What is rural?

[phamus1]

No worries, I'm not quite as clueless as my topic suggests! Soon to be srna, I'm actually one of those who looks forward to moving to a more rural setting. I used to be a park ranger (Yosemite) before I came to nursing so I enjoy being in quiet, less-developed areas.
However, I was born and raised in Southern CA so my idea of rural may be a bit skewed. Could you list some specific places that would be considered "rural" so I can get a better idea of what life might be like? I'm thinking if a town is big enough to have surgical services, it can't be THAT small, right?

[pdsr]

Well, rural for me is SE Wyoming, city pop. of 3500, county pop. of under 10,000. No Wal-Mart, no McD, 3 bars, 6 churches, more antelope than people, one OR and about 30 cases a month, and all the wind you want.

[SuccsDrugs&Rocuron]

based on what current recruiters are telling us soon-to-be-graduates: rural upper state New York, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, North Dakota and Michigan are accepting new graduates~ who knows what the tight job market will be in 3 years--rural Alaska, Antarctic, Greenland? ;)

[phamus1]

Thanks for the responses. With this tight job market, I've felt sympathetic towards the new grad nurses that I see on our unit who are still CNA's one year post graduation. Scary to think I'll be in the same situation in a few years!
Anyways, I understand the reluctance to post specific places that you may be currently situated, but if you could post of "rural" towns where you used to work or know people who work in, that would be helpful. I'd like to be able take a stroll through via Google Map/Earth. Thanks!

[Esper]

My hometown is 7500 people with one county hospital, 2 ORs, and One general surgeon and some FP docs that do C-sections.