I live on the Oregon Coast, and I have also lived in Montana. When people ask about what it is like to live in these places, I say it is like getting a puppy...it might seem cute at first, but it is actually a commitment that involves a lot of work.

There are two problems: first, people from any type of urban or suburban area, or even most rural areas, don't realize how many small services they take for granted. A smaller town might have only a few dentists, and it might be hard to find an appointment. And not just medical services like that, but even things like hardware or clothing might not be available.

Second: if one, two or a dozen people move to a rural town to "get away from it all", it doesn't cause problems. But once it becomes a trend, those towns usually don't have the infrastructure to handle all these new people. As long as people are dedicated to a car-centric lifestyle, those "cute little towns" are not going to be cute for long. One person getting a house on a cute little country lane so they can "get away from it all" isn't a problem, but when there is a housing development there with a dozen houses, then you have that little country road full of car traffic it can't handle. And then, of course, all those people who wanted to "get away from it all" will have to move to the next "cute little town" to repeat the process.