Basic;
Cost of living, other than taxes, is quite reasonable and the rural areas have much to offer the outdoor sportsman.
I live in a rural area in far western NY..Cattaraugus county runs along the Pa border and is next to the last county on the westward end.
The rural folks in western NY are from a farming heritage and are much like the midwestern farm folk..friendly, generally mind their busines but there to help if needed..
The taxes are high on any given home...but the home can be bought cheaper here than most anywhere in the country..
If you pay 60 to 80 k for a very nice home...the taxes per thousand will be higher than many other places (where that same house may cost 120 to 150 K..
Stands to reason though...the crying need is jobs..jobs with decent pay.
Your EMT skills would be appreciated here...but not for pay..all these small towns are VOLUNTEER fire companies..efficient, and good at what they do, but still volunteer.
As a small landscaper you could probably make it fairly well in the suburbs, say about 15-20 miles from major city centers..
Snow removal ..plenty of it, just take a map and draw shading SSE of the Lakes Erie and Ontario for about 30 to 40 miles inland..that is roughly, the "snow belt"area..
Of course trucking is a popular job around here, since one doesn't have to live at or near the sources of production...
Hope that helps..