Quote:
Originally Posted by JasonG
What is the biggest daily expense up there vs a more populated area?
Daily coffee?
More gas to get around?
Food from smaller supermarkets?
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Having live in cities (Fresno, Fremont, Birmingham, Indianapolis, Nashville, etc.) and now in a rural area, I can tell you my opinion of the biggest expense and pain in the butt things...
Living in a rural community means...
...that if you have a medical emergency, you may find yourself 30 minutes or more from an emergency room, and many hospitals will transfer you or your loved one to a larger hospital that is more equipped to handle your care (like Dartmouth or Boston).
...roads can be really crappy sometimes, especially when there's lots of frost heaves and pot holes. (aka Mud Season).
...you don't have a lot of choices for shopping, car repairs, healthcare, vet care, schools, utilities, restaurants, entertainment, etc.
...and a night life? Unless it's July 4th, the only night the sidewalks aren't rolled up by 6pm, you can forget about that, really.
...speaking of utilities, don't expect your cell phone to be especially reliable - coverage can be spotty on a good day.
...there can be a lot of poverty in some towns, and little local work to be found.
...with the exception of most of the towns along the lakes, expect to pay high property taxes. NH doesn't have a state income tax or sales tax, but you can also expect to pay a lot to register a car, boat, etc., than you're probably used to paying...
Living in a rural area also means...
...you get to know your neighbours (or not), but people keep to themselves and (generally) mind their own business...
...lower crime rates.
...you can chose to go to the city, mountains, lakes, whatever - and home is still a restful place when you return.
...town meeting or the first deliberative session (if your town is SB-2), can be a social and a political event.
...parades, fireworks, and all that you'd expect to see in a Norman Rockwell painting are still alive and well.
...the few businesses that are thriving in town are probably pretty darned good because they have to compete for business - and word of mouth travels fast. If someone does somebody wrong, the whole town will know it in an afternoon.
...you can see the stars at night. (Seriously - I'd forgotten how a night sky was supposed to look until I moved back to New England... )