If you could work for more money in a rural area

[Anonymous]

Are the schools good? Do the residents have open minds about other ethnic groups/cultures/countries? Is there an opioid problem?

Sometimes I think we idealize rural settings.

But if the quality of life is good, I would consider, especially if your kids are younger. Teens might not be content with a smaller vs more expansive tableau.

[Anonymous]

Is there childcare? I’m actively trying to move possibly to rural New England and I have yet to find a daycare wait list under 2 years. If the job is offering on site childcare or enough to cover a nanny and there was at least a decent elementary school nearby, sign me up immediately!

[Anonymous]

NOVA and Montgomery County moms are very provincial regarding education everywhere else.

I got to be that way while living there. FCPS? It's the gold standard!

Then we moved to rural Virginia and you know what? The schools were just as good, if not better in some ways. Smaller class sizes. Better-behaved students. Teachers who were approachable, and kind, and good role models. Lessons that weren't just another Lockheed Martin?Northrup Grumman generic print out packet to fill out. Haven't seen any of those here, actually. The teachers engage the student in new and different ways.

Our oldest got into the same excellent universities as their NOVA counterparts. And was soooo much happier as a high school student once we got her out of the DMV. Night and day! It isn't only academics, it is social-emotional development, as well.

You have to remember that Virginia ranks fourth nationally in terms of K-12 education.

You must assess the overall strength of K-12 education in the state you would like to move to. How strong is education overall? How strong is the statewide curriculum?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a big maybe.

In theory, if I were a childless adult, yes. I just got back from vacation in rural Maine and was like "this is gorgeous, i wish i lived here." But now my oldest doesn't want to leave his friends, and having moved several times, it's hard to put down roots in a new place, and especially hard in a small town without a lot of transplants.

I was writing my post & did not see your post before posting. Curious as to where in rural Maine ?

Midcoast, a bit inland. Honestly, I wouldn't move to the specific location we stayed, it was a 25 minute drive to a grocery store and I think it would be too isolating. I would consider moving to a pretty small town, depending, though.

[Anonymous]

No. I am a hardcore city person. I would be crawling out of my skin in a rural area. I am comfortable for about four hours before I start itching to leave.

[Anonymous]

I would not. I am just at year six of living in a rural area, and there’s too much entrenched culturally and in terms of relationships - it’s very, very difficult to “get in” as an outsider. Even if you have your own little community made up of fellow employees, it’s a poor substitute for really belonging to a community.

I think this attitude is why rural America continues to decline.

I’m moving myself and my family back to a city next year. FWIW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes

Rural New England doesn’t have the same pathologies as rural areas of other regions

-2

Hard disagree

-from rural (western) Massachusetts

[Anonymous]

I find rural Vermont to be depressing so no I would not do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes

Rural New England doesn’t have the same pathologies as rural areas of other regions

-2

Hard disagree

-from rural (western) Massachusetts

I also saw that post and thought— there’s someone who didn’t grow up in rural New England.

OP — no, I wouldn’t want my kids growing up there and I certainly wouldn’t send them to boarding school where I could see them “pretty frequently”

[Anonymous]

I have friends who did this. Dual doctors, moved to Alaska for $$$$ before having kids for 24 months. Came back to the lower 48 once they got pregnant. And they were in Anchorage, so it really wasn't that bad.

I would entertain it for New England or Pacific NW. No way would I do this in rural Midwest or the South.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools would be my biggest concern. Rural public school can be a challenge for meeting the needs of high achievers and private options can be thin on the ground.

New England day/boarding options - close enough you can see your kids pretty often

This. So many excellent private school options in New England within 60-90 minutes. If its a high-paying career (think: rural doctor), you can afford to pay for your kid as a day student and get a world class education. They will be surrounding by international, high achieving peers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there childcare? I’m actively trying to move possibly to rural New England and I have yet to find a daycare wait list under 2 years. If the job is offering on site childcare or enough to cover a nanny and there was at least a decent elementary school nearby, sign me up immediately!

I'm a bit surprised by this. You'd think there would be at least lots of church-based daycare, no?

[Anonymous]

No. I have two early elementary kids and to be completely honest, I wouldn't want them to group up somewhere like that. We have family in some beautiful yet rural parts of the country but there are many limiting things about it -- not as great medical care/access to therapies (important with our SN DS); politically conservative; fewer opportunities for kids to get involved in sports, arts, etc; and it's not likely a place kids will want to or be able to stay or return to because there aren't really great options for jobs.

LCOL areas stay that way for a reason.

[Anonymous]

Btdt - not happy, want to return to a city

Local control of schools was great during the pandemic, but the small town school districts and politics are challenging unless you are a native

Very homogeneous racially and ethnically too

Drug issues are widespread… Kids find empty suboxone packages at the town park on the regular

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools would be my biggest concern. Rural public school can be a challenge for meeting the needs of high achievers and private options can be thin on the ground.

New England day/boarding options - close enough you can see your kids pretty often

This. So many excellent private school options in New England within 60-90 minutes. If its a high-paying career (think: rural doctor), you can afford to pay for your kid as a day student and get a world class education. They will be surrounding by international, high achieving peers.

Um, no. They will be surrounded by rich neglected kids with drug problems and personality disorders. I don’t care whether they can be prepped into high SAT scores. No thanks.