N=1 and all that. The grass is always greener. I found rural life alienating. Any semblance of intellectual life revolved around the community church and reli

N=1 and all that. The grass is always greener. I found rural life alienating. Any semblance of intellectual life revolved around the community church and religion. Being in nature and out of the city was nice, and having lots of living space was very nice. But I had little in common with my neighbors and, frankly, found it more difficult to get away from the bullshit of modern life. Every conversation that wasn't about petty church politics/gossip was about actual politics. Rural America has internet access; without bars and gyms and other third places, lots of adults default to doom scrolling and binging politics infotainment TV. IME, a good middle ground is to move to the outskirts of a smaller town with some sort of draw, such as a sizable college or substantial outdoor recreation (eg ski hills and the like) or regional hospital. Life is slower, community is more tight-knit, but there's enough going on and enough transience that you don't get the pathological downside of slower life: stagnation and passive aggressive group dynamics. The northeast is great for this sort of thing; places like Plymouth, NH are rural but also have life. Another consideration, if you have children, is that by default mobility depends on access to a car. Your children can have independence in rural areas, but it's far harder. And if you don't facilitate it, their social lives will be dominated by being online far more than it would've been in the city. Childhood independence in rural areas is possible, but you have to be more intentional about it. There are no busses or subways. This is another benefit of living close to a smaller town center: if you buy the right place, your kids can bike into town and meet friends.