I'm from a town of 13,000 residents, Indianola, IA. The biggest things that happen here are the National [Hot Air] Balloon Classic, hanging out at the Summerset Winery, and the Indianola [motor] Bike Night. We're about twenty minutes away from the largest city in Iowa, Des Moines - population 198,682. That's where I drive to work every day.
I attached some photos which I didn't take, found them on a web search. Our city is very rural as you can see. I couldn't find a pic of the town square, but if you have ever seen Sleeping With the Enemy, our town looks a lot like the one that Laura moves to after leaving Martin.