"Rural Folks, What Are The Things City Folks Won't Understand?" (50 Answers)

Davis, the co-founder of SparkRental.com, shared his thoughts on what makes rural life so attractive to urbanites. “What city dweller hasn’t dreamed of more space after another cramped evening in a small apartment shared with a spouse or kids or housemates? Many urban dwellers also dream of outdoor space that they can call their own," he told Bored Panda in an email.

"Sure, they can visit a park to see a tree or two, but it’s not their space. They can’t plant a garden in it or landscape it exactly the way they want. Some urbanites also love the idea of a slower pace of life. Fast-paced city living can get exhausting, especially as you get older," he said.

Not only that but there's the constant cacophony of city life to consider. “It didn’t bother me in my 20s, but in my 40s, I find myself put off by the constant car horns, alarms, sirens, and thumping bass from some teenager showing off their subwoofer,” Davis said, adding that the traffic in big cities is also an issue.

"Finally, city life can feel impersonal, isolating, and lonely. There’s nothing worse than feeling alone in a crowded area. Some urbanites yearn for a close-knit sense of community."

However, despite the perks, it's not like rural life is 'perfect.' There's a lot to consider before you buy a random log cabin in the middle of nowhere. “Urban dwellers should be careful what they wish for because they may end up becoming the dog that catches the car. Small towns and rural areas can feel too quiet, too still, too small for many urbanites," Davis said.

“They may miss the amenities of urban living, from art galleries [and] restaurant options to sporting events and museums. For that matter, they’ll likely miss easy access to a major airport. In rural areas, you have to drive to get, well, anywhere. That’s a rude awakening for many city dwellers," the co-founder of SparkRental.com told Bored Panda.

"And that tight-knit community is only as good as your adoption into it. If you don’t feel included and welcomed, if you don’t feel like you fit in, you have few alternative options for social circles."

There’s no use beating around the bush: we’re huge fans of nature, wildlife, and peace and quiet. Living in the countryside in a house you fully own, with lots of land and a gorgeous view out the window, would be a dream come true. You can go hiking in the woods, have a lush garden, raise chickens, stargaze, and do whatever you really want to do. In short, rural life means freedom.

However, it doesn’t mean that it’s ‘perfect.’ Rural and city life both have their fair share of pros and cons. The countryside is not a Disney movie. It’s a lot of hard work if you plan on growing your own crops or raising animals. Furthermore, you’ll have to get used to the fact that you won’t have fancy restaurants, gyms, massive events, and supermarkets on every corner like in the big city.

Meanwhile, you also have to figure out what you’ll do for work. That’ll depend on your career, industry, and the specific company you work for. Some are happy with their workers going fully remote. Others embrace a hybrid system. But some demand their staff to show up at the office every day for that [cough, cough] brilliant work culture.

You’re trading one type of freedom and flexibility for another type. What you choose will depend on your lifestyle, values, and aspirations. Some might love the hustle and bustle of city life. It’s all they’ve ever known. Others remember visiting their family and friends in the countryside and can’t wait to settle down where they’re always surrounded by greenery. Still, others will opt for the best of both worlds and choose a suburban home. (Though, the designers and architects in us hope that they’ll choose a home that isn’t a mass-produced copy like their neighbors.)

The world is rapidly urbanizing. In this day and age, there are more people living in cities than in the country. This already happened a while ago. Statista reports that the global urban population overtook the rural one all the way back in 2007. Based on data collected in 2022, around 4.5 billion people live in urban areas. In contrast, roughly 3.4 billion live in rural territories.

Rural living is what you make of it. Some folks romanticize it because they feel that it makes for better communities. But it doesn’t happen automatically. If you’re active in your community, help your neighbors, and make an effort to invite everyone over for dinner, barbecues, and what have you, sure, you’ll make friends.

However, if you always keep to yourself and barely interact with anyone (like in a massive apartment building), you’ll end up missing out on a lot.

Though, to be fair, a study done by the Pew Research Center found that rural residents are not more likely to interact with their neighbors than people living in urban or suburban areas. However, rural residents are far more likely to know who their neighbors are than people living elsewhere.

According to the data, 40% of rural residents know all or most of their neighbors, compared with 28% of suburbanites and 24% of city dwellers.

What’s your take on rural vs urban vs suburban life, dear Pandas? Where do you live now, and where would you ideally want to settle down? What do you value the most when you visit the countryside? Tell us what you think about all of this in the comments!