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Now that you’re a few years out of college and settled into your careers, your life has probably changed for the better. Instead of throwing back dollar shots, you’re content with a couple local craft beers at happy hour — presumably where said recent graduates aren’t. Instead of going out every night, you’re a little more content with a nice home-cooked meal followed by a glass of wine and your Netflix queue. You’ve probably also gotten a little more serious about paying down some of that debt you acquired in school because being responsible helps you sleep at night. Essentially, the endless spending and going out that city life offered you a few years ago just isn’t as necessary for a fulfilling life anymore.
If this describes you, then you might be part of a nationwide trend of millennials that are moving — gasp — back out to the suburbs. Sure, the commute’s going to be a bitch, but if you can save several hundred dollars a month on rent, get a larger apartment, and pay down your students loan faster, I hate myself for saying that this decision is pretty much a no-brainer.
The Urban Land Institute looked at the U.S.’s major metropolitan areas and found that overall, we’re starting to prefer suburb life over downtowns. Out of the 50 areas they analyzed, these 25 metropolitan areas saw the greatest change in millennial population between 2010 and 2015. If you’re thinking about making the leap, you’re in good company.
25. New York, NY: 4.9%
24. Richmond, VA: 5.4%
23. Philadelphia, PA: 5.5%
22. Salt Lake, UT: 5.7%
21. Dallas, TX: 5.8%
20. Washington, DC: 5.9%
19. Providence, RI: 6.0%
18. Austin, TX: 6.9%
17. Las Vegas, NV: 6.9%
16. Tampa, FL: 7.7%
15. Los Angeles, CA: 8.1%
14. Jacksonville, FL: 8.7%
13. New Orleans, LA: 9.1%
12. Oklahoma, OK: 9.1%
11. Phoenix, AZ: 9.3%
10. Sacramento, CA: 10.1%
9. Buffalo, NY: 10.3%
8. Houston, TX: 10.3%
7. Baltimore, MD: 10.3%
6. Miami, FL: 11.3%
5. San Diego, CA: 12.0%
4. Virginia Beach, VA: 12.8%
3. Orlando, FL: 13.9%
2. San Antonio, TX: 14.4%
1. Riverside, CA: 16.2%
Now that nice apartments, craft beers, and brunch spots are making their way to the commuter burbs, there’s really not any reason not to make the move when your lease ends. Sure, you may spend an extra half hour in the car every day, but the peace and financial gains make that decision well worth it. Not to mention that this decision comes with the option to finally give Fido a backyard of his own while giving you an excuse to avoid going out with those friends every Thursday night when you know you have work the next day. Honestly, it sounds like you’ve got nothing to lose here. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think the burb life might just be for me after all..
[via Time]
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Steph W.
Steph W. is a new Master's degree graduate with an intern's salary and six-figure taste. She realizes her expectations far exceed reality, so she spends her days pinning away Loubs she pretends are in her physical closet instead of her virtual one. Her hobbies include attempting to trapping her boyfriend into marriage before he finds out how insane she is and pretending that Black Box wine tastes as good as the kind she could afford when she was gainfully employed. Send her tips for getting out of student debt at recruitchairtsm@gmail.com
@therecruitchair
Remember like 3 years ago when millennials were killing the suburbs?
Remember 31 years ago when I was still wiping my bung hole? It’s been like trying to scrape peanut butter out of a carpet, that filthy chimichanga-ridden crust bung hole.
A bidet or baby wipes will relieve you of your 31 years of hell
Baby wipes don’r work – they’re pretty small, and sometimes my fingers go for a trip through mud valley, if you catch my drift, buddy.
Burb life is the best life.
Having recently moved from the ‘burbs to right outside of downtown, I think I’ve made up the difference in the more expensive rent just front the gas/uber money saved given my proximity to downtown
That was a big reason for my move to my Midtown area. Got a good spot for pregaming the bars with friends and now ubers are less than $20 round trip vs. the $25+ one-way from before. And when it isn’t super hot, I can walk to all of my favorite bars.
Live in the downtown of your suburban town. That’s the life.
It’s really because we’re the poor people getting pushed out by foreign investors who are buying up all the real estate in cities and raising rents as more and more companies pour into the cities to try and meet the young talent there. Pretty soon we’ll be pushed off the continent and into the ocean but the jokes on them because our house boats will float on as the ocean waters swallow up the land and said real estate so like, they’ll never be able to kill us Millennials lol
Just don’t move to Riverside. Horrible place to be
I live in a nice small town about 30 miles outside the city. It’s technically a suburb because of its location, but it’s so much better than being in a wasteland of cookie cutter, vinyl-sided houses.
‘Burb life is cool. HOA? Not so much.
Can’t understand this considering nearly everyone I know (in the northeast, at least) has 0 plans for the burbs and mostly live in cities (single and friends in relationships).
This reminds me of a certain Always Sunny episode
My wife and I are entrenched in that battle right now. I’d actually love to move to the city(Chicago) We are both native Chicagoans but our jobs are in the suburbs. Suburban life gets boring quick.
My wife and I are entrenched in that battle now. I like the city but wife wants suburbs.
Just committed to ‘burb life and it’s been great. Still plenty of bars and restaurants but without the long waits. Commute gives me more time to read or listen to podcasts. Only downside is that going to happy hour means I won’t be home until at least 9pm.
HOA can suck it
We got lucky, found a 7 home cul-de-sac with no HOA and all my neighbors keep their homes in good shape. #humblebrag
Years ago the HOA made us chop down one of our beautiful willows in our backyard because one neighbor complained that leaves were falling into their yard. I’ve never forgiven them since.
That is egregious
Sounds about right
This guy gets it