Would you live in a rural area?

Grew up in the middle of nowhere. No bus. No shop. No pub. It was hell. Left home for the city at the first opportunity and will never go back. I don't want to be dependent on a car ever again.
- Honestly I feel like I'm going in your direction just want from middle of nowhere Vermont to Florida for college and man its nice not having to pack water and food to bike 30 miles up and down mountains I'm still amazed by my determination as a kid to get anywhere on bike fr I continued doing that even after I got a car

I'm torn between affordable land and going to ideological war with rural neighbors.
- If you're rural enough, there are no neighbors.
- That was my thought too. I'm guessing you're American. Rural Americans are especially bigoted for some reason. I've been to rural areas in other countries and they're not this bad. People openly stare at you in rural America if you're not white.
  
  Not quite, but it's very similar. I have an old friend that lived for a couple decades in a VERY progressive, urban area, recently moved closer to me in a smaller town, so I went to see him and, while we are definitely still friends, there were some very dangerous conversation topics covered (carbon climate, EVs which are easy to get me going on). It's like a conservative brain worm infected him sometime in the past few months, very strange.

I grew up rural, lived in a few cities as an adult, and currently live in the biggest town near the area I grew up. I can get to most anything I need within 10 minutes, with more options an hour away, and three major cities within two hours.
I was able to buy a three story (7 bedroom) house for less than 100k.
The biggest downside is that most people in my area are racist homophobic Christian Republicans. I can blend in well enough as a white man, but I can definitely see why many people would not feel welcome here.

I would and do. It's quiet and peaceful, I have forest all around me, no traffic, cost of living is lower.

Rural meaning wilderness, yes.
Rural meaning farming communities, no.
I currently live in a small city surrounded by wilderness. Transit could be better, but there's tons of culture I can walk to and I can escape to solitude in 15 minutes and it's divine.

This weekend I'm going to PAX. Last week I saw Japanese Breakfast. Next week I'm seeing John Oliver do standup. Went to a Mariners game last week too. Got Sounders tix coming up, and hockey starts soon.
Rural is nice for a weekend. Urban is where the action is.
- Sounds like urban is where the money's spent 😋

Absolutely. The beauty of nature is incredible, and being able to enjoy it is important to me. Not to mention there’s not as many people around to mess things up, make things loud/dirty, or be crowded by.
- Moving to a rural/secluded area has been the best thing ever for my mental health. My commute is gorgeous and there’s nothing better than waltzing around outside naked in the sunshine.
  
  there’s nothing better than waltzing around outside naked in the sunshine.
  Oh my goose. It's been so long since I did this but this brought back memories.
  
  I just did the naked bike ride through a major American city.

I do and have for most of my life. I lived on an island where my SO and I were the only permanent residents for 8 years.
I have lived in the suburbs of a couple of large towns/small cities for some years too - and in the centre of an all-but-city and although there is some convenience in those, I'd choose rural any day. The peace, proximity to nature and the ease of getting out for enjoyable walks beats convenience every time for me.
- I feel like "Would you move to a rural area?" and "Would you live on a private island?" are completely different questions. 😂
  
  A) - it wasn't private - it was a nature reserve and I was the warden and B) - I kinda intended this in an "...and I EVEN lived on an island..." way.

Just to clarify, I'm from a European country
Nah, I'd rather just live in towns that are well connected to cities (like bus stops going to that city) while also having rural areas not too far from there
- In the US these would be suburbs that are shit holes of land management and zoning.
  
  agree, the problem with the US equivalent how is much less walkable is, everything planned far appart, without sidewalks or bicycle lanes

I live in a town of about 2000 people. It has a grocery, a liquor store, and a hardware store. It's rural enough. I would never live anywhere I can't walk to get a bag of chips. Rural sounds good until the power goes out in a snow storm and your lane way is 7 miles long and the plow guy ain't coming.
- If you have a 7 mile driveway, and the plow guy isn't you, you fucked up.

There are a lot of aspects of it that really appeal to me, but I'd miss the shit out of using a bicycle as my primary means of transportation and having everything relatively close.
- To be fair, this largely depends on the country you're in. Appreciate that the bike is going to be pretty useless in somewhere as car-centric as the US, but I've lived in rural areas in the EU where the bike was quite enough.
  
  I live in the US and my bike is my primary means of transportation, not rural though: When you get more remote, everything of significant distance is highways and it'd be super dangerous trying to ride a bike or even an ebike. You'd need a motorcycle at minimum.

- What does traffic have to do with living in the city? You don’t drive when you live in the city, the traffic is from people in the suburbs coming into the city - you’re already here there’s no reason to drive.
  
  Traffic has a lot to do with living in the city. I'm about 6 miles away from major destinations downtown. I mostly work remote, but when I go into the office, it's about 7 miles away in one of the suburbs.
  "What about the bus?" you might ask. Well, around here that's kind of a sick joke. It works OK for commuting -- but it turns my 15 minute drive into an hour on the bus with at least one transfer. And what if I'm trying to go to a party that a friend is hosting in the suburbs? In many cases, I'd have to arrange to stay overnight because bus service to that area just stops until morning.
  
  So much walking, but in a good way. I used to work for the city doing IT work and would walk between most city buildings blocks apart, would put in like 7 miles a day.
  
  That very much depends on the city. I live in Los Angeles. It's giant, and most people have to do quite a bit of driving. My personal commute is only 15 minutes by surface streets, but almost everyone I know has to take the freeways. My doctor is 15 miles, and traffic can change that from 20 minutes into an hour and a half.
- The city has too much traffic but you like walking..

Contingent on fiber internet and having a four-wheeel-drive vehicle, yes.
Snow's a bitch and so is DSL. Other than that, the solitude would be rad.
- The DSL thing is a bit of a myth nowadays. The rural area around where I live has better internet than the city.
  
  Then you live in a pretty recently upgraded area. https://www.npr.org/2023/06/28/1184726217/rural-states-likely-to-benefit-the-most-from-funds-to-improve-broadband-access
- I have starlink. Better internet than I ever had in town. We should be getting fiber any day now too.

No, I've done it before. It's awful being dependent on a car to go anywhere, there's less to do.

I grew up in what was a rural area that suburbanized as I got older. Even then, it would still be around 15-20 minutes to get anywhere by car, including the grocery store. There wasn't much to do that didn't involve church, so if I wanted to do something like go to the movies it would be about a 30 minute drive with good traffic. Where I'm at now is in the middle of a moderate size city, where I can walk to restaurants and bars, and I can get to several grocery stores or movies or the mall within 10 minutes. I like living in the city better, I don't want to live far away from stuff anymore.

Prior to her posting at Fort Knox, my wife was stationed in Queens, NY. We spent 3.5 long years living in Long Island. We now live in a town of about 3K people, and it's lovely and rural and I live it.

If money isn't an issues I will leave the city and bought a nice house in a rural area somewhere because I hate everyone

I currently do, I can't stand larger cities. Too much traffic and pollution. Too many people and crime.
I live where people go to vacation, to get away and relax. Nothing better than this.

I already do, I live on a back road that sees maybe 20 cars a day. I have a beautiful view. I’m an hour away from a large town with everything in it, so I’m close enough to any of that when I want it, yet I’m far enough that my cost of living is low. The town with a school, grocery store, hardware store, bars, clinic, etc is less than 10 minutes. 4 bigger towns with more jobs and more store options are 30-35 minutes with hospitals as well.
I can walk out of my house and be in nature almost instantly. I don’t have to drive anywhere.
Yeah I can’t call and have food delivered and I can’t walk to any shops but I consider myself in the perfect balance of remote and having access to what I want/need. Unless I go to a nursing home, my only move from my current house will be from it to six feet under.
- Same boat here. It's absolutely amazing.

I live there now and want to go back to the city but also the nature is gorgeous around where I live.
- I have the same mental struggle! It'd be hard to give up my beautiful yard across from a beautiful park, but I also miss being able to get to the grocery store in a timely fashion.

Hell no! I wouldn't survive there.

Only if I can get fiber internet.
- Yeah I love rural areas but only with internet. TV, gaming, and work all depend on it.
- My city of 15k has 10G Fibre. The collective communities just outside all enjoy 1.5G.

Only if its in a blue state. I dont want desantis or some other nutbar trying to turn the state into a shithole.
- If you're rural enough the state isn't doing shit for you either way.
  
  I dont want to live in a state that harasses my friends for the crime of existing or trying to dictate what women do with their own bodies. It isnt just about me. And its not like I am never going to leave my hypothetical ultra rural property. Itd be nice if the areas around weren't essentially a third would country because of wrong headed/malicious policies

If I was a straight white men, married to a straight white woman with stra white children, I would definitely consider it.
- You don't know shit then, we have people of all walks of life in my rural area. Stop living your life based on what you hear on tv or social media.
  
  Does this.... does this include you, as well?
  
  Thanks, that means a lot, coming from the Poisoner of Doma!

Personally, no. I grew up in a megacity where everything is conveniently close and accessible via walking or public transportation, but you could also drive if you wanted. I prefer the urban life.

Give me good public transport and good internet on the country side and I'm all for it.
- In a lot of places the internet is there, but realistically the public transport never will be. It would cost so much to provide a service in every rural area that 3 people use that its totally infeasible. I think this is the situation where cars make sense, for people where public transport isn't a realistic option.
  
  Cars make sense because the public transport hasn't been built out. Trams could be used without the need to employ drivers until self-driving cars come around.
  There's a lot that can be done if the will were there.
- good public transport
  HA! Good one!
  
  Rural public transport: Paved road^[1] and two feet!
  [1]: Paved road optional

I live in a small city (40k population). It's the worst of both worlds. The grocery stores are shit, there's nothing to do, and it's built up just enough to be ugly as sin with no good nature access. As long as I can get reliable internet, I'm open to rural.

Nope. I won’t even live in suburbia, which I consider a rural area, let alone somewhere even more remote.

People talk about the peace and quiet, but...
My grandparents used to live out in the country. Simple little house on a lake. When I'd visit, it wasn't actually quiet -- I'd always hear at least one neighbor across the lake mowing lawn, running a weed whipper, etc.
Maybe you'd get some true quiet in a more isolated part of the country? I'm not sure anymore. Motor sound carries.

For me, I recently moved from a busy city to a rural-ish town to help take care of my grandparents. Since they’ve now passed, I’m taking care of their house/land. I love learning new things and being independent. I really enjoy mowing the lawn, splitting wood and running a wood stove!
I’m about 45 minutes from a huge city/trauma hospital/ big Mall… but I’m only 10 minutes from my kid’s school, the grocery store, and primary care physicians, and 7 minutes to my job (which is actually on my road too).
What I don’t miss from the city is the noise. My goodness, sirens and people and horn honking traffic, jackhammering construction etc. It was never actually dark outside. Couldn’t really see the stars in the sky and had to keep my blinds/curtains closed most of the time for privacy.
I’m close enough to emergency help if my family needs it, but far enough from the bustle of the city. I’m content.

I'd love to. Just need to find a rural area with decent weather and internet. Not having neighbors in line of sight is an amazing thing.
- That last line chef's kiss
- If you can't step out your front door and take a leak without the police being called, what's the point?

I do and I don't regret it.

Nope, I was very happy to move to the city, not planing on ever going back.

Absolutely. I can't stand having people constantly on top of me. Sure shopping is more convenient and the restaurants are great, but give me 5 acres to homestead and you'll barely see me again.

I grew up in a small town, i love the countryside and the relatively tiny amount of humans ruining the natural landscape. But that's also my biggest worry: most people want to "get away from it all" ("it all" being other humans and our structures and tech that stand in opposition to the natural world); when someone moves out into the middle of nowhere, it's only a matter of time until they start bringing others and others start bring buildings and roads and commerce and power plants and water treatment facilities and cars and transportation and pollution and littering and housing developments and deforestation and...
I think it's much better the more we can stick to the human zoos and leave the natural world for the rest of this planet's inhabitants, at least until we learn to live in harmony with the ecosystem around us instead of in defiance of it.

Absolutely not, I love living in the city. I walk everywhere or take public transport. Maybe if I had a train station near my house in a rural area, I would consider it.

I think so. I used to live in a rural area, with no neighbours for miles. It was lovely.
On the other hand I think I might've grown used to the comforts of small-town living. I'm moving to a town with a population of about 15k, and it's really well balanced. It's nice and sleepy, with modern amenities and services like grocery deliveries and whatnot. Plus the cost of living is super low.
I work from home so it doesn't really matter where I am so long as I have an internet connection.

I actually like rural areas, but, in the US, I would never consider living in a rural area for political reasons. Sole exception would be some rural parts of New England.

Yes, on god, yes, I hate crowds and large cities...

I've lived in a city all my life. I dream about the day i can retire/ find a remote job that allows me to work in a place surrounded by nature, in a house with a basement and my own backyard and ample space.

Yes i love being in the countryside

Yep it's nice to be able to afford to buy a house and land, and have room to do whatever you want. No crackheads wandering by looking at what we have sitting out available to steal. No noisy neighbors waking me up with parties or drums or other loud noise. No city pollution and summertime garbage dumpster stenches. No traffic congestion on my road, ever. 5 minutes from the grocery store and liquor stores and a local dispensary. It really can't be beat, unless you're wealthy and can afford an even better spot.

I have family who live in a rural area. It's very nice to visit because the landscape is beautiful. The locals are also quite nice and helpful if you ever need it. But I don't want to regularly spend an hour each way to the nearest supermarket or pharmacy. I don't like driving that much. It seems to me a lot of the money you save on real estate you spend in time and convenience. I see the appeal, but it's not for me.

I grew up in one and am currently trapped there. It's my personal hell.

Over a city? Easy.
I prefer some population, but as far as I'm concerned cities are unlivable. I have to have space.

I already do, it might be a bit more challenging to make new friends, but also many upsides like less noisy and more relaxed living environment, usually more nature

Ideally I'd have access to both- i.e., a 'home base' in the city, plus a small place to stay out in the woods somewhere, preferably less than 20 mins on foot from a commuter train. Continuing to avoid driving would be great

My ultimate goal is to live in the middle of nowhere with nobody else around, cut off from most everything.
I’m over dealing with how this world has developed. I want to live out the rest of my life in the quiet as far away from other people as possible.
- Agreed. I want internet, but beyond that I don't want to be near anything. My mom was telling me to prioritize a place with good medical services, but it seems like by the time I am old and in constant need, the unsustainability will have come home to roost.
  
  I’m not even sure I want internet anymore. The damage it’s done to my mental health probably isn’t worth it, and I think it’d be a huge positive in my life to cut it out entirely.
  Agree on the unsustainability part. Im expecting the world to collapse before I reach retirement age.

I’ve been living in Paris for 3 years, I do enjoy the city life and activities. But I come from the south of France (coast of le Var, french riviera) and even though it’s not that rural, I wasn’t living in a city either. Best is a mix of the two : sometimes I work in Paris, sometimes I go back down south for a few days/weeks.

I grew up rural (largest town I lived in by far was ~15K) and probably not tbh. I've been living in big cities abt 10 years now, basically my whole adult life.
I fucking hate driving
I have finally basically entirely escaped small town gossip, I'm not going back, I love my privacy too much
It's hard enough to make friends with a big pool of options, let alone like 1000 people who already know your whole family lol
On the plus side, the sense of community can be good in some small towns. It's nice when most of the town shows up to community events - what else are they gonna do, stay home alone on the rare day somethings happening? It felt easier to form community groups like bands etc in that way.
I would consider moving to a smaller city, but probably nothing under 100K, and it would need transit too.

I've lived in towns with populations from 2000 to 6500 that aren't quite the middle of nowhere but you can see it from there. I now live ina city of 750k people and I hate it. I would move back to a small town in a heartbeat.

Yes, happily. I grew up in a rural area and would much prefer to go back.

No.
Public transit is ass compared to anything less rural.
A bus at the morning/evening vs a bus every 20min and a great connection to downtown.
Yeah no, fuck that as a trading argument. It has to be a very good and big property/house and cheap car for me to trade that.
I dislike driving.