I've lived in Washington Township (which surrounds the town of Washington), and I recently moved from Oxford. It really can be much cheaper to live there than even a little bit farther east, like Hackettstown. And it's not exactly "rural" living--both of those places I owned had things like natural gas, public sewage, public water, (Comcast) cable, etc. The people are generally nice enough, and the crime rate is lower than more urban areas.

The biggest negative I found is that it can be a little bit far to get anywhere. It was like 10 minutes to a (mediocre) grocery store, and more like 20-25 minutes to a Walmart or Home Depot or some good restaurants. And, of course, if you commute anywhere to work, that extra time and miles can really add up. So, it always seem like such a "chore," to go out and get any real shopping or errands done.

Hope that helps some.