Rural living for double the income, would you?

[whosurdaddy]

If a job in a rural area pays $500K base, would you consider it? A place that is either in the middle of nowhere or on the border of Mexico/Canada. For that income, you can easily fullfill lots of items on your wishlist and live in a dream house. No fine dining, no decent shopping, and the strip malls and fast food chains are your best friends. Would you stay there for 5 -10 years, save up fast and leave?

On the other hand, a job near a metro city will only pay half as much to start and maybe(just maybe) eventually after 5 years you will make about $500K. The housing is twice or three times more expensive and not many to choose from. You will be lucky to find a place in a good area that has more than one bathroom. Lots of wonderful restaurants and high-end boutiques, but you will also spending lots of money to just shop at the expensive wholefoods type of markets. There are endless things to do and will never get bored, but you can throw your wishlist away now, because most of the paychecks will spend on housing/private school/food.


Rural or metro?

 

[jaysonsmom]

Alright, I'll bite....
Being a Foodie, and a people person, I'd take the second scenerio in a hearbeat, and I'm living it. I have recruiters calling me about these rural positions all the time, to which I say, I'm in So. Cal, and it's like paradise here, it would be almost impossible to get me to move to the middle of nowhere.

 

[Dee*Jay]

If a job in a rural area pays $500K base, would you consider it? A place that is either in the middle of nowhere or on the border of Mexico/Canada. For that income, you can easily fullfill lots of items on your wishlist and live in a dream house. No fine dining, no decent shopping, and the strip malls and fast food chains are your best friends. Would you stay there for 5 -10 years, save up fast and leave?

On the other hand, a job near a metro city will only pay half as much to start and maybe(just maybe) eventually after 5 years you will make about $500K. The housing is twice or three times more expensive and not many to choose from. You will be lucky to find a place in a good area that has more than one bathroom. Lots of wonderful restaurants and high-end boutiques, but you will also spending lots of money to just shop at the expensive wholefoods type of markets. There are endless things to do and will never get bored, but you can throw your wishlist away now, because most of the paychecks will spend on housing/private school/food.


Rural or metro?

Having just spent 278 days in Kansas City (but who's counting?) before bolting back to Chicago, I'm going with NO. And your post made me laugh--there's nothing *fast* about 5-10 years.

BTW, last time I checked, "only half" of $500K/year is still better than a sharp stick in the eye.

Be where you want to be and live your life NOW.

 

[rosetta]

NO WAY would I ever live in the sticks. $250k and living in a great city is a FAR better prospect. I might retire to the country when I'm old and doddery but what's the point in having lots of money if you don't have anything to spend it on? Also, I would be vary wary of buying property in the middle of nowhere as the prices may not hold, or you may be left in negative equity when you sell. This can happen in cities of course, but it's much less likely to in the desirable parts of the city. I've lived in the country, and unless you're the horsey type, it's dead boring.

Course I live in London, so I would say that.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

I had to laugh at Dee*Jay's reply having grown up on the outskirts of KC (read: farm)

Having lived on the east coast for the past 15 years, there are times when I would embrace living in a rural area again, but it would be a HUGE adjustment.

My biggest fear would be being "stuck" in that one position. In a city, if you don't like the job, you have options. If you uproot your life for a position in the middle of nowhere, you don't have the same flexibility.

I understand living in a high-cost area where you feel poor making $250K/year. I also understand the appeal of living in a low-cost area and being able to essentially retire in 5 - 10 years. I just feel like you'd have to be 150% committed to doing it or you could become very miserable, very fast.

 

[JewelFreak]

Yeah, I'd probably do it. I love living in the country. Lived in cities forever & always longed for green spaces & wildlife -- my ancestors were pioneers, what can I say? If you're gonna be a stickler about no interesting stores within 45 min., say, I'd have to think -- but can't imagine myself in a city again.

--- Laurie

P.S. Skip the Mexican border part, though. I am not suicidal.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

P.S. Skip the Mexican border part, though. I am not suicidal.

That was my first thought as well. I turned down a job in Angola for similar reasons (although that didn't pay close to $500k). We talked about some career paths but also decided against them for the same reason.

Border with Canada? Sign me on! With low cost of living, I can save a lot of those $500k, freeing me to choose other paths in the future.

 

[whosurdaddy]

Right now I live in a place with one of the most amazing beaches:


However, I feel something is lacking. The closest large cities are either 4 or 6 hours drive away. There are some shopping but nothing high-end. I miss boutique window shopping, museum hopping, enjoying good food. and being surrounded by beautiful things and younger and more open-minded crowd while living in the city.

 

[orbaya]

No, I would not. Money isn't everything. Quality of life outweighs $$$$. DH has received offers for remote locations which would pay a few hundred thousand more than what he makes now, no/less call and amazing vacation time. We have never considered them because we know we would hate those locations. We live 15 minutes outside a small city, and 2 hours from a major one so if we need or want large city offerings, it's an easy day trip for us.

 

[texaskj]

P.S. Skip the Mexican border part, though. I am not suicidal.

No kidding. It's seriously not safe these days, at any price.

 

[yennyfire]

Right now I live in a place with one of the most amazing beaches:


However, I feel something is lacking. The closest large cities are either 4 or 6 hours drive away. There are some shopping but nothing high-end. I miss boutique window shopping, museum hopping, enjoying good food. and being surrounded by beautiful things and younger and more open-minded crowd while living in the city.

Wow, that is some view! If it were me (and by me and I mean and DH, without kids, because that's a whole other kettle of fish)...I'd live in the sticks (and I have, though not for 10 years), save my $$, have all of the "things" I wanted and spend a lot of my weekends traveling to large cities to get my fill of boutiques/clubs and the like. I've never lived in one of the major U.S. cities, but in one that is pretty close and to be honest, after a while, I get bored of shopping and clubs. Now, if there were no interesting people in said rural city, that might be a deal breaker. Personally, I'm very happy hosting small dinner parties where I can get together with my friends, having stimulating conversations, etc. Might I be frustrated not being able to get the finest delicacies with the snap of my fingers?...maybe, but that's what FedEx overnight is for!

 

[whosurdaddy]

Might I be frustrated not being able to get the finest delicacies with the snap of my fingers?...maybe, but that's what FedEx overnight is for!

HAHA... Me and the FedEx guy are on the first name basis now.

 

[missy]

That's a tough decision IMO as I see pros and cons of both. If the rural location is no farther than 1 hour to a city I would consider it but if it is farther than an hour I would choose the city location. It would be the best of both worlds if you could take the rural job but not be far from an urban environment and save lots of money so you could retire within 5-10 years.

I am a city girl but plan on retiring in a non urban environment (most people would not consider it a rural one but to me it just might be lol). However I will only be 35 min from NYC so it's a compromise I can live with if you kwim. I could never be too far from everything I love in the city but I don't have to live right in the middle of everything anymore. When I was in my 20's I felt the need to but now I actually prefer being a bit outside the hustle and bustle, noise and crowds. Though I do like some signs of life lol.

Good luck with your decision. Oh and safety trumps all so make sure whatever area you choose is safe!

 

[SB621]

My DH is military so I'm used to living in places that most people don't want too (and this is extra hard for us being DH is from NY and I'm from Balto). Anyhow yes we could do it at least for a few years. I'm a planner so I would save the majority of our income and invest in whatever. Then we would hightail it out of there a few years later.

 

[rubybeth]

$500k annual salary = live on $25k and save $475k for two or three years, buy a fairly inexpensive house (under $200k) in a low cost of living area and retire! I place very little priority on fancy stores or restaurants. Once retired, I'd take a few trips a year to cities that I like.

 

[NTave]

I would. 5 years..yes. That could put me in a spot to pay for my townhouse in downtown anywhere after five years.

 

[kenny]

Rural.

 

[zoebartlett]

I'd take the second option. If that job pays $250K, that's way more that I'll ever dream of making, so I'd take it in a heartbeat. Plus, I'd need to be happy where I'm living. If the second area has more to do and amenities are close by, that will go a long way towards my happiness.

ETA: I reread your question and I guess it may depend on how rural of an area you're talking and how large the city is. I wouldn't want to live in an area with nothing to do, but on the other hand, I don't want to live in a big city like NYC. I'd look for a happy medium. If I could be happy in the rural area (there are things to do, places to see, etc.), then I'd consider the first option. Like I said, I guess it depends.

 

[pandabee]

I think at the salary comparisons you give most people would be happy at either...but here's my thoughts anyways. I grew up in the city (suburbs) and went to university and grad school there. I have since moved out to a rural part of the state, which is a couple hours outside where I am from. There is a major city closeby (about 30-40 minutes) but it is not on the same level as the city I grew up in. So far, what I do like about living away from the city is the lack of traffic and the general more laid back state of things and people's attitudes. What I do really miss are all the diverse food options that were easily available in the city. Here it is very much your basic chain restaurants (and even some that are missing...like Chipotle, Panera, Starbucks, etc) but no hole in the wall Indian, local Mediterranean, little bakeries, oyster happy hours, or anything like that. As a foodie that is what I miss the most but DBF and I have been trying to cook more so that satisfies my bite a little bit.

I shop online quite a bit so it's not too much of a deal not having boutiques and department stores nearby, but it does take a bit longer for mail to get out to us. I am not sure how long we will stay out here...DBF is from the area and he intends to stay. I am happy with my job (at least for now while it is new ) and would find it a hassle to leave and start over as well. But who knows what will happen once we get married and start having kids because I am not 100% sure about the school districts down here (vs. where I grew up and went to school) so that would be my biggest concern once we get to that bridge.

 

[Circe]

I like quality of life more than I like stuff (and, given my presence here, you can tell I like stuff). No, I would not move to the boonies ... as much as anything else, because as a Jewish, bi, ex-pagan woman married to an immigrant - Swedish, but still - I just wouldn't feel comfortable. Being a minority among many other minorities is my normal. Being the only unusual one in 100 miles makes me feel like I have a target painted on me. No, thanks.

 

[LibbyLA]

Got a chuckle out of this one. I spend most of my weekends in the forest in the third least populated county in a southern state. No electricity unless we run the generator (other than things that run on 12V battery power, like fans, lights, etc.). Cooking, heat, etc., from propane. LOVE being away from any humans other than my fiancé for the entire weekend. Even though I live in a city and like the convenience, I don't care about being around a lot of people or shopping or eating out.

Too close the the southern border could be dangerous, northern border is probably too cold for my tastes. But rural isn't a deal breaker by any means.

 

[amc80]

Yep, except for being near the Mexican border. No thanks. I'd build an amazing dream house. For $500k a year I could afford monthly weekend trips to SF, NY, etc.

 

[packrat]

I've lived my whole life in the rural middle of nowhere land, so that's what I'm used to. If someone offered that to me, ha, even 1/4 of that, I'd be there. Wages here--I make way less than 20k a year, and I have a "good" paying job for the area, so yeah it wouldn't even be a question of my not accepting something like that. There are about 5,000 people in this town. It sucks sometimes, but you take the good w/the bad, I guess. I went to school in a neighboring town, 800 in the town.. I can handle rural.

 

[Enerchi]

I'd do it, for sure! I grew up in a major metropolis and lived there for 30 years - anything you wanted, you could get in that city. Now, living in a smaller city and a rural suburb, so sure, I could do the rural thing with that kind of income, for a few years. I totally agree that the FedEx man and I could develop a very deep and meaningful, albeit a short term, relationship... but I'll break his heart when I up and leave with bags of cash!!

Pretty confident DH would also totally be on board with that plan. Short term pain for long term gain. I'm in!

 

[aljdewey]

I'm surprised that no one's mentioned this yet.........

For me, it would depend on when in my life this decision was being contemplated. I'm in my late 40s now, and while I fully expect to have many many more years in front of me, it's less of a given than it was when I was 25. Because of that perspective, it's a lot more weighty for me now to think about giving up 5 years of my life.

If I were 20-25 years younger, I'd probably seriously consider the rural option because the likelihood is much higher that I'll reap the rewards of frugal living for many years after the initial 5-year investment to amass wealth. Being younger, I'd also have more of the inclination and the energy to pursue monthly 'sanity trips' to enjoy shopping/dining while living frugally.

Though that would be a snap decision for me at a younger age, it would be less so now that I'm older. Now, I value ease, convenience, and enjoying my home. I'm feeling acutely aware these days of how fast things seem to be passing by, and the time in those five years is much more valuable to me now. It would be harder for me to make that kind of time sacrifice now.

 

[madelise]

If you said the alternative was to get paid peanuts, yes. Since the alternative pay is still relatively a hugeeeee amount..

There are also other factors:
- I'd choose rural because I don't have kids yet, and even if I did during the next 5-10 years, their education level wouldn't be at a level where it's crucial for them to be in top tiered schools that usually metro areas have. For people who have children and who need them to be in top tiered public school systems, they may not be able to move away regardless of a $500K paycheck.
- My life is somewhat already like that… ish. I'll be moving away from the LA urban area into a more rural county of CA in a few years.
- Depends on the flexibility of your spouse, if there is a spouse.
- Nearby family or friends that are on shorter lifespans? Any grandparents you wouldn't want to miss a day without?

Is the Mexican border that bad? I figure it's just a bunch of agricultural land with many migrant workers? It's still the US, so I can't imagine it's that horrible...

 

[GliderPoss]

Rural for sure! As long as it wasn't deadly dangerous...

I would LOVE someone to pay me big bucks to live in the country, isolation would be sublime.

In fact that's really a problem with Australia - generally the higher paying jobs are in the city so you kind of have to choose $$$ = city or <$ = country. I would literally earn HALF my wage in the country which is sad coz we'd love to move back to our home town but just no decent jobs there....

I'd do it for 5 years and save like crazy.

 

[rosetta]

Other stuff I would consider:

Are you going to get decent schooling for your kids in the middle of nowhere?

Would you miss having access to different cultures/food?

Would you want your kids to have access to culture eg museums, art galleries, the ballet?

How would you fill your free time in the country? Are you into hiking/camping?

If I lived in the country, then I'd gleefully count the money in my bank for about 6 months, then run back screaming to civilisation. The beach is very nice for a holiday, but after two weeks of sunbathing then I'd need a lot more.

I assumed you meant 500k gross, if so, how much would you be left with after tax? Would you have access to excellent healthcare in an emergency (a huge consideration for me)?

There's good reason why big salaries are offered for some areas. Think very carefully and don't find out the hard way.

 

[Dee*Jay]

BTW, I gotta say that YOUR definition of *rural* and MY definition of rural are vastly different.

 

[Niel]

absolutely! seeing as how i did it for the first 18 years of my life! Dirt roads, dial up internet sense they wouldnt ship it out that far... closest movie theatre or normal grocery store 30 minutes away.. its AMAZING! i miss it so much. No annoying neighbors, no traffic, beautiful birds and nature, your dog just running around your yard withhout a fence a freedom like you just dont have in the city.

I used to hit golf balls off the back hill at my house. Real ones, using drivers... with absolutely no fear of hitting anyone or anything. I honestly think its an amazing place to have a home and a family. Im a home body, and if I could create the perfect indoors and outdoors to create an oasis... there would be absolutely no question i would move into the country.