There are plenty of benefits if you decide to relocate to a rural area. You will experience a more laid back lifestyle. You don’t live in a crowded space. You also know almost everyone in the neighborhood. It’s an excellent place to raise your children. The best part is that the cost of living is affordable enough. Despite all these perks, there are a few downsides in rural life, including the lack of access to clean drinking water. You might find it hard even to get clean water flowing out of your faucet in some areas. It increases the need to use the big Berkey water filter.
Some places have low funding from the government. Hence, some people are deprived of basic needs, such as water. It’s the first thing you have to prepare for. Investing in a quality water filter guarantees that you will have clean water for your entire family. You can’t afford to experience waterborne illnesses because you didn’t pay attention to the need for potable water. These are the other issues you might have to face because you decided to live in a rural area.
Access to healthcare
There are only a few hospitals in rural locations. In some sites, there’s only one hospital serving hundreds upon thousands of residents. In case of an emergency, you have to travel really far to get help.
Another problem in this regard is the lack of healthcare workers. Even if the cost of living is low, the average salary is also low. For medical doctors who spend thousands of dollars to practice the profession, recuperating this cost is a priority. They would rather serve in huge hospitals and earn more. You might have to travel further to meet a specialist who can help you for certain diseases.
Poor internet coverage
Despite being in a modern era, some rural places seem to have been frozen in time. There’s no broadband access. It used to be the government’s priority, but there’s no longer enough funding available now. There are still several areas that don’t have an excellent internet signal. Communicating with your loved ones who live far from you might be a problem. During disasters, having weak internet signal could also be a risk.
Apart from internet coverage, some places have terrible phone signals. Even calling the people you know might be challenging. Worse, if there are medical emergencies, you will have a hard time connecting with the right agencies.
Transportation issues
The good thing about living in a rural area is that you can own huge houses and hectares of land without a problem. Some of them are extremely cheap that you can afford to buy one right away. The problem is that moving from one place to another could be difficult. Rural areas aren’t as populated as big cities. No public buses or trains are running around. You need to drive long distances to reach key places. Even going to the nearest supermarket could take almost an hour. Hence, you have to buy in bulk to reduce the number of trips.
Lack of options for education
If you’re raising kids in a rural area, it might be great for them. They will learn traditional values and won’t be heavily influenced by modern culture and ideals. They also live in a more relaxed environment- away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities. The downside is if they reach school age. You have limited options when it comes to the best schools. In some places, you have to travel hundreds of miles to get to a good school. Imagine having to sent your children to school and back home each day under this setup. It could be exhausting. If you don’t want to travel that far, you might have to settle with a smaller school that doesn’t have enough equipment and facilities necessary for quality education.
Delayed developments
Rural areas usually end up on the bottom list of government priorities. Developments are almost inexistent. In some places, old and broken roads were left in the same condition for years. There are no public libraries or parks available. Even when construction projects commence, it takes years before completion. Seeing the lack of government support in some rural areas could be frustrating. It’s among the many challenges you have to deal with if you relocate.
Security issues
Several criminal cases are existing everywhere. The only difference is that if you reside in a big city, these problems receive tremendous media attention. Hence, it’s easier for these crimes to get resolved. The police force is also larger and is capable of dealing with dozens of crimes in a day. Conversely, if you live in a rural area, some of these crimes are left unsolved for years. Due to the low population, there are several areas where crimes can be committed, and there will be no witnesses. Although you can tighten your security at home, there’s no guarantee that everything will be safe. Even when something wrong is going on, it will still be challenging to get help from the authorities. Sending a response team could take hours in some instances.
Lack of mental health services
If physical health issues aren’t addressed quickly, imagine the lack of mental health services in these areas. Some people suffer from depression but aren’t getting any help at all. They have to deal with the problem without a medical expert by their side.
Wherever you choose to live, there are risks that you have to be aware of. These issues don’t mean that you can’t reside in rural areas anymore. You just have to be aware of what you will face if you relocate. You can prepare for these possibilities or suspend your plants until you feel more confident. Spent a few weeks on vacation far so you will know how it feels to be in a rural area. If you loved the experience, you could pursue your plans to relocate.
