Billings, Missouri

Billings, Missouri has that classic rural, small-town feel and has about 866 residents, according to Data USA. Dylan and Elisabeth Anderson moved from Springfield to Billings two years ago when expecting their first child. “We really wanted more room for her to run around and play,” Elisabeth says. Since then, they have adopted Billings as their home. They bought a cozy house on two acres with a barn, and they plan to add a greenhouse this spring. Their cozy little farm is home to three goats, eight chickens and two dogs.

Their 2-year-old daughter delights in helping Elisabeth with her own small shovel in the garden. They use their extra land to plant all kinds of vegetables and herbs, as well as a variety of sunflowers—Elisabeth’s favorite. Their son, who isn’t quite big enough to help yet, will lie peacefully beside them on a picnic blanket while they tend to their garden. As summer rolls around, the garden thrives, and their goats and chickens begin to welcome kids and chicks. “Seeing little chicks hop around with their mom,” Elisabeth says, “that’s always fun to look forward to.”

On a relaxing afternoon, you can find the Andersons driving through Billings backroads, taking in the scenery and looking at the cute farmhouses. “We like seeing what other parts of Billings we haven’t seen yet,” Elisabeth says. She has discovered that many other families living in Billings moved from bigger towns with similar intentions. “We have a common interest in wanting space to live and have animals and plant gardens,” she says. “It was easy to feel like we fit in.”