows each other. You know some of your neighbors (I only knew the names of four of the people in my entire neighborhood), you know the people you’re friends with at school or through your parents, and there are some people you’ll know here and there. However, unless you live in a town with a population of 100 people, there is no way anyone could know everyone in their town.

At my high school, I probably knew the names of 1/3 of the students, if that. And that’s just their names, I didn’t know that many people on a personal level. When I go to the grocery store, I maybe recognized a couple of people. Granted, my hometown may not be as small as some others in the country. However, it still has the same feel and is still a fraction of the size of the surrounding cities.

Everyone is a Hick

This one makes me laugh. Honestly, my idea of a hick is so messed up from all of the wannabes I grew up with. 75% of the “hicks” in my town lived in suburban neighborhoods or something similar. Half of them talked with fake southern drawls and said things like “y’all” and “gal.” News flash: you’re from the Northwest, not Texas. These country wannabes also made up a very small percent of the population in Ferndale. At school, they took up only about 10 parking spots with their old beater trucks.

I for one have never been hunting, never dealt with livestock of any kind, and never worn camo. I can assure you that neither did a majority of my town. People from small towns always get the reputation of being white trash or rednecks. We had a few, but that definitely didn’t define my little town.

So, I hope I was able to clear up any misconceptions about life in a small town. Being from a small town is definitely unique, and it’s an experience unlike any other. However, that’s what makes it special.

And to answer your question, no. We don’t all live on a farm.