Amy asks:
Our family will be moving, and I think it would be best for us to move to a more rural area rather than urban. What do you think is best where safety and preparedness are concerned?
The Survival Mom:
Amy is one smart cookie, and she answers her question within her own question. Talk about a mom’s intuition! Bottom line, rural beats urban hands down when it comes to safety, preparedness, and raising kids.
No one can predict what might happen in the future or in any part of the country, but let me share with you the reasons I would prefer a rural area.
- Less crime. Crime happens everywhere, but not so much in smaller towns and rural areas. There are fewer people, and neighbors tend to know who belongs in the area and who doesn’t.
- Like-minded people. If you are thinking along the lines of preparedness, you’re more likely to find like-minded people in smaller towns and in the country. For many, it’s always been a way of life and for others, they’ve moved there specifically to become more self-sufficient with goals similar to yours’.
- Self-sufficiency. A key to preparedness is self-sufficiency. In a city, all your basic needs are met. Becoming self-sufficient isn’t an issue, or so it may seem. However, in a major crisis, city-dwellers could lose electricity, water, and even police protection. Think Hurricane Katrina. In a smaller town and/or rural area, there’s a better opportunity to have your own well, alternative power sources, and homegrown food. For security you can post that sign, “Keep Out! Violators will be shot!” Voila! Your own security system!
- Nature. I want my children to grow up comfortable being outdoors. A recent study showed that more and more Americans are actually afraid of the outdoors! Imagine that! We prefer the “security” of asphalt and skyscrapers to blue sky and wilderness. That’s not the life I want for my children, and I’m willing to leave the city behind for that reason alone.
- Cleaner air, water and land. The combo of pollution and city life go way back to the days of the Black Death. If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather breathe clean air, have access to pure water, and grow my own food without worrying about unknown chemicals and genetically altered produce.
There are drawbacks to rural life, of course, and the one that causes me to think twice about relocating is extended family. Choosing between the advantages of country life and having relatives close at hand in the city is a difficult one. Another drawback is the learning curve. I don’t want to romanticize rural life so much that I overlook the fact that I’ve never lived on a farm or raised chickens. Know what I mean? Rural life will have its’ own challenges, setbacks, and frustrations.
To learn more about any specific area you’re considering, be sure to spend time there and talk with the residents. It will be interesting and insightful to hear their opinions and observations. You might even form friendships and a local support system before your move.
Finally, one more consideration. How will you continue to earn money in a rural area? Thank God for the invention of telecommuting, but that doesn’t work for all types of careers. Commuting into a city can be expensive and wearisome, and small towns rarely offer much in the way of career opportunities. However, creative people have always found ways to earn money!
James Wesley, Rawles over on SurvivalBlog just wrote on this same topic, and you can read his thoughts here.