The statistics seem pretty straightforward on this. The real difference is population density. Though the injury/death rates are higher per person there are just so fewer people in the country.
Country living vs city living.....
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firebroad
Minister of Fire
This article kind of puts it in persepective...
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/23/us-usa-safety-idUSBRE96M0PJ20130723
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/23/us-usa-safety-idUSBRE96M0PJ20130723
Stats that I have read show that crime, violent crime, and murder rates are HIGHER in cities, but your chance of dieing of an accident of some sort is so much higher in a rural town that your chance of untimely death is much higher in the country.
Makes sense to me . . . if there is a bad accident in my town (car crash, tree fallilng on a person, etc.) it will take the volunteer ambulance squad 15-25 minutes usually to get a crew to the station and then out to the scene . . . and then from there it is a minimum 30 minute drive . . . that uses up a lot of time in the crucial "Golden Hour."
In the city- you might get bit by a rat or an "urban outdoorsman", but in the country- you might get kicked by a mule or plowed under or something.
firebroad
Minister of Fire
Different strokes. I would love to live in a rural and more natural area, but its not an option with my job. But I think the whole 'cities are unsafe' thing is a load perpetrated by the local news. Disclosure: I never watch the local news.
Stats show that cities are safer overall, but more crimey.
crimey: characterized by getting crimed.
firebroad
Minister of Fire
I commute to Baltimore City every day. I have to say, I DO NOT feel safe. There are shootings, robberies and muggings every day here. One of the latest "crazes" here is to approach a stranger and knock them unconscious for no reason; it is some sort a gang ritual.
I have seen more police here on one block than Carroll County employs as a whole. I hear filthy language yelled out by children. Public transportation can be a nightmare, but the consolation is there seems to be safety in numbers. People are warned by MTA to not let anyone see their electronic equipment due to thievery.
I breath a sigh of relief when I get home, even if I have to do that last 20 miles on the highways with lots of others in a big hurry.
I have seen more police here on one block than Carroll County employs as a whole. I hear filthy language yelled out by children. Public transportation can be a nightmare, but the consolation is there seems to be safety in numbers. People are warned by MTA to not let anyone see their electronic equipment due to thievery.
I breath a sigh of relief when I get home, even if I have to do that last 20 miles on the highways with lots of others in a big hurry.
bassJAM
Feeling the Heat
My office is pretty much on the line of what is considered "safe" downtown Cincinnati. Last summer we had a stabbing and a shooting take place on the sidewalk of our building. In neither case was an employee involved, but it makes you think that our retired age security guards aren't quite enough and makes me wish I could conceal-carry at work. And I don't dare honk my horn at somebody who decides to cross the street in front of me when my light is green, I've seen some folks go crazy punching and kicking cars when they do that.
But out where I live in the country, you never hear of violent deaths or injuries, but you do hear about somebody's barn or outbuilding getting robbed and small tools (chainsaws, leaf blowers, cordless drills) getting stolen. I've put up motion lights everywhere, and make sure my shed is always padlocked, but I've never felt unsafe.
But out where I live in the country, you never hear of violent deaths or injuries, but you do hear about somebody's barn or outbuilding getting robbed and small tools (chainsaws, leaf blowers, cordless drills) getting stolen. I've put up motion lights everywhere, and make sure my shed is always padlocked, but I've never felt unsafe.
firebroad
Minister of Fire
bassJAM
Feeling the Heat
I started locking everything as soon as I started driving. While in church one day somebody got into my truck and stole a crappy portable CD player and a few CDs. Luckily they didn't care for the $250 in fishing equipment. And my friends had a nasty habit of pranking each other's cars too, but I guess I started it by pouring fox urine into a buddy's heater vents but I never dared leave my truck unlocked after that!
I did have a bad habit of forgetting to shut my garage door in the mornings. I'd get a cal from my neighbor (they're retired) asking if I meant to leave it open while I was at work and they'd offer to go shut it for me. I've only got that one neighbor within viewing distance of my house, but it is nice that we can easily keep an eye on each other's place.
Its really very relative. My father who was born in Harlem NY in 1912 wouldn't even consider living in a rural area. My wife who is from a rural area, likes a suburban country environment, close enough to retailers but far enough away from the city, I like a little more rural than suburban country but if I am too far away I don't like it either.
You have to realize there is also different kinds of cities, NYC boroughs are all different, Philly, and areas within are very different.
You have to realize there is also different kinds of cities, NYC boroughs are all different, Philly, and areas within are very different.
In this region, it seems that a lot of small towns have become cesspools of drug addicts which seems to heavily affect the surrounding areas. I think Brown and Clermont counties are good examples. There are some nice, safe places over there to live, but there are just as many, if not more places where crime (mostly theft and drugs) is high.
Felicity, Ohio is one place that comes to mind, but there are many more.
Over here, we have towns like Falmouth. The surrounding countryside is absolutely beautiful, with well kept sprawling farms and pasture land, but drive down into town and the riff-raff is everywhere.
The area I live in is a mixture of everything from lower to upper middle class, and for the most part the crime rate is low, but about a mile down the road from me, there's a small river town that gives the area a seedy underbelly. I think as long as a person is aware of their surroundings, a home will be as safe as they want to make it.
We have an alarm system that covers the house and detached garage and it gets turned on every night and whenever we leave the house. We also have driveway motion sensors that set off a beeper alarm if anyone comes up the driveway or gets close to the house. We always lock the house if we are up in the woods for any reason, even though we have 2 barky dogs.
On the other hand, I have a friend about a mile down the road, he's lived here all of his life and doesn't even have a lock on his back door or own a gun.
In the end, the old saying is right: location, location, location.
bassJAM
Feeling the Heat
I agree, I've lived in Clermont County my entire life, and you quickly learn where the meth labs are! Fortunately (or unfortunately), I'm friends with friends of a lot of the riff raff around, and have run into them at various bon fires or parties. There's like an unspoken code that they typically leave you alone if they like you.
I used to ride sport bikes through northern KY, I know what you are saying about the beautiful countryside. When we'd stop in at the Shell gas station in Falmouth for a break though, it made for some great people watching! You'd have your good ol' boys rolling in with farm trucks, and then the meth heads crammed 5 into a Cavelier who need to borrow $5 for gas so they can get home to their sick aunts.
I used to ride sport bikes through northern KY, I know what you are saying about the beautiful countryside. When we'd stop in at the Shell gas station in Falmouth for a break though, it made for some great people watching! You'd have your good ol' boys rolling in with farm trucks, and then the meth heads crammed 5 into a Cavelier who need to borrow $5 for gas so they can get home to their sick aunts.
I currently live in suburbs... 60,000 people in my small city.
I've been wanting out for a while.
Being used to services, I've narrowed it down to finding a place that is not so much rural as it is hidden.
There are many places where you can find 50-100 acres of land with sightline to only 1 or 2 other properties of similar stature, just off of a state highway (read: plowed) and within 10 min of a town center (for some local stuff, markets, etc) and within 30 min of a city for real services.
The areas just west and east of Concord NH are calling me.
I've been wanting out for a while.
Being used to services, I've narrowed it down to finding a place that is not so much rural as it is hidden.
There are many places where you can find 50-100 acres of land with sightline to only 1 or 2 other properties of similar stature, just off of a state highway (read: plowed) and within 10 min of a town center (for some local stuff, markets, etc) and within 30 min of a city for real services.
The areas just west and east of Concord NH are calling me.
Where we live I wouldn't call rural, but its certainly not city either, and not quite a suburb in postwar sense. We live in a real old New England town, kind of a village. 13,000 people on 19 square miles. Where my house is is right in the old village center that has been here since the late 1600s. I can walk to a drugstore, hardware, auto parts, a real general store, food market, gas stations, a pub, 2 pizza houses, 3 coffee houses, 2 barbers, a bank, 3 liquor stores, 2 churches, a number of farmstands, and so on... Pretty much anything. I have piped natural gas and city water. We get Verizon fiber optic service for TV and 50mbps internet. I can drive to the city... Boston... in 40 minutes on the weekend. My drive to work is 25 minutes, 35 on a bad traffic day. Both the police stations and the fire house are walking distance in an emergency. 1/4 mile from my house there used to be a train station where you could get on a train to Boston and from there to anywhere.
In spite of all that I have what would be a decently sized yard (1/2 acre) compared to a modern cookie cutter planned suburb, and there are even trees between me and my neighbors
But they are close enough I know them all well. I also dont have to deal with HOAs and other annoying city/suburb life crap.
Tradeoff is its not nearly as quiet as living in the country, and we dont much land. My wife and I both dream of buying a farm some day and retiring to the country, but at this stage of our life in our peak career and childraising years where we are makes more sense. She was even asking me if we had room to put a chicken coop in the backyard last week.
In spite of all that I have what would be a decently sized yard (1/2 acre) compared to a modern cookie cutter planned suburb, and there are even trees between me and my neighbors
But they are close enough I know them all well. I also dont have to deal with HOAs and other annoying city/suburb life crap.Tradeoff is its not nearly as quiet as living in the country, and we dont much land. My wife and I both dream of buying a farm some day and retiring to the country, but at this stage of our life in our peak career and childraising years where we are makes more sense. She was even asking me if we had room to put a chicken coop in the backyard last week.
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firebroad
Minister of Fire
Wow, I think you are very lucky.Where we live I wouldn't call rural, but its certainly not city either, and not quite a suburb in postwar sense. We live in a real old New England town, kind of a village. 13,000 people on 19 square miles. Where my house is is right in the old village center that has been here since the late 1600s. I can walk to a drugstore, hardware, auto parts, a real general store, food market, gas stations, a pub, 2 pizza houses, 3 coffee houses, 2 barbers, a bank, 3 liquor stores, 2 churches, a number of farmstands, and so on... Pretty much anything. I have piped natural gas and city water. We get Verizon fiber optic service for TV and 50mbps internet. I can drive to the city... Boston... in 40 minutes on the weekend. My drive to work is 25 minutes, 35 on a bad traffic day. Both the police stations and the fire house are walking distance in an emergency. 1/4 mile from my house there used to be a train station where you could get on a train to Boston and from there to anywhere.
In spite of all that I have what would be a decently sized yard (1/2 acre) compared to a modern cookie cutter planned suburb, and there are even trees between me and my neighbors
Tradeoff is its not nearly as quiet as living in the country, and we dont much land. My wife and I both dream of buying a farm some day and retiring to the country, but at this stage of our life in our peak career and childraising years where we are makes more sense. She was even asking me if we had room to put a chicken coop in the backyard last week.
I wonder if when the kids are grown up and moved out, and you are ready to retire, would you really want anything more?
Wow, I think you are very lucky.
I wonder if when the kids are grown up and moved out, and you are ready to retire, would you really want anything more?
Oh I didnt mention the ridiculous property taxes (over $18 per 1k), complete lack of closets, single bathroom, and the very noisy street out front with truck traffic. Its not perfect
But we are happy so far.
Retired Guy
Minister of Fire
One problem living in a college town is that local politics is skewed by the under 21 crowd.
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eclecticcottage
Minister of Fire
Oh I didnt mention the ridiculous property taxes (over $18 per 1k), complete lack of closets, single bathroom, and the very noisy street out front with truck traffic. Its not perfect
BAAHAHAHAHA....our taxes are over $35 per 1k (school, town and county). Yours are cheap. And we don't have a general store either
Or closets. And we also have one bathroom. But our house isn't nearly as old or large as yours!
Chickens are very simple to keep, if you do it right. We've had them for three years and they are very low maintenance. All I do in the winter is fill their 5 gallon bucket with water once every three weeks or so and fill their food thing once every other week. They will eat anything that you eat, even chicken.
Get her the chickens, you'll enjoy it and make her happy with little effort.
But whatever you do, if you get a rooster, kill the rooster, or drop him off someplace, just get rid of him. Besides being a royal pita, he will turn the other chickens against you if you let him stay too long.
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