There are many pros and cons of living in the suburbs as opposed to the city. The decision that’s best for you will depend on your personal preferences and where you are in your life.
Living in the city offers the conveniences of being close to shopping, work, restaurants, reduced commutes, and lower energy bills. All of which seems like it would be ideal for a single professional.
On the other hand, if you are looking to raise a family, you may find the suburbs offer more the environment you want to raise your kids in. You aren’t going to be able to send your children to play outside in most cities. Instead, you’d have to commute to a park so they had some room to run around.
You’ll Spend Money No Matter Where You Are
When you move to the suburbs, costs may seem higher if you are used to living in the city, but consider the trade-offs. You have a bigger living space, a private bit of land, you can have pets with no issues and enjoy a quieter surrounding. With anything you do in life, you are going to have trade-offs that may cause you additional expenses.
Make sure that you aren’t living beyond your means though. You’ll need to have savings to pay for life’s emergencies. If you have kids, they might get sick and need medical attention resulting in unexpected medical expenses. Your pet may also require medical help. Like treatment for a cat UTI, an unexpected expense, but an expense nonetheless. With life comes responsibilities and financial obligations.
Convenience
City dwellers appreciate that most everything they need is seemingly at their doorstep. Grocery shopping is a short walk away. It’s great because you can get your steps in for the day and buy household goods.
The downside to walking to your local grocery store is everything you purchase you’ll have to carry back to your home. Of course, you can count that as your toning exercises for the day. There is no filling the trunk and driving home, like you would do if you lived in the suburbs.
Suburban Life
Living in the suburbs has its perks as well. Yes, your home will be bigger so your utilities will cost you more. However, if you compare the cost of your living space by the square foot, chances are, living in the suburbs is actually more cost-effective; you get more home for your dollar.
You also have the opportunity to make your house your own. You can add your own decorative touches and not have to be concerned about losing your deposit for painting walls or doing something else that violates your rental agreement. Part of the excitement of owning your own home is being able to paint and decorate in a way that is a reflection of your personality and/or personal taste.
Living in the suburbs isn’t typically short term. How is this beneficial? You get to know other people in your neighborhood and become a part of a community. Living space in the city tends to have a higher turnover rate so creating lasting bonds is more unlikely.
Peace and Quiet
Living in the city, the amount of greenspace you have is limited to houseplants and city parks; there is no personal, private space for you to enjoy time outside. When you have a house in suburbia, not only do you have your own yard, but you don’t have to listen to the hustle and bustle of traffic. Besides noise pollution, without nearly as much green space, city life exposes you to a lot more vehicle and industrial pollution.
The city and the suburbs both have their appealing factors as well as their downfalls. It boils down to where you are in your life and which conveniences are most important to you.
