I did for 8 years. The land in the area was beautiful. Lots of wonderful hiking and mountain biking trails. People were nice. It was hard seeing family, since it was an eight hour drive. Real estate prices were lower. I’m really into music, and I went without seeing bands play for most of the time we lived there. I’m back in a city and happy. See concerts multiple times a month now. Living in a rural area was a nice experience, but I don’t think I’d want to do it again.

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

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.

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.

I tried for 2 years, but with long work hours I didn’t have much time to meet new people and since I’d just moved there for work, I didn’t know anybody. Cost of living was great and I loved the friendly people and pace of life. I just couldn’t handle the loneliness and isolation. I would do it again, but with a better work life balance and a stronger intention to meet people and make new friends.

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

Over a city? Easy.

I prefer some population, but as far as I’m concerned cities are unlivable. I have to have space.

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

If I was a straight white men, married to a straight white woman with stra white children, I would definitely consider it.

I grew up rural and I’m glad to be a city boy now. I don’t want to move back. Maybe if I get older and can’t stand the bustling city life anymore?

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 do. It means peace and quiet. It means a reasonable price for housing. It means learning some skills to maintain your place yourself. It means being more self-sufficient. It means you have to plan ahead because shopping is a 1x a week event, not a daily thing.

It also means people visit less and either are amazed at how much you have “out here,” or are astounded you can live “out here.”

No. I grew up on a farming area (not as a farmer just in the area) and it was boring as hell.

It might have actually been ok if we had any land to farm because then we’d have had something to do but it was just a farmhouse on a farm that we otherwise didn’t own.

Very picturesque, but the internet was terrible, it was like a 2-hour drive to the nearest town, and that was hardly a metropolis, all the shops used to close at about 2:00 p.m. on a Sunday. No nightlife. The local newspaper once ran a major story because somebody had thrown a firework in a lake, the coverage was as if world War 3 had been declared, it was the most interesting thing that had happened in decades.

I don’t need to live in a major city but I like to live somewhere where if you want to get some corn flakes it doesn’t become a great expedition.

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