JWR’s Introductory Note: This post is an update to a short post that I wrote for SurvivalBlog, back in August, 2005:
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A diverse local economy is of great importance when evaluating potential retreat locales. Unless you are retired or about to retire, the opportunity to find steady work pre-TEOTWAWKI [1] is also very important. Of course, if you are self-employed or a “Work From Home” telecommuter, then this is less of an issue. These days, with the advent of Starlink Internet and affordable photovoltaic home off-grid power, you can live just about anywhere [2].
Depending on the scenario you envision, you should probably look for a town with:
- A robust, growing economy.
- A good mix of jobs in dryland farming, ranching, mining, industry, high technology, and service sector jobs.
- City and county governments that are pro-business.
- A “Farmer’s Market” on summer evenings and/or weekends. This is evidence of sufficient small-scale truck farming.
- A good mix of established local businesses such as a grocery store, sewing shop, car parts store, hardware store, and so forth.
- A high rate of church attendance. Even if you aren’t religious personally, a high ratio of church attendance equates to a high ratio of law-abiding citizens.
And a town without:
- A single-industry economy.
- Predominantly government payroll jobs.
- A predominantly retired population.
- A large seasonal tourist population.
- A large seasonal student population.
- Lots of bars.
- Tattoo/piercing parlors.
- Welfare dependency.
- Nearby prisons.
- Nearby military bases.
Do your homework in detail before you buy! – JWR