Are you considering the move from city life to country life, but you just aren’t quite sure if it’s the right choice? Or maybe you already know and enjoy the benefits of rural living, but you’re trying to convince a friend or family member to take the leap? Let’s take a look at some of the major benefits of rural living!
Here are eight benefits of living in a rural area, in no particular order.
- Healthier Lifestyle
Less air pollution, more opportunities to enjoy nature, and long country roads just waiting for you to walk on them are just a few of the ways that rural living can lend to a healthier lifestyle. In addition, you may have more access to homegrown or locally grown foods, which in turn leads to a healthier diet.
- Less Stress
Those traffic jams and long lines at stoplights just simply won’t exist – unless you happen to be caught on the highway behind two combines at harvest time, or unless the one stoplight in town happens to be malfunctioning. Think about how nice it would be to subtract the commuting stress and time from your day! Additionally, you will experience less crowds and shorter lines any time you DO need to get somewhere or buy something, and this all adds up to more time in your day to do activities you actually enjoy.
- Higher Safety
Now, no place is completely free of risks, but with less population and fewer crowds, safety is higher in a rural area, and the crime rate is especially lower. In fact, the average crime rate of a rural area is actually 74% lower than that of a city! Now, your neighbor Bob may borrow your tractor without asking, but only if his own is stuck in the mud and he needs some help getting it out!
- More Space
Backyards. Front yards. Empty fields. Wide open spaces. No additional humans as far as the eye can see. You can do outside activities without others interfering, and you don’t have to worry so much if the curtains aren’t drawn in the evenings, because no one can see in except for the family dog.
- Privacy
Going off of number four, privacy is increased in a rural area compared to a city. You are more free to do as you please without being in the line of sight. It is easier to pursue outdoor activities when you are not fighting for space or worried about what others are thinking of you. Also, you don’t have to worry so much about what you are wearing, because after all, no one is going to see you!
- You Can Own Animals and “Toys”
Horses and ATVs don’t really fit as well in the city as they do in the country. When you live in a rural area, you can have all sorts of outdoor animals and pets. Horses, chickens, cows, goats, and even llamas are commonplace in the countryside. Additionally, you can really break out the pocketbook and purchase some fun toys to zip around in; think 4-wheelers, dune buggies, golf carts, or even a souped-up lawn mower!
- Hobbies
Gardening, walking, biking, wildlife watching, and even watching the sunrise and sunset are just a few examples of hobbies you can take up if you live in the countryside. These activities will benefit your mental health, too, as you learn to enjoy a slower pace of life and start noticing how beautiful the world really is.
- Remote Work
Last, but certainly not least, you can enjoy all of the above and more while working from home. Northwest Kansas has some of the fastest internet speeds in the country, all thanks to the fiber home initiatives spearheaded by companies like Nex-Tech and S&T. Be sure to check out Rural & Remote at www.ruralandremote.com to see how you can make these opportunities a reality for yourself without giving up your job or career that you love.
