Leaving the City: Pros and Cons to Country Life

Are you thinking about leaving the city and living the country life? You may look forward to living in a peaceful, quiet environment where you can relax and live your life. Before you make this big decision, you’re probably trying to learn more about what it’s like to live in the country. While this way of living is advantageous for many reasons, there are some cons you need to know about, too.

Reasons to Live the Country Life

If you need some convincing, check out some of these benefits associated with country life. The benefits are tremendous when you care about saving money, breathing in the fresh air, and living in a quieter environment.

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Less Pollution 

One thing you’ll notice about living in the country is that the air is fresher and better for you. There is less pollution living in a rural area due to the lack of city buildings and vehicles driving around. 

Large cities are often heavily polluted because they’re home to dozens of large factories, buildings, and people who drive cars regularly, releasing gas into the air. If you care about air quality, this is a big deal.

There is less air pollution in the country, but there is also less pollution in general. With fewer people living in the area, you’ll have fewer people throwing trash on the ground. It’s such a difference compared to the city.

Safer Environment

Country living is often much safer. While you’ll have bad people anywhere you go, there are often fewer people living in the country and small towns, making it safer. You can choose an area known for its low crime rates to ensure that you’ll feel secure in your new home if you decide to move to the country.

More Space to Grow Fruits and Vegetables

Growing your own food can be done anywhere but rural life often comes with acres of land. If you have a green thumb and would love to grow fruits and vegetables in your backyard, the country provides you with the perfect opportunity to do so. Sure, you can plant fruits and veggies while living in the city.

However, you’ll have much more space to do so when living in a home on a large stretch of land. You might even want to start growing your own trees, flowers, and medicinal herbs.

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You Can Save Money Each Year

You have to consider the cost of living. Country living is typically much cheaper than city living. The prices for groceries are often lower than what you would find in grocery stores throughout major cities, such as New York City and Philadelphia. You may pay less money for property taxes, gasoline to fill your vehicle, and utility bills to keep your home comfortable throughout the year.

The savings alone is one of the things people love most about living in the country.

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Cons of Country Life

Although there are many advantages associated with country living, there are a few cons that you should know about before you make such a significant decision. It can take time to adjust to country living. You can consider the pros and cons of making a move before you decide what to do.

There Is a Longer Drive to Get Medical Attention

Unfortunately, you might not be close to the local hospital or doctor’s office when you live in the country. If you’re dealing with a medical emergency, it might take longer for the ambulance to get to your home. Although this might sound scary, it’s not something you should think about too much. You can’t let thoughts of what could happen keep you from enjoying country living.

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You Will Experience More Wildlife

While this isn’t necessarily a con for everyone, living in the country means encountering wildlife more often than not. While it’s rare to come across deer or a fox in the city, you’ll see these wild animals roaming around everywhere you go in the country. 

They might even end up lingering around in your backyard. It’s a scary experience to see a bear coming out of the wilderness near your home. Some people hate the idea of dealing with wildlife, but this might not bother you too much. There are ways to protect yourself and your family from wildlife while living in the country, so try not to stress it!

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Having a Lot of Land Requires Much More Upkeep

You’ll need to deal with more upkeep when you own a property on a large chunk of land. Not only will you need to take care of your home’s interior and exterior, but you’ll also need to take care of the land. 

Of course, you can always hire someone else to complete specific landscaping tasks, such as mowing the grass and trimming trees. It does require effort to keep the land in the best condition possible, but you might enjoy handling maintenance tasks. Some people think of these tasks as therapeutic activities that keep them busy.

There Is Not Much to Do Nearby

When living in the city, you’ll have access to tons of amenities. You might not live too far from local bars, restaurants, arcades, and clubs that will keep you entertained and busy. Unfortunately, the country is different. 

You might not find a bunch of things to do that are within close proximity to your home. You’ll likely need to drive a bit of a distance to get to different places that you’d like to visit for fun. If you don’t mind driving, it’s not that big of a deal.

Leaving the City: Pros and Cons to Country Life

There are both pros and cons that come with country life. If you’re thinking about moving out of the city and into the country, you need to know of these advantages and disadvantages. You can move to the country to live a comfortable life (slower pace), where you’ll get to enjoy fresh air, lots of land, and a safer environment.  Not to mention the health benefits of all those things!

But I can’t deny city life comes with some advantages.

The benefits of a move to the country often outweigh the cons, but the only one who can decide what to do is you. If you’re serious about making the move, look at several areas and do plenty of research on it beforehand. When you learn about the area, you can enjoy the experience of living in the country even more.