BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Monitor Editor
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS— A popular YouTuber who specializes in geography has ranked Keystone Heights as the top small, rural city in Florida.
The World According to Briggs has 772,000 subscribers and prior videos on the channel have covered the pros and cons of living in Ohio, 10 countries with the fewest atheists and highest and lowest gas prices by state.
The channel’s creator, Jimmy Briggs said he travelled and lived throughout the US during his military career. He said he prefers the list format for his videos because he grew up watching David Letterman and was a fan of the comedian’s top 10 lists.
In his April 23 video: “The Best Rural Small Towns in Florida,” Briggs declared Keystone Heights as the winner, citing the city’s low crime rate, access to high-speed internet and proximity to Gainesville health care services.
He also acclaimed the Lake Region’s moderate cost of living.
“Living here is 12% lower than the national average, which is outstanding,” he said. “When it comes to real estate, they do a pretty good job of having everything from $129,000 for a house you probably don’t want but might take anyway all the way up to like $700,000.”
“This is a great place to live, especially if you want to have that small-town vibe for a while,” Briggs added, “because since 1990 they’ve only gained a hundred residents. I think it’s gonna continue to stay under 2,000 for quite some time.”
Briggs’s other top rural, small cities in Florida were 5: Blountstown, 4: Frostproof, 3: High Springs and 2: Bristol.
