The director of domestic policy for the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute, an avowed urbanist by personal preference, writes for RealClearPolicy that he, and those like him are the exception. This paragraph sums up what the data shows.
Americans of all stripes, including young people, have long preferred suburban to urban living despite the prevailing (mis)conception in the media, but the twin crises of Covid and urban unrest in 2020 have clearly accentuated Americans’ desire to leave denser places. Not only have Americans continued apace in their usual migration from cities to suburbs, they also now aspire to live in towns and hinterlands more than one might expect.
The following represents what is new, and/or unexpected about the new findings on preferences for where people wish they lived.
With the exception of rural areas, a majority of people wish they lived somewhere else, and their preferences are almost always for smaller, less-dense places.
See the conclusion reached by the author who for himself prefers urban living.
For policymakers interested in how geography and demographics intersect in America at the moment, it is indisputable that the appeal of less density is ascendant, which is in turn driven by basic concerns such as safety and cost of living. Narratives about cities that many of us wish were true, simply aren’t.
As one of those who prefers rural/small town living, I found his data and conclusions both interesting and affirming.
