[Bass&Catfish2008]

If you really want the ranching lifestyle try Southern Oklahoma, say the Marietta/Thackerville area.

There are tons of horse farms and ranches in that area. I used to live just outside of Ardmore.

The only thing you'll have to overcome is being from up North in some of these smaller Oklahoma communities. It can be clannish/tribal at first to outsiders. Don't be surprised if you get called a Yankee. Push through the negative relationships and make a few Okie friends, find a good church, and ya'll will be fine.

Best of luck and Welcome to the great State of Oklahoma!

[chiili]

I’m prepared to be an outsider for a while. I figure I can deal with being called a yankee a few times 😂 we want a close knit community so I know there will be some barriers to overcome on being fully accepted in the community. Are public schools pretty good in rural areas? It’s really hard to base the online ratings because I know they aren’t going to have the programs and such that bigger metro districts can offer, but I do want my future kids to have a bright future and succeed in college if that’s what they choose to do.

[StillwaterTownie]

Originally Posted by chiili

I’m prepared to be an outsider for a while. I figure I can deal with being called a yankee a few times 😂 we want a close knit community so I know there will be some barriers to overcome on being fully accepted in the community. Are public schools pretty good in rural areas? It’s really hard to base the online ratings because I know they aren’t going to have the programs and such that bigger metro districts can offer, but I do want my future kids to have a bright future and succeed in college if that’s what they choose to do.

Some rural districts have gone to a 4 day week. I don't see that as a good sign education is being well supported.

[StillwaterTownie]

Originally Posted by stiffnecked

Apply at Oklahoma Heart Hospital(north) and then you should be able to find the land youre looking for out towards Cashion, Okarche, Kingfisher area. Most RN's at OK Heart only work 3 12 hour shifts a week. Plenty of off time to feed the animals.

Yeah, that would be a very rural, small town area for the poster without being too far from Oklahoma City. However the land tends to be ruler flat without a lot of trees, if that is a downside. Land east of I-35 consistently has more trees.

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by chiili

I’m prepared to be an outsider for a while. I figure I can deal with being called a yankee a few times 😂 we want a close knit community so I know there will be some barriers to overcome on being fully accepted in the community. Are public schools pretty good in rural areas? It’s really hard to base the online ratings because I know they aren’t going to have the programs and such that bigger metro districts can offer, but I do want my future kids to have a bright future and succeed in college if that’s what they choose to do.

If you want a stronger school then I would consider Ada or Byng in the Ada area. The college at Ada is a teacher's college and many of the better ones stick around town. JohnW's hometown of Durant also has a local teachers college and is similar to Ada in that regard.

In the smaller school districts the better ones almost always have some energy company related tax base such as a local power plant located within the district boundries. I would look hard at the schools because it is kind of spotty that way.

[Mattie Jo]

Ardmore has fire ants. Check out fireant map of u.s. I lived where they had them.not fun. I like the Grave area and Tahlequah, but the other areas mentioned sound good. Read up on fireants. In the country where i once lived you could not stsnd still outside, and then they csme in the house, and i was bitten in my sleep.we moved.

[Threestep2]

Commute - look at distances in OK; 30 minutes is nothing. If you are on 40 acres it may take you 10 minutes to the nearest paved road.

Land - desirable land is not cheap anymore not even in OK

Schools - you will be hard pressed to find top schools in very rural communities; funding and staff are in those communities with the respective tax base commercial/residential

Jobs - nursing jobs are out there, maybe not at the rate you are expecting. It may be more difficult for your husband to break into a small community with family run companies

MattieJo - gnats, fire ants, gophers, hot summers, icy winters ...

Make a list of your have to haves, your wants and your would like to haves from jobs to activities. Then look at OK towns in detail.

[chiili]

Thank you everyone for the replies. We are fully aware that we both will be taking pay cuts. As for nursing, I live in a great area because there are numerous hospital systems that keep pay rates very competitive so I'm probably overpaid as it is lol. I also understand that funding for schools are not going to be what we are used to in our area as well. We are willing to give up these types of things because of course, no where is going to have everything 100%. We have started making lists and of course if were moving states our number one priority is going to be the land and area, followed by careers and job availability, and then schooling for future kids.

[StillwaterTownie]

My town is able to support education. In recent years, two old elementary schools got replaced by sprawling new ones. A third old elementary school will soon to be replaced. Of less importance to education, the high school had a new stadium built.

[StillwaterTownie]

Originally Posted by Mattie Jo

Ardmore has fire ants. Check out fireant map of u.s. I lived where they had them.not fun. I like the Grave area and Tahlequah, but the other areas mentioned sound good. Read up on fireants. In the country where i once lived you could not stsnd still outside, and then they csme in the house, and i was bitten in my sleep.we moved.

LOL, sounds as bad or worse than bed bugs.