Rural vs Urban Living

Rural vs Urban Living
While there are many opportunities available if one lives in the city, there are still some benefits to living in a rural area. Some things are available in both areas, such as jobs, education, and community. In an urban setting, many kinds of jobs are available for both teenagers and young adults. Young people can find a job at malls, recreational parks and fast food restaurants easier in the city than if he/she lived in a rural area. The job opportunities in a rural area are very limited, primarily babysitting. A teenager in a rural area would have to drive to the city for an opportunity to work perhaps in a mall or recreational park. An older adult would have limited job availability in the rural areas, such as teaching, working in a factory, clerking at Wal-Mart, or pumping gas at a gas station; however, more opportunities are accessible if one lives in an urban area. Some possibilities are working for large corporations, providing technical assistance or working in the medical field. Money earned usually is more if one works in the city than if he/she works in the country. Unemployment is probably close to the same percentage, no matter whether one lives in an urban or rural area. Education is another area where there are similarities and differences. Teachers must possess the same credentials for teaching, no matter whether the job is in a rural area or in the suburbs. Because the tax rate is usually higher in the urban regions, more money is available for educating the students. The urban students would most likely have better technology in their schools and better textbooks and resources for their teachers to use. The state mandates an acceptable class size, so there would be very little differences there. High schools may have up to thirty-three students in a classroom, but the elementary number is twenty-seven. All students in the state of Missouri have access to various state funded programs, such as free or reduced lunches and the A+ program. A teacher in a rural area might understand his/her students’ demographics better though due to less population in the school districts. One of the best reasons for living in a rural area would be the closeness of its population. Nothing is more pleasurable than attending a church picnic where fresh homemade ice cream is being served over warm pies from grandma’s oven. The county fairs are wonderful places to gather with friends and family and view the bounties of the harvest from local farmers. Youngsters from the 4-H clubs show their animals that they lovingly raised to sell for money to later be used for their college education. Parents also feel more secure letting their children run around with friends at a county fair than at large theme park, such as Six Flags. This sense of security is also present in the rural community. Children can play outside without fearing that someone might try to harm them; adults can leave their houses unlocked without worrying about the neighbor stealing their possessions. One only has to listen to the evening news to learn about drive-by shootings, break-ins, burglaries, and car thefts that are so prevalent in an urban area. Certainly there are many reasons why the urban area would be more desirable than the rural area, but gazing at the stars when one lives in a small town is a bit of heaven!