When I was looking in NJ, 5-10 acres was the typical lot size. That was enough to not see neighbors, but I was still too close to other people. There was always noise in the distance. There was a serious threat of adjacent lots being turned into apartments or other housing developments, or warehouses, or some kind of industrial facility like a quarry. Any of that would be enough to make me want to move.

I can get 200+ acres in Maine for the same price as 5 acres in NJ, and have much higher confidence that nothing is going to be built adjacent to me. Especially if I get land abutting conservation land.