The Weirdest Small Towns In The United States

By Editorial Staff in Nature On 28th December 2016

Researchers studied America to find out which town or city was the strangest, and based their results on thing slike employment, religion, what percentage of each city's population was foreign-born, married, working, in the armed forces, etc. They discovered that the most bizarre city in the USA is San Jose, California. But though it may be demographically weird, San Jose doesn't hold a candle to these weird small towns in the United States.

#1 Whittier, AK

If really small towns are your thing then Whittier is the place you need to be. Everyone in the entire town lives in one building. Everyone. The town lies 60 miles South of Anchorage and all 214 residents of the town live in the 14-story Begich Towers. It was originally an army barracks, but the tower grew to include a police station, a post office, store, church, video rental shop, playground, and health center. There are a few small outlying buildings but the people all live in the one building.

#2 Miracle Village, FL

You might want to cross this town off your 'Must See' list when you finally rent that RV and travel the country. Miracle Village is a small housing development outside of Pahokee, FL, that's home to more than 100 registered sex offenders. A prison minister named Richard Witherow, who worked with sex offenders for over 30 years, opened the community as a place for recently released sex offenders to live while reintegrating into the community. Some offenders are there permanently because they are unwanted in other towns and cities. There are no children in the Florida town and only 9 female residents.

#3 Burnt Corn, AL

During the Creek War of 1813, the corn fields here were scorched and burned to the ground. Thousands of acres of corn were torched along with all the buildings. People say the town still smells like burnt popcorn, but others laugh and wonder why they named the one horse town Burnt Corn after what happened there. There is no current population data for the town because a census hasn't been conducted there since 1880. The Alabama State registry says there are 33 people there but ariel photos show only 4 buildings in the town and one is this barn with an old Coca-Cola ad painted on the side of it. No paved roads lead to the town but it's still listed as a town on Alabama state documents.

#4 The Villages, FL

Known as "Florida's Friendliest Retirement Hometown," The Villages is a town for the retired and elderly who still have some 'get-up and go' left in them. In 2015 the town was known for the spread of herpes and HIV and it ranked the highest spot in Florida for sexually transmitted diseases and infections. The Villages is home to 70,000 residents. There are 34 golf courses and whole heaps of fun things to do, and having sex in public is not out of the ordinary. So there is something to look forward to when you retire, and it's at The Villages.

#5 Colma, CA

Probably not a town you ant to move to or even visit. The residents of Colma, California are all dead. As a doornail. In actuality, there are about 1,200 still living, but most take care of the grounds where over 2 million dead people are buried in one of the 17 cemeteries in the San Mateo County town. The town has been dubbed the "City of Souls" because of all the deceased there, including William Randolph Hearst and Wyatt Earp.

#6 Monowi, NE

Mrs. Elsie Eiler is the sole resident of Monowi, Nebraska. She serves as the mayor, the sheriff, the town bartender, and the sole librarian. Prior to her husband's death in 2004, the couple were the only residents of the town, so now Elsie is the only person left. She actually pays yearly taxes to herself and runs a hotel, which is vacant 99.9% of the time. Elsie is an octogenarian so the town may soon be without any citizens.

#7 Hildale, UT

Think "Children Of The Corn" when visiting Hildale, Utah. Visitors who just stop for a fill up on gas and to use the restrooms say that they are followed by police, stared at by residents and feel like they are being watched until they leave town. Men look at you and wonder where all your wives are. Hildale, Utah, is a polygamist town. It's where Mormons go to be serious about Mormons. It is home to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. As a twin city of Colorado City, AZ, which is also a polygamist haven, critics have said the atmosphere resembles a prison. Basically, if you're not into the whole plural marriage thing, you need to hurry up and get back on the highway before you're run out by religious nuts who are willing to risk it all to protect their right to have several wives and children.

#8 Nameless, TN

Seriously, they were too lazy to think of a name. Apparently, way back when, someone filled out paperwork with the Federal Post Office to get a zip code and delivery service and left the city name spot blank on the form. The Post Office wrote in 'Nameless' and approved it, so the town was named as it was issued on the official application. Nobody changed it to the correct name. It could be worse, there are towns with names like Ugly, TX, Peculiar, MO, and Accident, MD in the United States.

#9 Slab City, CA

This may be where old hippies go to die. Slab City is referred to by its residents as 'the last free place in America.' This bizarre, lawless land in the California desert is inhabited by drug addicts, eccentrics, army vets, hippies and just plain old weirdos. And, they all have some whacked out conspiracy theories to tell you about. The town has 150 people who permanently live there, but squatters and RV owners sometimes visit to pass the time making the population average around 1,200 at any given time. Decommissioned and uncontrolled, Slab City is a bastion for the free spirited anti-socialite and the lost hobo looking for a place to sleep.

#10 Centralia, PA

This town has a current population of 10 residents. That's down from just over 1,000 in the middle 1980s. The town has an underground coal mine fire burning that cannot be put out. The fire has been burning beneath the town since 1962 and it is believed it will burn for over 250 more years. Even the ground is hot to touch and the ground smoulders and fire shoots up into the air at random times. In 1992, the state of Pennsylvania seized all the property in the town and condemned it. They allowed the then-current residents to stay if they wished, and 10 have, but once they die, that'll be the end of Centralia.

#11 Gibsonton, FL

This might be a fun place to live, for a short time. All 14,234 residents of Gibsonton, Florida are retired or former carnival workers or freak show attractions. Most are only residents seasonally when they arrive to keep warm during the winter. Locals refer to the town as "Gibtown" and the fire chief is an 8-foot tall giant while the sheriff is a dwarf.

#12 Roswell, NM

Everyone has heard of Roswell, but only because it's now a tourist trap for UFO and alien enthusiasts. Before that, the town was practically barren. Before 1947, the population was around 1.500 in the backward town. But then, residents of Roswell, NM, saw what appeared to be a UFO crash. The military said it was a conventional weather balloon, but many still believe it was real. The town has since become synonymous with UFOs and extraterrestrial conspiracy theories. The good news? Its tourist industry is thriving and they hold annual conventions for believers there as well as festivals for freaks and geeks.

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