Ruralpolitans

(Sub)urbanites who relocate to the country.

Writing in The Wall Street Journal, Gwendolyn Bounds interviewed Shane and Rhonda Dawley, former suburbanites who recently moved their family to the countryside. According to Bounds, the Dawley’s goal was to “flee the rat race and adopt a more self-reliant lifestyle amid the troubled economy.”

While urban and suburban real estate is still generally under pressure, the rural market is holding up better in many areas, thanks in part to buyers such as the Dawleys. Sometimes dubbed “ruralpolitans,” these city and town dwellers are looking at land as their new safe investment, one they hope could prove more stable than their jobs and 401(k)s – and provide a better lifestyle.

Motivations can vary, but typically there are three groups: young people buying land as an asset or investment, with vague hopes to live on it someday; exurban commuters who have jobs in big towns or cities but want to escape the sprawl; and back-to-the-land types who want to dabble in hobby farming. While the 76 million-strong baby boomers eyeing retirement represent the largest ruralpolitan segment, they’re being joined by a growing contingent of 20-to-early-40-somethings freshly imprinted by this recession’s pain.

Although “ruralpolitans” has been around since at the least the 1990s, the term is increasingly newsworthy – both because of the recession and a growing interest in living greener and more sustainable lives. As Bounds noted:

History shows economic downturns or disasters such as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks frequently trigger a short-lived appetite for escape, and that those approaching retirement often crave more-remote properties. …

But other factors, such as widespread Internet access, are giving this current ruralpolitan trend new longevity, particularly among younger generations. Enhanced renewable-energy options and associated tax credits mean homes can be more affordably powered by the sun or wind in areas where utility companies won’t service cheaply.