Why Should You Consider Moving Out of a Big City?

There is a peculiar divide between those who live in large and bustling cities and those who live in the peaceful countryside, small cities, or quiet towns. Everything from behavior to a particular outlook on life is influenced by where you live, which makes it so important for you to think carefully about which environment would suit you best. The problem that many people have to contend with is that it is difficult to even imagine what it would be like to live in a totally different environment when you have been used to one particular way of life for a long time.  

As a result, few people are bold enough to make the move. This is especially true for city dwellers who are tempted by a change of pace and crave the comfort that another location may bring. It is, at least on paper, a tremendous gamble. You can never truly know how you are going to react to such a dramatic change of lifestyle, and it can take months or even years of adjustment before it feels like home. So, why should you consider moving out of the big city and to somewhere new like the countryside or a smaller city or town?

Here are some of the most compelling reasons for you to contemplate and reflect on:

It will make you less stressed

One of the most obvious reasons why you should at least consider leaving the city behind is because it is likely to reduce your levels of stress. There can be no doubt that living in a metropolis as vibrant, intense, and, at times, dangerous as somewhere like London can take its toll on your mental and physical state. If you live in the city center, you will be constantly immersed in the noise and mayhem. 

Everything from the sirens of the emergency services to the shouting of nightclubbers stumbling across the street outside will keep you up at night from time to time, and you only have to step outside your front door to be swept up in it all. This can leave you with nowhere to go if you want to relax and destress – particularly if your city job is demanding – and is quite often the tipping point for people to pack up and head to the countryside.

If the stress of a big city like London is too much, but the idea of being out in the middle of nowhere is also quite a stressful thought, too, you could do what so many have done before and find a smaller city to live in that isn’t far from the countryside but still provides that city feel love. With a city like Bristol, you still get to enjoy a vibrant culture and community without the sheer size or cost that London brings. This is why many UK city-dwellers replace London with Bristol. Then, when you need a taste of the countryside, you simply have to pop just outside the city to find an abundance of options.

It generally has a lower crime rate

Another persuasive reason for you to move out of the big city is that a new location, particularly the countryside, should have a far lower crime rate. This statistic is inevitable because where more humans reside in close proximity (and with a greater extreme between wealth and poverty), there is going to be more crime being committed. In a huge city like London, this threat is increased exponentially, leaving you fearing for your safety at times. This can take its toll and make you wonder whether it is all worth it.

It is often cheaper

Furthermore, a great reason to move out to smaller cities or the countryside is that it is, by and large, far cheaper than the inner city. While there are pockets of extreme wealth in areas like the Cotswolds and the Surrey Hills, this is only due to city-based families branching out to countryside abodes. 

It only takes a brief look at property prices in London to realize that it is untenable for many people, whereas you can pick up some bargains further afield. The reason for this is that when you are forced to live in a city (and a large number of other people are, too), landlords and developers can afford to shoot up the prices of property.

You can build a deeper connection with your local community 

Of course, finance, stress, and safety are far from the only reasons why you should consider moving out of the big city. When you live in a big city like London, it might feel as though you have every opportunity to meet new people and build long-term friendships, but it can actually have the opposite effect. People are often less friendly in cities and find it more difficult to develop relationships with other people around them. As a result, you may feel disconnected from your local community and even lonely at times, which is never healthy in the long term. In contrast, the countryside and smaller cities are much more community orientated, with locals looking out for one another and forging genuine connections.