It has been the dream of retirees for thousands of years: to escape the urban sprawl and settle down in the countryside where the air is cleaner, and the life is quieter, and healthier.
Even Roman emperor Diocletian retired to the coast, so taken was he with the idea of getting away from the hustle and bustle of city life. The first ruler to voluntarily abdicate, he swapped persecuting Christians for the simple pleasures of tending a vegetable patch.
These days, thanks to technological advances, growing numbers of professionals are choosing to base themselves in the countryside, not to retire, but because in many industries there is simply no need to be chained to a desk in the city. A broadband connection and the choice of a phone, tablet or phablet is all that you need.
Greater acceptance among employers of flexible working and the extra capital gained from rising house prices in major cities has made moving out to a rural idyll both acceptable and affordable for legions of workers.
In Britain, the number of home or remote workers increased by 13% over the past five years to four million. This amounts to a 470,000 rise between 2007 and 2012, with the sharpest rises occurring in Scotland, Wales and South-East England.
"In the South-East, we have seen quite an exodus of people," says Phil Flaxton, chief executive of Work Wise UK, a nonprofit that helps companies adapt to smarter working practices. "It might be a time in their life when they think, 'I'm not ready to retire, but I'd like to have a more comfortable, healthier lifestyle'."
But do the supposed health benefits of living and working in the countryside really stack up or is this all just wishful thinking by employees who would rather be out walking the dog or nipping out to check on the herb garden than spending an hour on a commuter train?
According to UK statistics, there is some truth to the theory that your age expectancy increases in the countryside. Living in rural areas means you are slightly less likely to die prematurely from cancer, stroke or coronary heat disease. Government forecasters predict that, on average, people born in very rural areas will live 1.5 to 2 years longer than those in major urban areas. So that clears that up.
Except that it doesn't. Evidence from across the pond even suggests that urban denizens in the United States are now in ruder health than their rural counterparts. "Contrary to popular belief, people who live in urban areas tend to live longer and feel healthier," asserts Bridget Catlin, senior scientist at the University of Wisconsin's Population Health Institute and director of County Health Rankings, an annual report into health indicators in every US county.
Sure, air quality is better in rural areas, violent crime rates are lower, fewer adults report excessive drinking, and there are fewer fast food restaurants. But Catlin and her team discovered that urban folks are often in better shape. "Compared to rural counties, adults in urban counties smoke less and are more physically active. Also, there are fewer deaths due to motor vehicle crashes in urban counties and urban residents have better access to health care coverage, primary care physicians, and indoor recreational facilities."
Similarities can be drawn with the UK. There are roughly twice as many fatal accidents on rural roads in Britain, at around 1,000 deaths per year, as on urban routes, even though less than a quarter of the UK population lives in the countryside.
Access to health services is a major determinant of good health. Being further from a doctor can be life or death in an emergency. Yet, in the US, only about 10% of physicians practice in rural areas even though more than 20% of the population reside there.
There are other factors that might cause people to think again about relocating. While urban dwellers often crave rural solitude and an end to stress, for some the reality of rural working life is isolation, which can lead to loneliness and depression. Around the world, suicide rates are consistently higher in rural areas. Who would have thought that chitchat around the water cooler would actually be good for you?
So what's the average worker to do? "It depends on the individual," says Flaxton. "I know somebody who moved his family to Devon from Greater London, hated it and moved back."
As for Diocletian, once he was in the countryside, he staunchly resisted appeals to return to the city. "If you could show the cabbage that I planted with my own hands," he reportedly told his petitioners, "[you] wouldn't dare suggest that I replace the peace and happiness of this place with the storms of a never-satisfied greed." Luckily for him, the Blackberry wasn't around in 305AD.
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