The study looks for answers to the question: what are the reasons behind staying in small mu- nicipalities, especially in highly disadvantaged villages, when moving into cities offers obvious advantages. We have analysed the motives, as well as attractive and repulsive factors based on 104 interviews, in case of 13 municipalities. The interviews convincingly certify that the decision about moving or staying in one place is a complex, multifactorial process. In this, employment opportunities have an undeniably important, however, not completely exclusive role. It is cor- related with the demographic characteristics, gender, age, family status, labour market para- meters, education level, financial characteristics, individual peculiarities, health status of the individual, as well as with its attitude towards changes, ethnic background, and its contentment concerning the given settlement.