Buford, Georgia is a small city with a population of a little over 15,000. Founded in 1872, the city has a railroad track that connects Charlotte, NC, with Atlanta, and was known for its leather exports from Bona Allen company. Buford also has its own school district for Buford City schools, which is located close to historic Buford. 

I attended Buford City schools for several years, and the town is very close knit. There are prominent names that you commonly hear in buford (the Allens, the Shadburns) that are respected in the community. Most people I went to school with have lived in the town for generations, have family who are teachers at  the school, or are even mentioned in history books that are found at the Buford History Museum located in town hall. The town has two very distinct classes: either your family has lived in this town for generations because they have a social impact and an expensive house that has been in your family for years, or your family was too poor to leave the town. This reminds me a lot of the town in Middlemarch, where there are distinct class structures, and names that have been in the town forever. Like what Dr. Tertius experiences when he first arrives to town, many people in Buford don't welcome newcomers. If the teachers can't remember having one of your parents in their class, then you are on the outside of the town. It's even worse if you don't attend Sunday surmons at the Buford Baptist church. The first question I was asked when I was interviewed to attend Buford City Schools was what denomination I was, and the name of my church. 

Gossip is very prominent in small towns, but especially in the novel, as well as  in Buford. It has been made even worse through the power of social media and texting. There's a way about "southern politeness" that is very passive and rude, where if someone has an issue with the way you live your life, you won't hear it from them directly. Instead, a fabricated rumor will make its way through town, and you won't know about it until you notice that people treat you differently, and you are forced to defend yourself. This is very similar to the way people communicate in Middlemarch. 

Another similarity is the outdated ideal of a woman's place in society. In both Middlemarch and Buford, women are expected to marry young and become housewives. Most of my graduating class are either engaged, married, or have a child by now. Not many finish out college. Everyone's path is different, but if you want to live in buford and you aren't married by 21-23, there's something "wrong" with you. 

Image source: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcommons.wikimedia.org%...

Sources: http://www.romanticmisanthropy.com/the-gendered-discourse-of-middlemarch....

https://www.cityofbuford.com/About.aspx?CNID=14