4 Reasons Rural Destinations are Winning in The Great Relocation

Originally published in Forbes by Laurel Farrer

As urban areas reopen and loosen social distancing restrictions, remote workers who took pandemic vacations to scenic, rustic destinations may be considering moving back to the city… or not. Recent migration patterns are suggesting that The Great Relocation that occurred during 2021 might not be temporary. Which reveals a clear forecast in the migration trends — urban is out, and rural is in. 

Lest you cringe at a stereotypical and discriminatory thought about country living — like the volume of bugs or guns in your permanent habitat — let’s think critically about what “escaping the city” really means. The U.S. Census Bureau merely defines rural as any municipality with a population of less than 2,500. Much to many people’s surprise, this definition has nothing to do with proximity to urban areas. It’s time our society expands the mindset around the benefits of living and working remotely in a rural area, especially for those who didn’t realize they could simply move to a small town just over a bridge or outside the city. 

If you have a remote or hybrid job, leveraging your flexibility to adopt an enriching rural lifestyle long term may be more attainable — and beneficial — than you think. Here are four ways that your quality of life can increase outside of the city: 

Community and Economic Development 

Taking up residence in a smaller town can open the door for you to have more direct positive impacts on the community as a citizen. From shopping at local businesses that help to keep people you know employed, to sharing wisdom and insights at a city council meeting, to volunteering to coach local sports leagues, the footprint of every resident in a small town makes a big difference. Think of how your unique professional experience or personal passions may equip you to listen to the needs of the community and help bring solutions to light that will have a meaningful impact on your neighbors and friends’ lives. 

Environmental Sustainability

Living outside of an urban area provides many opportunities for reducing your carbon footprint. Of course, eliminating your daily commute on a congested freeway is a start, but think bigger! Have a green thumb and space for a garden? Growing food and sharing with your neighbors is a great way to return to a more self-sustaining lifestyle. People who work remotely from rural areas often spend a bit more time at home and invest in hobbies like scratch cooking and other homemade goods, contributing to less waste and consumption. Maybe you’ve always dreamed of biking while running errands, but were worried about traffic or bike storage in the city? In smaller streets and commercial districts, that dream is alive and well. 

Health and Wellbeing

Some people thrive in cities, some don’t. But everyone thrives with fresh air and outdoor recreation. Use the mobility of a virtual role to your benefit to create a lifestyle that supports your wellbeing in a region designed exactly for that. Research has shown that living in cities can contribute to higher rates of mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and isolation. Depending on your personal preferences and dispositions for self-care, leaning into a rural lifestyle could bring many benefits to your physical and mental health, including greater accessibility to parks, trails, and sports clubs. If the great outdoors sparks joy in your life, get closer to them. Imagine taking your midday walk in a serene nature preserve instead of around a few city blocks. Both your lungs and your brain may breathe easier. 

Cost of Living

Moving to a smaller community likely comes with an opportunity to lower your household overhead by decreasing the cost of rent, mortgages, childcare, and food. This potential cost of living decrease means that not only may home ownership and other investments become more of a reality than when you were thinking of buying in an expensive urban center, but you may actually have more expendable income for enjoyable expenses like pets, vacations, and hobbies. The standardized salary of an urban job in rural area can give you a little wiggle room to spend more money on life enriching and wealth building activities. 

Our society is in the process of building a lot of “new normals,” and your local lifestyle can be one of them. Use the opportunity of having higher location flexibility to design your life from the ground up, because we’re not returning to life as it was, we are in the midst of creating a new way of living.