Pros And Cons of Rural Living In Wyoming
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Wyoming has many wide-open spaces. And if you’re lucky, you might get to live in one. Sure, we have plenty of cities and towns if that’s what you want. But maybe you don’t; you want rural. How do you decide whether you want to live in the city and have a more rural life? Many say that all of Wyoming is rural, but those of us that live here know that we have a mix of rural and city life for you to choose from. Hi, I’m Alisha Collins with RE/MAX The Group and the Alisha Collins Real Estate Team, and this is Izzy. She’s trying to get snacks.
I think I can help with an objective look at rural living. Let’s talk pros and cons. But first, if you would like to find more content about Wyoming, such as great reasons to live, work, and play in Casper, subscribe to our channel. I wanted to do a straightforward simple pros and cons list for you. But like my list of pros and cons of living in Casper, watch that video, many of the pros are also cons, so we’ll just have to discuss a little more thoroughly than a list.
The first pro that comes to mind is the space! Rural living means having acres of land just for you and your horse and your family to enjoy. That may mean no close neighbors to intrude, but that also means not having any close neighbors if you have some trouble. On the other hand, rural neighbors are almost always willing to lend a hand, so maybe the lack of neighbors is still a pro. I am definitely not done talking about space. It truly is one of the biggest factors of rural living. You could say space is really the biggest pro because having space is the root reason for almost every pro on my list. First, if you have the space, you have room for all the toys and horses. No need to bother the neighbors with parking on their part of the block or filling your garage. You will have room for whatever toys you might decide you want.
So, another plus in the pro column is room for toys. However, one might argue you may need some of the extra toys to fully explore your space or to take care of the space. Now, what do I mean by that? You may find that you need a tractor to take care of your land or a four-wheeler or a side-by-side to maintain the fence along the property. Some people might consider needing a specific type of vehicle or extra toy a con. So, if you do, then you’ll need to put a mark in the con column. A tractor or ATV can also help plow snow to ensure getting in and outta your property. I joke with my husband that he gets to play on his tractor to plow snow. All this talk about space brings up another pro: space for social gatherings. With the extra land compared to living in town, there is plenty of space for people to park and to gather. This is one of my favorite parts about living in the country. We have plenty of decks and patios for birthday parties, summer barbecues, and just getting together with family and friends.
Living in a rural area might mean you need a four-wheel-drive vehicle to come and go from your property. The distance from town and the quality of the road on and off your property are both factors in being able to get to town. Most likely, winter will be the hardest part, so the difficulty of getting to town in the winter is definitely a mark in the con column. What about getting to work or getting the kids to school? A long trip on the bus for your kids might also be a mark in the con column. I personally think this is outweighed by the fact that the kids get to roam your land and play outside, ride their horses, play make-believe on the land, ride bikes wherever.
Yet another con might be having to go to town for your necessities. Sure, you have distance from neighbors and don’t have to deal with the noise of the city. Having to make the trek into town for every little item definitely places a mark in the con column if you aren’t normally a planner. Put an extra mark in the con column for having to plan your meals to minimize your trips to town for food. You may have to do some planning of meals, as well as have some food storage. I personally have a couple of deep freezes filled with beef and pork and some other convenience foods. I also make sure I have plenty of staples in my pantry so that I always have the fixings for tacos, chili, spaghetti, or something like that. Most of the time, rural properties have great space for a pantry, so this could easily be a pro by learning to plan ahead and saving money by buying in bulk to stock your pantry.
The distance from the city is also most definitely a pro. Without the noise from neighbors and traffic, the peaceful quiet of the rural lifestyle definitely adds a big mark in that pro column, a real big one. Lack of traffic also means that your kids can play outside and ride bikes and some of those extra toys with less risk of people and cars. Chalk another mark in the pro column.
Being in the country means you might have noise of a different sort: noise from all of the animals, and I love it. You won’t be limited to six chickens, no roosters, or three dogs like you are in the city. Again, I use myself as an example, we have eight dogs. More on that in an upcoming video. And you can keep your horses with you instead of paying for boarding. Depending on property zoning, you might even be able to expand your flock or herd with a variety of 4-H animals, which is a great experience for your children. All those creatures, not to mention you and your family, need water to survive and thrive.
Quite often, a rural area isn’t tied into a city water source, which does mean you don’t have to pay for water. Okay, so that would be another mark in the pro. But that is balanced with the con of the expense of digging a well, unless the property already has one, needing a filtration system or having to haul your drinking water in from the city.
Once again, it is balanced, one pro/one con, just depends how you look at it. Well, I’m not sure if I made your decision any easier. Many of the pros are balanced with a matching con. I think what it comes down to is what you truly want for space. The pros of a rural lifestyle will outweigh whatever con you can think of. If you have any more questions about rural living, I am your girl. I love living in the country. Watch this video next about extra inspections you want to consider when buying a rural home. Please reach out to us with any questions you may have. Remember, we want you and your horses to love where they live. See ya soon!
