Is Living In The Countryside For You [Ultimate Decision Making Guide]

Living in the countryside the same as living in the city but you have wide-open spaces, fresh clean air, and relaxing conversation on the front porch right?

Weeeelllll maybe not quite. 

My goal is not to persuade you one way or the other. You have to do the investigating and decide for yourself. Because if you are used to having a grocery store 1 minute from your house and you love the excitement of being around people…

Well, you are going to have a big change ahead of you. 

As you are reading about living in the countryside. Do this.

Before I tell you anything else. I want you to pay attention to your emotions and your body as you read through these points. 

How do you respond? Do your shoulders get tense or your body feels tingly with concern. 

Or maybe you are so excited you can’t hold still in your chair. That will be your clue. 

Ready to learn what it is like to live in the countryside?

What Are The Disadvantages Of Living In The Countryside

I am only going to list the things that are legitimate lively hood concerns or setbacks. Not opinions. 

Fewer Job Opportunities

While there are fewer job options the ones that are available are also lower-paying jobs. So you have to be aware that to earn more money to do the things you might want to do like raise animals. You will have to drive farther or find other streams of income.

But there are sometimes ways to earn money like working for someone or starting your own business from home. 

Limited Access to Healthcare

The nearest town to us has its own hospital and an urgent care which to me seems good enough. But in the summer of 2020, I dropped a dinner plate on my big toe nearly breaking it. I will save you the gory details but the point is it wasn’t pretty. 

My sister drove me to the urgent care center.

Somehow we got on the subject of another hospital and the doctor said something to the effect of “the doctors who want to make the money don’t work around here”.

I have lived in this area my whole life and that was the first time it clicked for me that we lived in what is considered a small cowpoke town area. 

When it comes to anything specialty you DEFINITELY have to drive a good distance by most people’s standards. Forty-five minutes to an hour is normal.

Fewer Entertainment Options

It all depends on what you consider entertainment. And to be honest you will likely come up with new activities once you give it some time. 

But clubbing, lots of shopping, or the “nightlife” is not a thing. 

The most exciting event is the county fair mid-summer. 

In-town entertainment looks more like cruising the aisle at your local Walmart, getting ice cream and taking it to the park.

Learning new skills like gardening or raising animals is often the first place people turn to learn things to do. 

You may not be a but here are 18 great ideas to do that will help fill your time with practical skills.

There Are Limited Conveniences Living In The Countryside

When you live in the country, it will take longer to get anywhere and services will be less assessable:

• Delivery is not a thing. It is pretty much impossible to order food to your door. Or if they do they are going to charge you quite a bit more.

• Your internet connection, TV, and mobile coverage…. well, let’s just say your patience may be tested. Where I live, which isn’t that far in the country in my opinion, I was after home internet for five months when we first moved in and no one was able to come out here and put it in. So I ended up making do with my cellphone internet and I do just fine. 

• You are not high on the priority list when it comes to getting power back up. Cities and burgs get priority over people giving on the country roads. Because, well, there are just fewer people needing help. Which is fair. You just have to be ready to compensate for the problem. 

• Country roads are not as well-maintained, when it shows or your the roads are iced over you are not on the high-priority list. 

• Public transportation is pretty much non-existent. You can not do without your own truck or vehicle. 

• Not many choices – When we were looking for a dumpster I called over 5 places to see who would come out to our address. Let alone finding enough options to make a choice. Sometimes you are stuck with what you can get. 

• Law enforcement takes way longer so you have to be prepared to take care of yourself. Yes, you can call them but they will be several minutes before they arrive. By then it’s too late. They are pretty much there to sort out the aftermath.

• This is more of an inconvenience but if you live in farming country your definition of a traffic jam will be 10 cars getting stuck behind a tractor. In the early spring months and late fall months, it will be second nature to leave time for possibly running into a tractor on your trip into town.

Living In The Countryside Isn’t Just Pretty Scenery

There are a number of unique things you may have to deal with when living in a rural area. This will depend on where you want to move too but there are some pretty interesting critters you could run into.

Each state has its own troublesome species of choice but the most common are mountain lions, bears, coyotes, snakes, and other animals wild animals are very common. Smaller pain in the rear-end critters like weasels, raccoons, squirrels, and mice can also cause a lot of damage to your home or even the animals and gardens you are raising.

Bugs – Mosquitos, spiders, termites, and other insects – some of which can be quite dangerous or harmful – are an everyday thing when living in the countryside.

But don’t let that scare you off. You don’t have to “coexist” you just learn how to deter them or be prepared if they do show up.

In the western states fires, river floods, and other natural disasters are other things you are not likely to see in the city.

Isolation

This will depend on your personality. For a homebody, this is not a problem. But for some people living in the country can be lonely.

When you live in the country, you’ll live far away from everything and everyone. Going on day trips adds a lot of extra work and expense for travel. 

You learn to be social with people online if that is something you crave. But for someone who goes stir-crazy after a day or two of not seeing other people. 

You might need to rethink moving to the countryside.

There Is More Work Then You Realize

With more space comes more work. There is a lot more grass to mow, yards to manage and trees to care for if you have them. When a limb falls to the ground you have to gut it up and burn it or find a way to dispose of it. 

Not to mention if you decide to raise animals. Daily feed and care are a must. Fixing health issues or building pens all falls on you. It is a lot harder to rent a property in the country as well. So all of the home management care is going to fall on your shoulders to handle.

You will have to shovel the snow for your driveway in the winter (if you live in the north)  or even your road if you don’t want to wait on the county workers to do it.

What Are The Advantages Of Living In The Countryside

Ok enough of the warnings. Let’s get to the good stuff.  Because if you are ready to do it I promise the rewards will be worth it.

Less Stress

Letting things go and learning to relax comes with time. But if you are meant to live in the country you will have a calmer mood most of the time. If you are a people person and you need all of your conveniences… well country living could have the opposite effect on you. 

You will still need some stream of income so you will have a job or have your own business. But living in the countryside does leave you with fewer demands on your time.

There are less people so that also means less traffic. Getting stuck in traffic really isn’t a thing and having a hard time finding a parking space isn’t an issue.

The only expectations and social pressure are the ones you put on yourself. 

Listen to your gut. Even if you are still adjusting to life in the country it will just feel right. 

More Space Living In The Countryside

Land for the most part is much more affordable. There are some areas like close to state parks or lakes where that is not the case but for the most part, land is more affordable. 

You will be able to raise animals, grow flowers and veggies, and have space to ride four-wheelers (if you ask permission to go on other people’s land and of course). 

More Affordable Living

The chance to improve your financial situation may also be a good incentive to relocate to the country. Less populated areas tend to have lower costs of living – you get more for your money when you are living in the countryside:

The countryside offers an affordable, healthy, and peaceful lifestyle.

Homes in the country are more affordable than homes in urban areas – buying or renting a property in the countryside will cost you about half as much as in a big city, as house and land prices go down the further out you go. Even utilities are cheaper in a small town or village;

Income taxes and property taxes are usually lower in non-urban areas. But this is something you will have to research for your area and state.

Living expenses are also lower in rural areas – from groceries and household essentials to school tuition and auto insurance, goods and services tend to cost less in the countryside.

There will be fewer overpriced temptations (such as fancy restaurants and luxury boutiques), so you will easily avoid overspending.

Source: mymovingreviews.com

So is it worth moving to the countryside? Well, only you can make that choice. I would say hands down yes. 

BUT Here are the top questions you need to have answered before you make the jump. 

• Am I prepared to deal with the inconveniences?
• Am I willing to learn the skills I need to in order to live in the country? 
• Is my family on board. 

This is the BIG aspect that will improve or destroy your life. If you are the only one wanting to move to the country your family will resent you for it. 

Country living is not for everyone. But if you are willing to worth through the changes and start slow before adding on all kinds of extra work for yourself. You will do fine.