Selling the Good Life on the Great Plains

Small County in Kansas Touts Activities, Incentives to Lure Residents and Avoid Rural Woe of Population Decline

Shayelyn Cooper traded the suburbs of Denver for the least-populated county in Kansas, drawn here by a new job in nursing and money to pay off her college loans.

The 25-year-old never pictured herself in a town where the closest Wal-Mart is 60 miles away and the busiest intersection is a blinking light. But less than a year after moving to Greeley County, Ms. Cooper is finding she’s a small-town girl after all.

"I enjoy knowing everyone, and everyone knowing me," she said. "People aren’t in a rush. They’re not stressed out."

By
Mark Peters

Full Story: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304682504579154080600053864