Houses are bigger and cheaper in Gurley, Ala. than in big cities
Credit Art Meripol / The Wall Street Journal
Rural citizens might want to keep an eye out for an influx of techies in the near future. Many urban tech companies are leaving the big city and setting out for parts unknown—and that could mean a tech future for the High Plains.
Tech companies are being attracted to less developed areas by lower rents and affordable housing for employees. The usual targets for these moves are smaller cities that neighbor rural areas. According to a new report in The Wall Street Journal, cities like Richmond, Va., Huntsville, Ala., Eugene, Ore. and Manchester, N.H. are becoming the new Silicone Valley.
With the advent of e-commerce and telecommuting, companies are less tethered to urban centers than they used to be. That means businesses are leaving places like Austin, Boston and San Francisco for Huntsville, Manchester and Eugene.
