Second this. I went to school in an otherwise fairly rural area. For me, it was the perfect mix. Everything was walkable/bikeable if you wanted, but it was also less than a 20 minute drive to get away from all of it. Tons of amazing parks in the area, hiking trails, you name it. The people were a mixed bag, but that's anywhere.
Going camping for the weekend was just as easy as going clubbing. I miss it so much, and fully plan to move to the area permanently if I'm ever able to.