Smaller does seem to equate "better" in many ways. We moved from a metro area of almost 2 million (Austin, TX) to our small city of some 9,500 and in many ways things we didn't feel "right" about have gone away. Some of the "tax issues" we are seeing here now are related to that pattern...

The "curious" thing, though, is that a lot of people seek a "better way," but tend to bring their problems with them from the places they left. We see a great influx of people from California here, trying to escape a certain way of life. And all is well.. until 3-4 years pass and they start "missing" their big city amenities, thereby changing the very character of the place they were drawn to, in the first place.