Is moving to the country worth a pay cut and a bigger mortgage?
Trading city life for rural peace often requires accepting a lower salary and a much larger new mortgage. This financial hit makes people weigh the long-term mental health benefits and family quality of life against the harsh reality of giving up a stable financial position.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
Is moving to the country worth a pay cut and a bigger mortgage?
- 1browsing houses and jobs while waiting for the right opportunityDid this help you?
- 2considering staying in the current living situation until retirementDid this help you?
- 3commuting into work from a rural areaDid this help you?
- 4finding a remote job before movingDid this help you?
- 5selling rental properties or land to build up savingsDid this help you?
- 6Searching for rural school districts in states with higher salary caps such as Washington stateDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I’m willing to take a substantial pay cut to get out of the city. For my soul, my partner’s soul and my future kids experiences.”source ↗
“If I move further away from the city and get a new job like I want to, I would be taking on at least a new $75k mortgage and also a pay cut because it's more rural but I think I'll be happier and could maybe make it work.”source ↗
“I'm over stimulated and need peace and quiet.”source ↗
“The house is more important to me than the job so I've been prioritizing looking for housing I want and can afford near available jobs”source ↗
“I desperately want to move into a safe, rural area but continue to teach. The rural areas surrounding my current city are substantially more costly than the city. Ive been trying to buy a home for under 230k.”source ↗
“I am finding it impossible to make what I make now and find a house that isn't in disrepair, and certainly can't find it on an acre or more at my price point. As a single person, finances are a massive stressor.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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- 3How to choose between a big career move and your relationship?
- 4How to find walkable small towns with nearby hiking and open water views
- 2Affordable cities with seasons for former Texans
- 2How to move out of state by the next business day
- 3Is moving back in with parents worth the financial savings?