I self-isolated in New York City and the Midwest — here are the biggest differences

• When the coronavirus pandemic began, I was in New York City.
• After self-isolating in my apartment, I returned to my hometown in Wisconsin to wait out the worst.
• Most people aren't wearing masks in public, but social distancing is much easier in a rural area.
• Grocery stores are crowded here, and there are no limits to the number of people allowed inside.
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I was in New York City when the coronavirus pandemic hit the US. But I grew up in Wisconsin, and still consider myself a Midwesterner in many ways.

Self-isolating in my New York apartment, I began to hear reports of impending stay-at-home orders. My family urged me to return to the Midwest, where there were fewer cases and the hospitals were less overwhelmed should I get sick.

I didn't want to leave, or go anywhere near an airport, but I felt that self-isolating in my rural hometown would allow me to avoid the crowds that are inherent to city living while pitching in at home to help my family in this crisis. So a couple of weeks ago, I flew to Wisconsin.

Here are some of the differences I've noticed between self-isolating in New York and the Midwest.

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There are far fewer cases of COVID-19 in the Midwest right now than there are in New York.

The total number of novel coronavirus cases in any given area keeps changing, but New York currently has 54 times more cases than Wisconsin.

That could change. For now, I feel safer walking around my hometown, where there are currently 24 confirmed cases in my zip code, than walking down the street in Manhattan, where the number is much higher.

In Wisconsin, hospitals are preparing for a surge in coronavirus patients, but the situation is not nearly as dire as in New York, where some hospitals are facing life-threatening equipment shortages. 

New Yorkers report hearing sirens every few minutes, but it's silent here.

New York City's number of medical emergency calls in a single day has surpassed the previous record from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Friends of mine who are still in the city tell me that they hear ambulance sirens constantly. That's not happening here yet.

I haven't seen people wearing masks in the Midwest. In New York, they're everywhere.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends wearing cloth masks or scarves in public to try to slow the coronavirus' spread.

In New York, almost everybody I saw buying groceries or walking down the sidewalk was wearing a mask, and this was weeks before the CDC's recommendation was announced. I haven't seen many people here in Wisconsin because I've mostly been staying at home, but those I have seen weren't wearing any personal protective equipment.

Some grocery stores in New York are limiting the number of customers allowed inside, but Midwestern stores are large enough to practice social distancing.

Many grocery stores and pharmacies in New York are only letting in a certain number of people at a time in order to give everyone enough space to shop and stay away from others, creating lines that can span blocks. Grocery stores in small Midwestern towns like mine are large enough for that not to be a problem. 

Grocery delivery services in New York are booked for months, but they seem to be available within days in the Midwest.

When I was self-isolating in New York in early March, I tried to order groceries through Amazon Fresh. There were no available delivery slots until May. 

Where I am in Wisconsin, same-day deliveries are still available. The different population counts could have something to do with it, but perhaps more people are still shopping for groceries in person here.

Many New Yorkers (myself included) don't own cars. Having one here makes many more things possible.

In New York, reduced subway service has resulted in crowded trains, increasing the risk of infection. I was avoiding subways in New York, staying home and only going to grocery stores near enough to walk to.

There's barely any public transit in my hometown, so having a car is a necessity that allows for more mobility. I can drive to local nature trails to get some air instead of sticking to the few overcrowded parks near my New York apartment. Plus, when running essential errands, I can transport more in the trunk than I'd ever be able to carry in a few tote bags.

Social distancing is much easier in the Midwest.

It's difficult to stay 6 feet away from other people on New York City's narrow sidewalks. On my way back from a trip to the grocery store, a jogger knocked into me as he weaved through a group of people chatting outside the doors.

In my rural Midwestern hometown, I can take a 5-mile bike ride and not see a single person.

Having a backyard is a game-changer.

I enjoyed taking walks outside in New York to stretch my legs after spending the day inside, but lots of other people had the same idea. I'm grateful to have this private outdoor space surrounded by nature.