Why Kentucky? (Because Trust Us… We Asked the Same Thing)

This is why... our neighbor's are horses

If you had asked us a year ago where we were moving, Kentucky would not have been our answer.

Not even close.

In fact, when it first came up, our reaction was exactly what you’re probably thinking right now:

“Kentucky?! Why Kentucky of all places?”

Fair question.

We thought the same thing.

The First Seed Was Planted

At the time, we owned a cleaning company that we had purchased from a friend.

He was getting ready to sell it so he could move to… you guessed it… Kentucky.

We remember asking him why.

Out of all the places you could go, why there?

He just smiled and said something that stuck with us:

“Once you go, you’ll understand.”

We laughed it off at the time.

But that sentence had a way of lingering.

Then It Came Up Again… And Again

Not long after that, Jimmy’s daughter Kat and her partner Silas were traveling across the country in their RV.

They had seen a lot of places. Different states, landscapes, lifestyles.

So when they got back, we asked them a simple question:

Where was your favorite place?

Without hesitation, they said:

Kentucky and South Dakota.

That caught our attention.

Because now it wasn’t just a random suggestion—it was a pattern.

Kentucky kept coming up.

Looking for Something Different

At that point, we were already feeling the pull to leave Connecticut. We just didn’t know where to go.

For a while, we thought it might be New Hampshire.

A quiet cabin in the woods sounded like the dream.

We visited often. Looked at properties. Tried to picture our life there.

But when we really dug into it, it didn’t quite make sense long term.

We also considered Massachusetts, but the lifestyle felt too similar to what we already knew. Different location, same pace.

Same problems, just repackaged.

We weren’t just looking for a new place.

We were looking for a different way to live.

What We Actually Wanted

So we stopped asking “Where should we go?” and started asking a better question:

What do we actually want our life to look like?

The answers became pretty clear.

We wanted land.

We wanted space to breathe.

Animals have always been a huge part of our lives, so we knew we wanted room for them too. Chickens were a given. We talked about goats (although their Olympic-level jumping skills made us hesitate).

Somehow, we ended up with a wild mustang rescue—which still feels surreal to say out loud.

We wanted to grow our own food.

Not all of it, obviously—you can’t grow sushi—but there’s something special about walking outside and picking vegetables from your own garden.

We wanted quiet.

We wanted community.

We wanted a slower pace.

And once we defined that… Kentucky started making a lot more sense.

The Numbers Told a Story Too

At first, it was just a feeling.

But then we started looking at the logistics.

And that’s when things really clicked.

In Connecticut, property taxes on a modest home can easily run between $7,000 and $10,000 a year.

In Kentucky?

It’s often closer to $800 to $2,000. Sometimes even less in rural areas.

That alone was a massive difference.

But it didn’t stop there.

Housing prices were lower.

Utilities were more affordable.

Groceries and gas were cheaper.

Even things like zoning laws and housing options were different. Mobile homes, for example, are common and accessible in Kentucky, but much harder to find in Connecticut.

Yes, wages are lower too. Minimum wage in Connecticut is significantly higher than in Kentucky.

But when you look at the full picture, the cost of living shifts the equation in a way that’s hard to ignore.

For the first time, it felt like we could actually get ahead instead of just keeping up.

Something We Didn’t Expect

There was one factor we didn’t fully understand until we started digging deeper.

Community.

In Connecticut, we lived surrounded by people but barely knew anyone.

In Kentucky, everything we heard pointed to something different.

People talk to you.

They wave when you pass by.

Strangers invite you to their church.

Small businesses are supported in a real way.

At one point, we heard about a local Walgreens closing because two small pharmacies were doing so well.

That told us everything.

There are local events almost every weekend—farmers markets, craft fairs, live music—and people actually show up.

It wasn’t just about where you live.

It was about how you live.

It Wasn’t Perfect… But It Felt Right

Of course, Kentucky wasn’t perfect.

There were trade-offs.

We knew we’d miss certain things. Good Italian food, for one. Convenience. Being close to everything.

There were new things to consider too—like storms, rural healthcare access, and spotty cell service in some areas.

But when we zoomed out and looked at the full picture, something became very clear:

Kentucky aligned with the life we wanted to build.

Not just financially.

But emotionally.

Practically.

Intentionally.

The Question Became Clear

At that point, the question wasn’t:

“Why Kentucky?”

It was:

“Why not?”