10 Reasons Why Suburban Living Beats City Living

Deciding on where to set up your homestead, raise a family, or even retire, can be a difficult decision for some people. Or maybe it isn’t. Many people battle with the decision of whether to make their home in the city, the country, or somewhere in-between, the area we all know as, suburbia. Living outside the city limits in a suburban neighborhood is a quieter lifestyle than what you get inside the confines of the city, yet you won’t feel isolated, or too far from all the conveniences the city has to offer. For those who may be looking to make a change and move towards a slower pace of life, consider moving your family into a quaint neighborhood in the suburbs, and here’s why. These are the top 10 reasons why suburban life beats city life.

1. Cost of living

Everyone has a budget they want to stick to when it comes to living expenses. If money is at the top of your list of importance when it comes to choosing the location of your home, you’ll want to weigh the differences between a home in the city to a home in the suburbs. Living in the city is typically more expensive than life in the suburbs. From rent to mortgages, you can expect to pay more for living among all the conveniences of a city, like transportation, shopping, infrastructures, and much more. It can be a pretty big trade-off to move further out and save your money while you get loads of other perks of suburban life.

2. Health benefits

With the rising number of people in our country, cities are getting overcrowded, which means higher levels of pollution in the cities. Pollution is known to increase your risk for respiratory diseases, but there are other health factors due to city life, too. Dolly discusses health issues related to city life and lists the most common. The fast pace life in the city leads to higher stress levels, which further leads to worsened health problems, or new ones developing. In the city, close living and interaction with so many people leads to the fast spread of viruses and other illnesses, something you don’t find as often in suburban areas. Cleaner air, a more relaxed environment and lifestyle are all big perks for your family when you live a suburban lifestyle.

3. Your own backyard

The city is packed full of buildings, cars and other forms of transportation, parking garages, signs and billboards, and lots of busy streets. There are many areas of a a city where you may be hard pressed to find a strip of green grass. When you live in a busy city, you may forget how important it is to connect with nature, which is only one of  the many benefits of owning your own yard. Other benefits, like space for your kids and pets to run and play, and the freedom to design and maintaining your own yard to compliment your home, are great reasons to head to out of the city, and into the suburbs.

4. More house for the money

There may be more entertainment, shopping, and restaurants at your fingertips living in the city, but for many families, having more square footage for less money is the bigger priority. With the cost of living ever rising, living in the heart of the city is also getting more expensive. It seems like the prices of urban homes and apartments are climbing every day, while the amount of living space you’re paying for, shrinks in size. According to Homeguides, buying a home in the suburbs will typically afford you more home for the dollar, making it much easier to get the home of your dreams without busting the bank.

5. Quality education

If you have kids, then you know how important it is for them to have a quality education. Finding a good school is usually at the top of a family’s list when it comes to finding a place to live, so doing your homework is very important here. Studies have shown that Urban schools typically educate a diverse group of students, with many of them being from single-parent, low income and socioeconomic backgrounds. Suburban schools are more harmonious, in nature, with the type of students enrolled; most being from two-parent homes and similar lifestyles. Teachers in suburban schools face less challenges than urban teachers, which means your children can get more attention from their teachers, quality learning time, and a more structured environment that sets them up to succeed. Actfor outlines the differences in suburban schools vs. urban schools.

6. Less crime

Crime is everywhere and you can’t get completely away from it, however, there is a peace of mind that comes with living in a less crowded housing area where crime rates are statistically lower than in the cities. Densely populated areas, coupled with lower socioeconomic communities, typically increases the crime rate in most every city. For those who prefer lower crime rate housing areas, suburbia usually sees less violent and non-violent type crimes. This can give you a peace of mind for your family, however, it’s always good to do your own research on crime in any area.

7. Less taxes

No one likes the word, “tax.” And for those who like the idea of lower taxes, you might want to think about making a change from city life, to suburban life. Taxes in the city are higher, on average, in most states. You pay for all the conveniences of living right in the heart of the action and it’s the city dwellers who pay to keep everything up and running in the city, through their taxes. Keep in mind that other things may be a bit higher on the outskirts, like healthcare, food, and other services, but the tax cut can often feel like a pretty big break.

8. Enjoy being part of a community

There’s nothing like the feeling of community wherever you choose to live. Although there is an ability to get that in some areas of a city, there is something about a community feeling in the suburbs that many people can’t resist. With so many different ways to get out and be a part of a community on the outskirts of the city, lakes, trails, parks, sports, clubs, plus much, much more, you won’t find it hard to find something you enjoy doing, and maybe even doing with friends and neighbors in your own community. “Community” is what drives many home owners out to the suburbs and they never look back.

9. Children have room to play

It’s no secret that children love to get outdoors and play. It’s also an important part of childhood. Growing up in the city is a vastly different life for children than those who grow up in a suburban neighborhood. Cities don’t offer children the same opportunities that the suburbs offer when it comes to outdoor playtime. While city children, on average, spend more time indoors playing on technical devices or watching television, children growing up in the suburbs have a totally different life. Children that grow up in the suburbs have the ability to get outdoors and spread their wings. From riding bikes, to playing ball, even having a yard to romp and play, most often, suburban children look back on their childhoods with fond memories of time spent playing outdoors without the parameters and confinement of an infrastructure-filled world.

10. Owning versus renting

Urban housing is far different than the homes spread out through the suburbs of our cities. There’s not much space among all many buildings crowding the cities, to spread out, so they typically spread “up,” which means apartment style homes are the most common homes for Urban dwellers. If your dream is to own your own home and land, you’ll find more housing options for owning, which means you can build your equity through the years of ownership, as opposed to simply handing over a rent check every month.