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- Cheapest acreage that is suitable for farming (ok if it needs to cleared as long as it is an area where water is available in drilling). Plan on building or finding something really cheap. I will live in a shack if I have to.
- Rural with with least amount of people, least zoning restrictions and taxes.
- Warm and long growing season
- Within a few hours of an airport that has cheap flights back to NYC region. I looked at TN but seems flights from NYC to Nashville are extremely expensive.
- There are cheap flights to Florida but online could only find acreage that was very expensive.
I am looking to live off the land but not totally and have telecommuting income. (I know internet access in rural areas might be a problem but I am innovative in this area so well see depending on the area).
If you dropped the NYC requirement there's a lot of options, but with that requirement, it won't be cheap. Have you considered other transportation options? Amtrak is often quite affordable. But is there a reason for the attachment to NYC other than a job/employer or something? Family? It seems to me you're trying to live rural but have a city type job/income. If you're willing to forego the city level of income and such you might be happier. Depending on your level of self-sufficiency it simply won't be needed anyways. I paid roughly $550 an acre for my land but there are no jobs within many miles of it, and cheap flights to the Northeast? haha. I'll be largely self-sufficient anyways and not in need of much income once I pay off the land...
Check out Iowa. (Where I live) Most of the state has very black dirt, and it's some of the most fertile soil in the world. Obviously this is the farming capital of the country so the growing season is pretty long, we have very hot humid summers. Plenty of moisture.
As for flights to NY - You will be able to do it cheap, but will probably have to connect, I think the only airports around here that will take you straight there would be Des Moines or Omaha. Otherwise there are actually quite a few commercial airports evenly distributed around the state, some very small however.
I also don't think you would have a huge problem finding high-speed internet in most of the rural areas. It's probably more commmon outside of metro areas obviously. There is always satellite which is available everywhere though if you haven't considered that...
If you dropped the NYC requirement there's a lot of options, but with that requirement, it won't be cheap. Have you considered other transportation options? Amtrak is often quite affordable. But is there a reason for the attachment to NYC other than a job/employer or something? Family? It seems to me you're trying to live rural but have a city type job/income. If you're willing to forego the city level of income and such you might be happier. Depending on your level of self-sufficiency it simply won't be needed anyways. I paid roughly $550 an acre for my land but there are no jobs within many miles of it, and cheap flights to the Northeast? haha. I'll be largely self-sufficient anyways and not in need of much income once I pay off the land...
I am trying to get out of the NYC suburbs permanently. But making trips back was just for the transition over the next few years. I had considered rural areas in upstate NY but the taxes are still too high, short growing season and harsh winter ruled it out. My best case was Florida for the warm weather and long growing season. But I think soil and costs might be a problem.
It was mentioned above "I paid roughly $550 an acre". What was the minimum number of acres though and area?
BTW - "Might fit in the rural/small town forum best actually." Small towns are not a requirement since the point is some subsistence farming and low costs. So I would assume being in town would drive up the price.
I know the Ozarks in MO and AR are popular with a lot of like minded people. Land and taxes there are cheap by NY standards but not as cheap as it used to be, lots of people have moved there in recent years I've heard. Might be worth checking out. It's a warmer climate than NY in general.
I bought 20 tax-free acres full of loess type soil at that price in the middle of no where in the Interior of Alaska. I'd buy more than that but I'm surrounded by govt. land so I don't need to worry about much being developed there, and it's more than enough for my gardens, growing a little grain (oats, spring wheat in good years, possibly field corn, most other grains won't grow there, but it's fine with me), bees, small livestock and my cabin, with plenty of firewood left standing live in case I can't get the dirt cheap permits to cut wood on govt. land in the future. THe soil is good by Alaska standards but will as in most areas need help. The land is about 140-50 miles by land to the nearest large city, with some villages closer but still far away. Access is tricky, and transportation to the lower 48 is not cheap. I'm working in VT now (and will for a year more likely, sadly) to pay it off and get money to move my stuff there. Very harsh climate, colder than NY in the winter, growing season might not be too different in length though from upstate NY, but riskier in the start and end with frosts. The long days make up for it a little though. If you could feed yourself off the land (I include hunting and fishing in that) and keep yourself warm and occupied, you could live off very little income there though. I will be, but it may be far more extreme than what you'd want...harsh growing climates just require some adaptations to grow things. I've had no trouble in the years I've gardened in Vermont, Alaska will require some changes to my methods but you can actually do a lot in cold climates if you start things early enough.
The rural/small town forum is just a section of this site. Go to the index and scroll down until you find it. It's not focused on small towns, it's about both small towns and rural areas in general.
I think water will continue being a big problem in Florida if you go there. Actually, anywhere in the South I suspect in coming years, I'm sure you've heard of what's gone on in Georgia, especially Atlanta, with water?
West Virginia has good cheap amtrack service to NY. I think in most states outside the farm belt the dirt will vary but you can get good info from the soil conservation service.
You can grow a lot of food on a couple of acres if you garden intensively. So pick a location you like then hunt for good soil and water supply. You can always build up the soil if need be.
I know the Ozarks in MO and AR are popular with a lot of like minded people. Land and taxes there are cheap by NY standards but not as cheap as it used to be, lots of people have moved there in recent years I've heard. Might be worth checking out. It's a warmer climate than NY in general. I bought 20 tax-free acres full of loess type soil at that price in the middle of no where in the Interior of Alaska................I think water will continue being a big problem in Florida if you go there. Actually, anywhere in the South I suspect in coming years, I'm sure you've heard of what's gone on in Georgia, especially Atlanta, with water?
This is why North Florida and Georgia I ruled out. South-west Florida I considered but believe it too be pricey. So leaning towards TN, Northern AL, North West AR and Texas. I am assuming SC, NC, VA would be too pricey with too many people. WV perhaps as harsh a winter as NY.
Forgetting NY standards, which area do you think is the absolute cheapest with the least amount of people, not flat-tornado alley, fertile and does not have the water problems? (obviously with the longer growing season).
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