I live roughly 35 minutes outside of the city. I own just shy of 2 acres. My house was under 100K. Yea, I have to drive 15 minutes to get anything that requires an exchange of currency, and yea we don't have the new, hip, hot, exciting crap. But if I decide to fuck-off of computers, I can take a third shift stocking job and live decently. Everything in life is a set of trade-offs. I choose to have a life that is not centered around the stress of a 4K/month mortgage and am willing to deal with the consequences of that decision. Living in BFE is definitely not at all for everyone. But the advantage of living somewhere quite, almost serene, affordable, and with enough space around me that I am not on top of my neighbor is worth it for me.
Yep, this is basically why I still live in Kansas. Flyover land is fucking cheap. We've got a roughly 1100 sqft apartment, built around 2000, for $750 after pet rent. My neighbors keep remarking on how expensive it is compared to the rest of the rental market here. Multiple local roasters in town. Two brewpubs, soon to be three. Three farmers markets. And we're able to live working part time so we have the time to enjoy the above. We'll probably buy a home here, but I want to travel to a few places first. See if there isn't a part of the country I'll fall in love with before I take on a mortgage.
Buying a house is one of those moment where a whole ton of doors slam shut, and a hidden series of new adventures open up. If travel is the plan, do it before the house. Hell you may travel somewhere and decide "this is where I will grow old." Remember that a house is not something that you can get rid of at a moment's notice, and the further you are from a city center the longer it will take to sell when things change or you get the chance to move elsewhere. Buying a house/land does give you a bit of certainty that you know what it costs to live. And assuming we all don't go to shit here, you do build equity and if you get with a good bank or credit union you have a pool of money to borrow against when things go bad. With land you can grow food which trades money for effort and time, but eating food that you grew on property you own is a great feeling. Kansas ain't that bad. Kansas City and Wichita were not bad places to visit. It seems like every time I go across the country on I-70 I somehow end up in Salina and that Pilot station there. Skies are dark if you are into astronomy, the August eclipse goes right though the state, weather isn't bad. You can certainly choose worse places to live.