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Revisiting a revitalized Waterville, Maine

Sep 12, 2023
In 2010, this town was a picture of economic devastation. Reinvestment brought Main Street back to life.
On a street where long-empty clothing stores once stood, a multi-million dollar hotel has opened. It's all part of a push for economic reinvestment in Waterville's Main Street.
David Brancaccio/Marketplace

Why big brands like Chipotle are heading to Small Town, U.S.A.

Jul 19, 2023
Restaurant chains are following people who've left cities since the pandemic, but the expansion presents challenges.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Small towns offer cash to lure telecommuters

Nov 25, 2021
Bemidji, Minnesota, population about 15,000, is offering people $2,500 to relocate to the Northwoods and bring their remote jobs with them.
Sarah Sanchez moved to Bemidji from Phoenix in January, in the middle of the pandemic. She works from home for her job as a grant writer for an Arizona nonprofit.
Dan Kraker/MPR

“I’ve never seen so many Help Wanted signs”

May 4, 2021
A view of the strong labor market in a rural Ohio town.
Dr. Scott Anzalone, a physician in Logan, Ohio, says tourists seeking rentals have injected cash into the local economy.
Photo courtesy of Scott Anzalone

California "Zoom town" grapples with influx of remote workers

Apr 13, 2021
Truckee's newcomers boost the local economy, but long-term residents see rising prices and a culture clash.
A street in Truckee, California. Since the pandemic hit, the mountain town has become a destination for remote workers, who've brought higher prices and increased congestion.
Matt Levin/Marketplace

Building bridges and fighting division in small town America

Sep 5, 2017
Folk musician Dar Williams talks about her new book, "What I Found in a Thousand Towns."
 Williamsport, Pennsylvania on July 2017.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

How summer festivals boost town economies and foster community pride

Jun 16, 2017
Festivals generate revenue for local businesses, but they help build a sense of community as well
Crowds gather at a film festival in Telluride, Colorado.
David McNew/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Is generosity enough to prop up this post-recession town?

Apr 19, 2017
Janesville, Wisconsin's resources are stretched thin after GM left the city and took jobs with it.
“I wanted to tell the story of a perfectly ordinary place that had lost a slew of jobs in the Great Recession,” said author Amy Goldstein.
Scott Olson/Getty Images