Living local, living rural

New homebuyer chooses to set roots in Jefferson County

Ashley Hunter
ECB Publishing, Inc.

One of the frequent economic issues facing small, rural communities in the United States is the lack of a young adult presence.

While many communities have thriving populations of older adults, young families and singles are less likely to be found in smaller towns.

In the words of other writers, Rural America has a “young people problem.”

Young people leave their rural roots for a plethora of reasons – some move for the better job opportunities offered in larger cities, to pursue higher education or to raise a family in an area with different recreational and educational options.

Some might leave due to the chance at living in more affordable housing – while the farmhouse life does have its charms, not every young person can afford to purchase or upkeep several acres of rural land, especially not when student-living apartment complexes in neighboring cities can be rented for less than $1,000 a month.

For many reasons, Rural America is seeing fewer and fewer single young people or budding families choose to live in the communities where they grew up. This means that rural schools are shrinking, rural businesses are feeling the hit of the generational gap and communities are seeing a slow wither.

But not all young people are choosing to settle into the city life; some young people, such as Danielle Sprague, one of Jefferson County's newest residents, are choosing the country over the city.

In her own words, Sprague says that she never planned to live anywhere but in a rural community.

Some of that may be in part due to her career choice – Sprague is the Agriculture and Natural Resource Agent at the Jefferson County UF/IFAS Extension Office, but Sprague says that her career wasn't the only reason she chose to settle down in a small-town community.

“I first became introduced to Jefferson County several years ago when I moved to North Florida. It was summertime and me and some friends rode out to one of the local you-pick farms to pick blueberries,” said Sprague. She adds that she was impressed by Jefferson County's rural beauty, but admittedly didn't put much additional thought into Jefferson County after her day of blueberry-picking.

She planned to finish her Master's degree and research with the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center, which is located in Quincy, Fla. From there, she intended to move back home to Vero Beach, Fla.

But that changed, Sprague says, when she came across a job posting for Jefferson County two years after her original outing in the county.

The job, which was for her dream posting as an agriculture extension agent, seemed a perfect fit – she applied, was accepted and the rest, Sprague says, “was history.”

But after receiving the job in Jefferson County, Sprague didn't immediately move to the Monticello area; at the time, she was renting a place in Tallahassee, where she had been living for a little over two years already.

For two more years, Sprague continued to live in Tallahassee as a renter, fulfilling a dynamic that is often seen by rural communities – the young people who work in small towns often don't live in those same towns.

But in March of 2020, Sprague's status changed from renter to homeowner and from Tallahassee-resident to Monticello-resident.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sprague purchased her first home and chose to settle down in rural Jefferson County.
What influenced her decision to break the statistics and be a young person moving into (rather than out of) a rural area? Sprague's answer: “The people.”

“I’m very fortunate that I have the opportunity to work with and connect with a lot of people through my job. I’ve been working here for two years now so I’ve gotten to know a lot of wonderful people and so far, everyone I have met has been so welcoming and helpful,” she says – although she's quick to add that the beautiful landscape in Jefferson County was also a major contributor to her decision to place down her roots.

“Jefferson County is absolutely gorgeous!” she exclaims.

While her job position made her a likely candidate to live locally and in a rural community, Sprague notes that the decision was not made lightly, especially considering that she is a first-time homebuyer.

Whether purchasing a rural home or not, buying a house and property is a weighty endeavor, and the housing market has also seen a decline in young people purchasing homes due to that very fact.

“As with any first time homebuyer, rural area or not, understanding the real estate and mortgage terms (if you’re not familiar with) them can be tricky,” says Sprague. “Of course, saving up for a down payment and finding the right house for your budget can be tough.”

According to a ValueInsured Modern Homebuyer Survey, only 37 percent of millennials (people who are between the ages of 22 to 36) own their homes, and most people consider themselves incapable or unable to make the purchasing choice.

Sprague breaks not only the rural-living statistic, but also the homebuyer-statistic for young adults in her age range, but she also understands the reasons why other young people are hesitant to put down roots in a rural community.
“For some young people, they may just enjoy the faster pace the city has to offer…more amenities, entertainment, restaurants, etc.,” says Sprague. “For others though, it may not be ideal to live in a rural community as many with a college education are seeking higher-paying jobs and cities provide more economic opportunity.”

But Sprague does offer an optimistic outlook on rural living for other millennials.

“I would agree that we are pretty far and few, but I do think there are some out there that enjoy a slower pace of life compared to the hustle and bustle of the city,” she says, adding that the decision on whether or not to live in Rural America depends greatly on the young person themselves, as well as their resources and needs.

Choosing to live in Jefferson County, a place where she didn't grow up and does not have a deeply rooted connection to, Sprague says, was a choice she did had some concerns about.

Unlike natives who have a connection to family, childhood friends or the advantage of knowing the community since birth, Sprague is still fairly new to Jefferson County.

“The thought of 'what if I don’t fit in' always crosses my mind,” she says – but as of yet, those concerns have not come to any fruition. “So far everyone has been welcoming.”

And, she is looking forward to a new life as a Jefferson County local.

“I’m looking forward to becoming more involved in the community, making new friends, completing projects around my home, and shopping and eating downtown!”

She also isn't concerned about a “lack of entertainment or activity,” which is a frequently cited reason for young people who don't choose to stay in their rural childhood communities.
While Jefferson County may not have bars or pubs filled with musical performers, university sports games, a coffee shop on every block or plenty of entertainment venues, Sprague isn't worried about not having anything 'to do'.
“It depends on what you like to do! If you like being outdoors, working in the yard, hunting, fishing or just enjoying the scenery then I think there’s quite a bit to do in a rural county,” says Sprague, also complimenting local organizations, such as the Monticello-Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, Mainstreet Monticello, and others on their great job of putting on or hosting different events for the community.
Rural America does indeed have a “young people problem.” communities are shifting and shrinking as younger families move elsewhere. Jobs are drying up as businesses also move to different, larger towns and cities.
But Rural America isn't past the saving point – young people are still choosing to buy homes and live in rural neighborhoods and farmlands.
Danielle Sprague is proof of that.