Summary
Rural areas across the U.S. are transforming as affordable housing shortages push people further from urban centers.
Celina, Texas, leads this trend, experiencing a 27% population surge in 2023 alone. It grew from 7,000 residents a decade ago to over 43,000, as reported by the Census.
Lower housing costs and available land attract newcomers, but rapid growth is replacing farmland and small-town traditions with dense developments and chain stores.
While some welcome affordable lifestyles and opportunities, others face rising costs, loss of community, and strained infrastructure.
Affordable housing would be more possible in cities if their building codes weren’t so heavily calcified by landlords and NIMBYs 40 years ago. Still, it’s good that all these small towns are seeing a resurgence in both population and cultural change, even if their original occupants hate it.
Yeah who cares about non-flammable materials and ADA access. Gimme my cheap cracker box!
its parking minimums that do the most damage to housing. Car companies fucking with everything in this country