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Just remember that there is nothing "simple" about the "simple life" of rural life. (I speak as someone whose friends moved to Maine for same. I spent some time in Maine realizing that it wasn't the life for me).
It takes equipment and supplies to maintain your own utilities or install alternate systems, and maintain them. Transportation will be a big expense, since you're likely far from the things you do need to drive for, and the vehicle must be reliable, especially if you're in a winter area.
I personally think life in a small urban apartment is simpler, per se, in what you have to take care of. Of course, it's not the same as living outside a city (as I've chosen to do).
If you're moving alone, not in a couple, that can be lonely. Of course, so can city life, but if you know everyone in the county... it can be hard to meet someone who wants to live that simple life with you. I think going in a couple with shared interest in that life is a big boost.
For what it's worth, you can always fend off the B.S. of materialism, keeping up with Joneses, caring what you drive or wear... Advertising can corrupt anyone anywhere, and you can fight it off in a suburb or city, too.
That said, I imagine that a rural life has rewards and experiences unavailable anywhere else, and might be perfect for you. Just that it's not simple. Maybe "plain" is more a word you're looking for. Less static, maybe.
P.S. How does the original poster intend to make a living in the ideal rural area? Isn't that often the biggest question in moving away from a metro area?
Although I experienced rural living for only a brief time before developers destroyed it, the biggest change is the lack of fussy neighbors. It was not uncommon for rural homes to have an abandoned car or two, grass that gets mowed by cattle, and dirt roads that you have to maintain. No garbage pickup, no street lights and no city water. You will marvel at the stars you will see in the sky, and big city sounds are replaced with those of bugs and animals. I want to get back to the country, and next time I am bringing my bowling lanes with me, I am sure that will take away any "boredom" that comes when I cannot go outside!
That's exactly how I grew up, and I loved it! The stars are incredible. I used to walk evey morning to the back of the pasture to say hi to the group of deer living there. Fed them hay in the winter, and never told my hunting neighbors they were there. Had a family of racoon and skunks in the woods as well. LOL.
One thing is people in the country do ALL their own yardwork. I never had anyone else mow my lawn. I like doing it, and am currently the only woman in my neighborhood (let alone we are probably the only homeowners in general) who is out there mowing every weekend. Love that smell of fresh cut grass.
Fresh eggs from neighbors, and even had raw milk from a dairy up the road.
I long to go back more than I can say....................................
I am at what is "considered" the far edge of a town which is turning into suburbs ( they are on the other side of a very large town); where we live on a county road ( paved) and back up to a cornfield. The first thing you need to know is that you will not "walk" to things!! We hacve the closest gas station at the main highway which runs over a mile away... He is mainly diesel and home heating oil. His gas pumps close at 6pm. After 6 pm, you get gas, you go another 5 miles. Food shopping is 8 miles one way and 7 the other; one store is open all night and the other closes at 6 pm. A store ( like a real mall) is 10 miles and is small. The city is over 20 miles to the closest border. We have every tool ( power and handtool), under the sun, a generator [and gas for it all the time], and a switch in our electric box to shut off street power and plug into on generator power. At that point, in a LONG outage ( we were off about 11 days in 2006), we get up every 4 hours and run the generator and heat the house, pump the sump and cool the refirgerator. Some people have gas generators which just turn on when power goes out. In power outages,lampwise we use oil lamps. I don't think anyone mention life with septic systems.... after a really heavy rain, your septic will smell; you also need to get it pumped out every so often. ( assuming you are not having sewers).
On the up side, we have lovely neighbors, they will help with anything. I wouldn't trade it for the burbs ever again!
Location: in the general vicinity of Cedar Rapids, Iowa
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Regarding the question of "Where" -- I think you need to decide what kind of climate you want. Since you mentioned woods, I'm guessing you'd like somewhere that has seasons and the leaves bud and fall. However, that could put you in mountainous areas (little humidity, quite a bit of snow, often rather expensive) or farmland (lots of humidity and bugs in summer; lots of cold and wind in winter; often VERY affordable). Is there any family you'd like to be near? Does finding a job -- or having a suitable internet connection to commute virtually -- figure into things?
Generally, More Land Is Better -- if you want to be undisturbed, you need to get enough land that you can plant your house in the middle of it and even if the guy next door sells out to a developer, you have a buffer. Also, I wouldn't rule out having some large animals. As long as you have the room, you might as well rescue that poor horse; those miniature cows are SO cute! Llamas are very good for your blood pressure. There's nothing like fresh chicken eggs!
My suggestion would be to try out the rural thing before you leap into it.
My husband wanted to live in a rural location after living most of his adult life in the San Fransisco Bay area. So we tried out weekends and vacations up in the mountains 25 miles from any town. It was fun most of the time...but it did require that we buy a generator (heavy snows created a power outage for about 10 days which included no well water). Some neighbors were friendly, some looked at us as "flat-landers" and stayed away, and our immediate neighbor turned out to be a thief. We had to stock up on groceries, prepare for power loss, become adept at cutting wood, cooking on a wood stove, etc. We also got good at darts, Scrabble, Uno, Gin Rummy, and other assorted board games. We read alot as there wasn't much else to do and cable wasn't an option as far as TV. After 5 years of trying it on for size, we realized that while we liked the rural surroundings, we were making too many trips "to town" for home depot, restaurants, etc. So when we decided to move we chose the Branson/Springfield MO area. Housing is decidedly less expensive and we could buy between Branson which has dining and entertainment, and Springfield, which has required shopping, sports, etc.
While we aren't in an isolated rural area, it is rural with no street lights, no traffic, 1 neighbor (about 1 acre away), etc. We're 15-25 miles in either direction from any type of conveniences except one lonely convenience mart.
We also decided we didn't want to purchase a house in an area where you could end up with a run-down shanty down the road or a bunch of old beaters rusting away next door. We purchased in a "development" environment but in a rural feeling environment. We love it. We have the feel of rural without actually being rural. We often talk about the old "need" to live rural may have come from living in an area like Silicon Valley...not a real need to be isolated.
I figure I'll buy in a small town on a lot just to have the "city" convienences (principally hospital) and look for a really rural piece of property to 'camp' on when the need for away time requires some isolation. One of my first projects will be a combined heat and electric unit based on an old fashioned diesel engine. I expect to set it up for my house and see if anyone else wants one. Then I'll build one for them.
I guess everyone on this thread is either retired or hit the lottery or something? If not, just wondering what you're doing for income in these rural areas?
I am going to retire and start my own business. Lack of income producing jobs is one of the reasons for "rural poverty" and rural population densities. The old 'How ya gonna keep em down on the farm once they've seen (your favorite city)?"
I think much of this will change as the Internet and knowlege work by electronic communication erases proximity as a requirement for employment. There will still be agricultural jobs and the folks that sell, service and maintain the machinery and teh people.
IIRC small town/rural living raises the art of “do it your self” to a very high level. This is how I learned how to build most anything and fix most of the stuff I cannot build because I no longer have a machine shop, welder, sheet metal and wood working tools. Believe me these will be acquired ASAP after I retire.
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