I don’t think you’re referring to the same kind of ruralness as the op.
If you’ve seen the rural areas of the midwest its literally acres of fields, one farmhouse and its accompanying sheds/silos/whatever, and then more vast area of field or wilderness
Like this. There’s some decently rural parts of california, but honestly they aren’t even close to the midwest levels of ruralness.
Hmm yea the forest areas are a certain kind of ruralness. Honestly I forget we have forests out in cali, socal is like all dry or beach, and norcal is either dead grass as well or coastal areas like half moon bay and sf.