Rural vs Urban prepping has always been a contentious topic in the preparedness community. There have been healthy debates on which type of prepper has the greatest chance of survival in a collapse scenario.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Crime Rate

• There is a lower crime rate for rural preppers compared to urban.
• Many claims that when the golden horde comes they will invade the rural area.
• This may be true, but the likelihood of such an event is small.
• Regardless, if they were to invade the rural area it would be after the urban area.
• By the time they get to rural, they are going to be exhausted and depleted for the most part.
• Of course, there may be sophisticated groups that may have many resources.
• By the time they get to the rural area, you should be ready for them.
• Now when everything is running fine it will be safer to live in a rural environment.
• However, in an SHTF or collapse scenario lawlessness will probably take place in rural environments before rural environments.
• The main reason that I would propose would be manpower.
• In the city, the government would most likely lockdown with curfews or even martial law.
• For example, when Katrina hit New Orleans we saw the government impose martial law and deploy the military into the city to restore the rule of law.
• They didn’t do this in rural areas.
• However, even in a collapse or SHTF scenario I still believe there will be more crime in urban environments than rural.
• In rural environments, I believe the community will come together and look out for their own.

Resources

• Living in an urban environment does give you access to store-bought resources.
• However, in an SHTF scenario, those resources will be depleted.
• Living in an urban environment will not afford many the ability to begin growing or hunting their own resources.
• With a higher population comes a higher rate of consuming those resources.

Infrastructure

• Being close to the city typically provides a better job pool.
• Compared to living in the country or rural parts you are limited to particular jobs.
• There are typically more stores that give you better access to certain items.
• Rural living typically takes more time and money to access the infrastructure.
• In an SHTF or collapse scenario urban environments are most likely to have the infrastructure restored as compared to rural environments.
• This is because essential government offices are there.

Population

• Living in urban environments typically give you access to a bigger network of friends and others that could provide a benefit.
• For example, you may be able to find more people who are preparedness or survival minded.
• However, social circles in urban environments tend to be looser.
• In rural environments, social circles are more close-knit.
• There is more of a community and family feel.
• Growing up in a rural environment the community was more likely to look out for the well being of the community.
• However, when I moved to the city when I got older I realized how people there don’t value relationships or community as much.
• With higher populations; you tend to encounter more problems especially when it comes to the crime rate.
• Even though for the most part, rural environments provide close-knit ties there is going to be less of them.
• So there is a probability that you would be on your own in an SHTF scenario.
• With higher populations comes higher consumption of resources.

Communication

• In a collapse or SHTF scenario, the news is going to travel faster in urban environments because there are more people.
• However, again with more people come more problems.
• So there is a higher likelihood that news will be distorted.
• The more that messages are passed around the higher the probability for error.
• Rural areas are more likely to receive the news last as it will take longer to get there.
• By the time it does the message has been changed so many times due to distortion.

Medical Care

• In a collapse or SHTF scenario, there is going to be more access to medical assistance in urban environments then there would be in rural environments.
• However, at the same time, with more people, it is easier to spread diseases.
• Most people in urban environments are more reliant on the grid and infrastructure to provide proper hygiene care.
• In a rural setting, you are most likely to have access to more resources so that you can better take care of yourself.
• However, there isn’t as much access to medical care as there would be in urban environments.
• Furthermore, in an SHTF scenario recovery relief efforts are going to focus on the cities first.
• So rural preppers will not have quick access to those relief efforts including medical care.

Space

• In urban environments, especially apartment prepping, you are very limited on how much you can stockpile.
• Yes, you can find creative ways to fit more.
• However, the truth is that you have more space to stockpile in rural environments than you do in urban environments.
• Not only that but you have the ability to grow, hunt and raise your own food.
• The downside to that is that you have more space to protect.
• If you have a few acres of land how much of that are you going to be able to protect with a family of 3 or 4?
• You could bring in a survival group but they are going to expect resources in return.

Conclusion

• So altogether these would be some of the advantages and disadvantages that see when considering rural vs urban prepping.
• Ultimately my goal is to become a rural prepper.
• However, I’m not saying that is what everyone should do.
• Every prepper should have their own strategic preparedness plan put together.
• Everyone has their own specific threats that they are preparing for.