Ben Napier Says This One Habit Is the Secret to Saving Small Town America-And He Does It Every Week

Ben and Erin Napier have spent nearly a decade encouraging viewers to appreciate small-town living on HGTV's Home Town, but according to the stars, revitalizing a community doesn't always require massive renovations or multimillion-dollar investments.

Sometimes, it starts with buying one small thing.

During a recent interview, Ben shared the surprisingly simple habit he practices each week to help support downtown Laurel, Mississippi.

While discussing the importance of local businesses in a recent interview with Parade, Ben explained that he intentionally shops at a local men's store when he gets his hair cut every week, even if he doesn't necessarily need anything.

"I buy something in that store every week no matter what," he said.

"Whether he needs that thing or not," added Erin.

And no, he's not always shopping for himself.

"Sometimes it's a gift that I'm gonna give away, and other times it's something that I'm not gonna use that day," Ben explained.

For the HGTV star, the philosophy behind the habit is simple: supporting local businesses is part of maintaining the kind of community and flourishing downtowns people say they want.

"That's kind of your job if you live in a small town, to [support the local businesses]," he said.

The conversation came as Ben and Erin Napier reflected on how dramatically Laurel has changed since Home Town first premiered 10 years ago. According to the couple, downtown now includes multiple coffee shops, restaurants, galleries and independently owned businesses that simply didn't exist when they returned to town after college in the early 2010s.

The Napiers also shared practical advice for viewers hoping to improve their own communities, based on an approach the duo themselves took when they first returned to Laurel.

"Join your local Main Street organization," Erin said. "And if your town doesn't have one, try to help start one."

Ben added that this type of community involvement is something previous generations understood especially well, but that's more limited these days.

"If you have time to help in some form or fashion, you should do so," he said.

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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 9:40 AM.