Ali Hasan
Once upon a time people used to live, work and get stuck in traffic when they were residing in large cities such as New York or Los Angeles but looks like the boom is over for them and now it’s time for smaller and more affordable cities to rock.
Today we will be discussing why people are leaving large cities to relocate to more affordable smaller cities. In this mass exodus, it is not just companies that are relocating but also millions of people who used to work in large cities.
Everything was going good and then 2020 arrived. Initially it looked just like another year where more than 95% of people won’t be able to meet their New Year Resolutions. But then everything changed as the world was gripped by Coronavirus and the entire world went into lockdown.
All of a sudden people were shut indoors and they were unable to go to their offices. This forced millions of people to work from home and use video conferencing as a communication tool. Initially, there were a lot of hiccups and problems but gradually people liked the concept of working from home and later became accustomed to it.
This was a defining moment in itself as many companies realized that they don’t need as much real estate as they initially thought. On the other hand, people also realized the amount of flexibility and freedom that they enjoyed working from home. The best part for them was that they were able to spend a lot of quality time with their family and pets.
This event marked the end of boom enjoyed big cities as people are leaving them in search for a better life. But today we will be specifically talking about why people are leaving for smaller cities.
The reasons are as follows:-
- Less Rent – As far as rent is concerned, it is less in smaller cities and this gives more bang for bucks to both employees and employers. Sometimes rent can be around 50% of an individual’s salary and this eases out in small cities. Employees can rent out a bigger apartment for less price and the same goes the employers. Employers who employ millions of people can save a lot of money as commercial real estate is lot cheaper and if they negotiate accordingly, they can land a pretty good deal.
- Less Pollution – One of the major concerns in today’s time is pollution and we all know how much polluted can a large city can get. If you live in a big city, Smoke, Smog and Fumes are a daily nuisance. In fact, living in some cities and inhaling the air is equivalent to smoking 2 packs of cigarettes a day. Why would anyone want this to happen to their loved ones?
- Less Traffic and Noise – One of the worst things about living in a large city is congested roads and bumper to bumper traffic. Millions of people who live in large cities have to spend an extra 1-2 hours daily just to get to their jobs and get back. This robs them of their quality time that they can spend as per their desires. It isn’t only the time but also the excessive amount of noise levels that they are exposed to. This can cause a lot of health problems.
- You don’t need a Big City – The internet has democratized success. Earlier only the rich folks had a clear shot of making it big in life and if you wanted to do it as well, you needed to relocate to a big bustling city. But internet changed the scenario completely and gave you the ability to work remotely and have access to the same kind of resources as someone who’s far richer than you. Today anyone can become an online sensation just by uploading videos on YouTube. FYI, the highest earning YouTuber is a 9 year old who’s raking millions and you can too do that without living in a big city.
- You save a lot of Money as Taxes – We pay a lot of money as taxes and sometimes we wonder what does the government do with our money? But not anymore as you now have the ability to relocate to a city, state or country which has low or zero tax. This gives you more of your own salary and you get to fully enjoy it. This also gives a huge advantage to the big companies as they can save millions if not billions in corporate taxes.
- Lesser Cost of Living – A smaller city not only has less rent but less cost of living overall as inflation is a little less than what you experience in a big city. When you live in a small city, you will have to pay less for various amenities such as:-
- From Groceries to Healthcare,
- From Fuel to eating out at a restaurant,
- From a Gym Membership to Hiring a Professional,
- From Clothing to taking a Cab,
- From Raising a Child to Paying Utility Bills.
I hope that now you understand why people and big companies are flocking to smaller cities and why it’s a wise decision to live in a city where you actually can lead a simple yet better life.
I wish you a very happy new year 2021 and hope that next year we all will be happy as we were before this stupid pandemic.
