Living in the City vs. the Suburbs: Pros and Cons

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Guest Author:  Mark Klein

When choosing where to live, there are a lot of things to consider. You need to think about the culture, job opportunities, entertainment, the weather, the infrastructure, and several other things. You also need to be aware of the stock of homes or apartments in a given area. If you’re curious about the stock in a given area, you can learn more here.

Also, with the median home in the USA costing well over $300,000, it is important to think about the home prices in the area. Another of the most important is to decide whether to live in a big city or in the suburbs. But how do you choose which is right for your family?

Well, if that’s something you are curious about, we’re here to help. This article is going to go over the pros and cons of living in the city vs. living in the suburbs. Without any further ado, let’s look a little more closely at living in the city vs. living in the suburbs, and the pros and cons of both.

Pros of Living in the City

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Less Commute to Work

With the city being home to more jobs than the suburbs, there is a good chance that living in the city will grant you easier access to work. This will lead to cheaper and shorter commutes to work every week, which is a huge benefit. Long commutes can waste hours and hours of time each and every week.

Easier Access to Amenities

Living in the city offers you simple access to all of the amenities you may want to take advantage of. Shopping, restaurants, gyms and just about everything else will be within arm’s reach if you live in the city. Being so close to these amenities can save you a ton of time and can really shorten up the trips you need to take frequently.

There is More Stock

In the city, there is generally more available stock than in the suburbs. This means you will not only have an easier time finding a home or apartment, but you will have a larger variety of options. You can often have your pick of the litter and will have better luck at finding your perfect unit.

Cons of Living in the City

Generally More Expensive

One of the biggest problems of living in the city is that it will often come at a higher cost. Rent, mortgage payments and even the other factors that go into the cost of living can be more expensive in the city than the suburbs. In addition to paying more, you will often get less space due to the overcrowded nature of many large cities in America.

Can Be Loud and Busy

No matter the hour of the day, many big cities will always have something going on. While this can be fun for some time, it can eventually become too much. Sometimes you and your family may just want some quiet time and quiet life, but the city doesn’t often offer that. There will constantly be people around and the hustle and bustle of the city may never sleep.

 More Competition With Other Buyers or Renters

While there are certainly more available housing options in the city than in the suburbs, there are also more interested buyers or renters. Depending on where you are looking to buy or rent, there is a good chance you will have more competition. This can drive prices up and lead to it taking longer to actually find a place to live.

Pros of Living in the Suburbs

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Quieter Living

When you live in the city, it can be exciting, but there is no downtime. If you want quieter living, without being too far from the city, the suburbs are a great place to be. Your streets will have fewer people, there will be less commotion and the suburbs are often safer, as well.

More Affordable Housing

Living in the suburbs will often be much more affordable in terms of your rent or mortgage payment. The further away from the city center, you are, the cheaper it will likely be to live. Not only that, but you will often get more space for less money when you opt to live in the suburbs.

A Better Sense of Community

When you live in a suburb, you will generally experience a better sense of community. You will better know your neighbors and others in your area. While it might still be a large suburb, it will have a “small-town feel” when compared to the big city. In the city, many people live in their own world and a sense of community often never develops.

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Cons of Living in the Suburbs

A Long Commute to Work

While some people certainly work in the suburbs they live, this is not all that common. Most of the time, people work in the city. If you live in the suburbs, this means you likely have a long commute into the city for work every day. Months or years of this long commute can weigh very heavily on a person and be quite stressful to deal with.

Can Be Boring at Times

While the suburbs are often quiet, eventually, this can get quite boring. There will be far less going on than in the big city, and taking a trip into the city for fun is not always practical. Of course, this isn’t always the case as not everyone will get bored, but it is indeed a common complaint amongst those living in the suburbs.

Quite Far From Amenities

When you live in the city, you may take for granted how close you live to stores, the gym, the park, and other amenities. Sometimes, if you live in the suburbs, going to the mall or to the store can easily turn into an all-day ordeal. There is no “quick trip to the store” if you live 40 minutes away from where you get groceries.

In conclusion, there are many pros and cons to living in the city and living in the suburbs. There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to which is better. What is right for one person or family doesn’t automatically mean it is right for another.

Mark Klein
Outreach manager
Mark Klein is a super-connector who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. He frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing and focuses his efforts on developing customized blogger outreach plans depending on the industry and competition.