What dazzles you the most? Are you someone who loves looking at a stunning skyline and roaming in the midst of bright, flickering lights? Or does the idea of spending your life in an unending verdant landscape surrounded by picturesque scenery appeal to you the most? If you chose the latter, it’s probably a sign of you being ready to leave a hectic yet dynamic lifestyle behind and wanting to experience the calmness of country living.
Life in the countryside can be described accurately in one word, ‘simple’. Don’t get us wrong here! Simple living does not equate to renouncing everything and choosing a frugal lifestyle (unless that’s something you want to do). All we mean to say is that you can totally let go of things like crowds, cut-throat competition, stress, constant noise, tiredness, etc., that trouble you to no end and choose an uncomplicated lifestyle. Should you move to the countryside? Well, why don’t you find out for yourself!
Benefits Of Choosing A Country Life
Rural areas cover more than 90% of the land in the USA. However, roughly 80% of the country’s population can be found in urban areas. Disproportionate much? There’s always plenty of space for anyone who simply wants to leave all their worries behind and choose tranquil country living.
We know that wrapping up something that you’ve struggled to establish for the better part of your life, i.e., a comfortable city life, and moving to the countryside isn’t as easy as it sounds. But let us tell you all that you can expect from country living. Learning about the benefits of country living will certainly help you decide whether you’re ready to make this big change in your life.
More Affordable Lifestyle:
What is that one thing that influences almost all of your decisions? You guessed it right, money! Money indeed has a scary amount of control over our lives and sadly, there isn’t much we can do about it. On a more positive note, you’ll realize that you’re spending a lot less when you live in the countryside as opposed to living in an urban or even a suburban area.
Property rates in the countryside are drastically lower, thanks to the amount of space available for rural dwellers. Buying a lovely property in a rural area is a complete win-win situation. Not only do you have to shell out less money, but the square footage of land you can buy with that money is more than what you would get in a city.
For instance, you might have to pay about $700,000 to buy a 2-bedroom home in a city like Seattle. On the contrary, you might be able to score a 3-bedroom house in the countryside at the cost of roughly $200,000. The cost of buying or even renting a home in the countryside is roughly half of what you would spend in a city. You should definitely take advantage of this, especially if your financial situation is somewhat difficult.
A similar trend can be noticed when it comes to other living costs like utilities, entertainment, food and groceries, school tuition, and taxes. All of these costs come down drastically when you live in the countryside.
How, you ask? Utilities might cost you less as you may be able to install solar panels over your house. Similarly, the prices of the items sold in supermarkets vary from place to place. If a particular area is less affluent, the prices will be significantly lower as well. All in all, country living is super pocket-friendly.
Also Read: Top Most Affordable Cities In The U.S.
Say Goodbye To Crime:
We aren’t saying that there isn’t any crime in rural areas. We just want to tell you that you’re more likely to feel safer in rural areas than in the cities. There are two main reasons why this happens. Firstly, the number of people staying in the countryside is far lower than the number of people residing in the cities. This translates to the fact that the chances of people being criminals and committing violent crimes and thefts are significantly lower in rural areas.
Secondly, because fewer people are residing in the countryside, the per capita police officers’ ratio also seems to be somewhat tilted. More police officers serve a smaller bunch of people in the rural areas as opposed to the same number of officers serving a larger group of people in a crowded metropolitan area.
No one can ever predict criminal happenings, that’s for sure. However, if you don’t want to feel anxious about locking up your windows and doors or letting your kids out to play alone, you might want to consider moving to a lovely countryside home.
See Also: Most Safest States in the US
Achieving Overall Mental Well Being:
Have you ever wondered why people living in the cities experience so many mental health problems? When you live in urban areas, a lot is constantly happening around you. You live hectic lives and you have to make sure that you’re doing everything you’re supposed to do. This eventually leads to the overstimulation of the brain. It’s no wonder that so many city dwellers often have to battle anxiety and mood disorders, and that’s not something you’d want.
People living in a non-urban setup typically enjoy a slower pace of life. They have the freedom to live each day according to their own liking. There are no urgent meetings to run to, neither are they tormented by anxious thoughts about their very survival in the place they are living in.
Don’t expect that you won’t have to deal with stress while living in the countryside, however, you will definitely experience much lower levels of stress there. The risk factors that trigger psychological disasters are in abundance in the city as opposed in the non-metropolitan areas and that’s how country living doesn’t threaten your mental wellbeing.
Lesser Pollution:
Living in the countryside is like a breath of fresh air, figuratively and literally! That’s because the quality of air starts improving the farther you move away from a metropolitan area.
Research has indicated that the air in the countryside might be cleaner and better due to the presence of a great number of trees, bushes, and grass. Similarly, certain plants, microbes, and fungi are also known to release cell-improving phytochemicals that make the air better. To sum it up, the greener the place, the cleaner the air.
You might know that some urban areas do try to maintain green spaces. However, the deteriorating greenery isn’t the only reason why the air in the urban area is so polluted. The cities are crowded, and there are uncountable vehicles on the roads that release harmful particles.
Cities are also home to big factories that release poisonous emissions into the air. The pollution caused by all this can lead to serious lung diseases and breathing impairments that affect the residents of the city. That’s why moving to the countryside is a great way to protect yourself from exposure to polluted air.
Staying Healthy Is Super Easy:
People living in the metropolitan areas will agree to the fact that they rarely have access to fresh produce. Neither do they have the time to actually cook healthy meals for themselves every day. People living in the countryside can simply visit the farms and procure fresh vegetables, fruits, dairy products, meat, and eggs for themselves.
It’s a commonly known fact that eating fresh food as opposed to packed, processed, and preserved food helps you to maintain the fitness and health of your body. If you own a bigger piece of land, you can even grow your own food. Eating high-quality food that’s produced organically can do wonders for your body, strengthening your immune system and keeping you away from serious ailments for many years to come.
Living In The Heart Of Nature:
If you live in the countryside, you already know that every day of your life is like a vacation. Nature is right at your doorstep when you live in rural areas. The best part about living in the countryside is that you get to choose a scenic landscape of your preference, be it majestic mountains, sunny beaches, lush green fields, or beautiful rivers and lakes.
Being connected to nature comes with plenty of health benefits. Many researchers have suggested that living in the midst of nature boosts your immune system, increases your energy levels, improves your blood pressure, and keeps you away from mood disorders.
Nature also inspires people to be creative, plus the load of opportunities to enjoy outdoor activities further contributes to your physical as well as mental wellbeing.
Tranquility Is Guaranteed:
Peace and tranquility are guaranteed when you stay in a non-metropolitan area. What are some of the common noises you would hear from a home situated in a busy city? The general noise of people yelling, cars honking, and loud sirens might come to your mind.
But when you live in a peaceful rural area, we’re sure you won’t hear any of those. Instead, you have the pleasant chirping of the birds, whistling breeze, and swaying trees. Living a calm and peaceful life can undoubtedly lower your stress levels and end up keeping you super fit and healthy.
To add to that, one of the major frustrations of the city dwellers is the amount of traffic on the road. The congested areas filled with traffic often contribute to increased commuting time, air pollution, and delays that might make you feel frustrated at all times. Residents of the rural areas seldom face traffic problems, nor do they have to struggle to find a vacant parking space for their vehicles. Life in the countryside is indeed very relaxed.
Abundance Of Space:
As we already mentioned, the cost of buying land is drastically lower in non-metropolitan areas. Because of this, you can not only build a large and spacious home for yourself, but you can also afford to have a large space around your home as well. What can you do with extra space around your house, you ask?
Well, you could do absolutely anything with it. The sky’s the limit! You could use this space to create a play yard for your kids, grow a lovely garden with all your favorite flowers, set up a backyard workshop or an outdoor kitchen, hold barbecue parties, dance parties, and whatnot! You could do all that you ever dreamed of doing, something that you possibly can’t do in the city without emptying your pockets.
Additionally, the amount of privacy you get in the countryside is unbelievable. In the cities, most people end up living in apartments and often face problems with nosy and overly inquisitive neighbors. To add to that, many neighbors also tend to be noisy and this can make your life difficult. On the contrary, there’s a lot of space between you and your neighbors in the country, which means that everyone gets their privacy and no one gets disturbed at any point in time.
Enjoying The Tight-Knit Community Life:
Strong community life is the basic building block of country living. The number of people living in the countryside isn’t very high. This eventually leads to everyone knowing almost everyone that lives in a specific area. People living in the countryside are often warm and friendly. They help each other out in times of need. Living in a tight-knit rural community ensures that you have a sense of belonging and don’t feel very isolated.
Whenever you live in the city, people around you tend to keep to themselves. You might take quite some time to make friends after you relocate to a city, but that’s not the case in the countryside. The community gives you a warm welcome and making friends with everyone tends to be rather simple.
The social events and other communal activities make it possible for every resident to socialize and strengthen their social ties. You’ll be able to count on and depend on people who live around you, and that’s something that is very hard to find in urban areas.
To add to that, your family life can take a beautiful turn when you move to the countryside. You will get more time to connect with each other. There’s a possibility that you might even end up working with them if you live on a big farm. Spending quality time with your family ensures peace and calm in your family as well, nourishing your ties with each other.
Enhanced Development Of The Kids:
Children tend to have a happier growing experience when they live in the countryside. City residents might agree with the fact that they have to be very restrictive with their kids. They can’t let their children run around on the roads due to the traffic. Letting them walk home alone from school also comes with risks. This isn’t the case when you live in non-metropolitan areas.
You don’t have to constantly keep an eye on your children when you let them out of the house. This is one of the major benefits of staying in the countryside. That’s because the people around you tend to be friendly. To add to that, there is almost no traffic on the road which makes it safer for children to roam around without the risk of being run over.
If this wasn’t enough, the schools in smaller towns tend to be great due to a lot of factors. Children receive personalized attention from their teachers which makes a huge difference in their life. Teachers and parents often know each other, and this makes it easy for them to have a discussion about their child’s development.
The schools also emphasize community participation and often encourage students to take part in fundraisers and other community development programs. This leads to a positive development in each and every child’s social and interpersonal skills.
Also See: Moving with Kids
Things To Consider Before Moving To The Countryside
Although living in the countryside is one of the best things you can choose to do, don’t do it by setting forth some unrealistic expectations. Everything isn’t sunshine and rainbows, and you need to understand that you will encounter certain difficulties when you move to a rural area. Here are some of the things you need to keep in mind when you move to the countryside.
Limited Job Opportunities:
Although you can work remotely from the countryside, do remember that the diversity and number of jobs available here will be comparatively low. You might not even find a job of your liking or end up finding something that pays you less than what you would normally get in a city.
Limited Educational Opportunities:
Most of the smaller towns do not offer quality college education to their youth. Many people tend to move away for college once high school is over.
Limited Access To Healthcare:
You might have to drive for quite some distance if you have to visit a specialized medical facility since healthcare is limited in the countryside.
Limitations In Amenities:
Restaurants and gas stations might not stay open till late in the night, internet and TV connections might not be strong, town roads and public transit systems might be underdeveloped and you might have to drive over long distances to visit a big supermarket.
Loneliness:
As the houses are rather spread apart in towns, you sometimes might feel lonely. Your friends might live far away from you and there might not be enough social events planned in the town. This might lead to feelings of isolation.
FAQs
Is Country Life Better Than City Life?
Living in the countryside is physically and mentally better for each and every individual. However, this doesn’t mean that living in the city does not have its benefits. What life is better for you purely depends on your priorities and preferences.
Is Living In The Country Cheaper?
Living in the countryside is generally cheaper than staying in a big city. That’s because the property rates and the general cost of living tend to be low in smaller towns. However, don’t forget that if the town you are moving to is a popular vacation town that’s visited by many tourists, living there probably won’t be much cheaper.
Final Thoughts
Moving to the countryside is indeed a very big decision. Don’t forget that if you wish to move to the countryside, you cannot make an individual decision and go ahead with it, especially if you have a family. You need to consider whether moving to a small town would be the best decision for your partner and kids. You also need to ask yourself whether such a move might end up disrupting your social life.
After thinking about all the necessary things, if moving to the countryside makes sense for you, then we recommend wasting no time and going through with the move. Now that you have read through the numerous benefits of country living and find it appealing, make sure you check out moving companies that can help you make this big transition.
See Also: Top Out of State Moving Companies | Average Cost to Move Across the Country
