Five Years After the Pandemic: How City Dwellers Found Country Life – and What They Learned. Millennials and Gen Zers flocked to suburbs and rural areas (pop. <250,000) seeking affordable housing and a slower pace of life. Discover the real stories of those who traded city life for country living, weighing the pros and cons of this major life change – longer commutes, lower costs (sometimes), and the impact on social life and culture
Millennial & Gen Z Exodus: Pandemic-Fueled Suburban Boom Reshapes US Population. Low interest rates and remote work spurred a massive migration from major cities (population <250,000) between 2020-2023. Top 10 fastest-growing counties saw significant population increases among 25-44 year olds, contrasting sharply with stagnant or declining populations in America's 10 largest counties (5 declines, 2 unchanged). Learn about this rural and suburban population shift
Pandemic Exodus: 7 Americans Reveal Why They Left Big Cities for Smaller Towns. Discover their stories of trading NYC, LA, and Houston for a slower pace of life in places like Rockford, IL, and Palm Desert, CA. See how the great city exodus impacted their lives five years later
Five Years After the Pandemic: The Reality of Rural Life. While cheaper housing (though not always) lured many millennials and Gen Zers from big cities to suburban and rural areas, the trade-offs are real. Longer commutes, limited cultural experiences, and distance from friends are some of the challenges faced by those who sought a different pace of life
Hear from seven Americans who traded city life for the suburbs and beyond. Their firsthand accounts – edited for clarity – reveal the realities of this pandemic-era migration, from the joys of more space to the challenges of longer commutes and cultural adjustments. Discover their stories and experiences of life outside big cities five years later
Share Your Big City Exodus Story: Did you trade city life for the suburbs or countryside? Business Insider wants to hear from Americans who relocated for financial or personal reasons. Hundreds have already shared their experiences – add your voice! Complete our quick form below and read inspiring stories from those who made the move
Rockford, Illinois Insurance Agent Andrew Blevins: A Pandemic-Era Move to Suburban Life
Andrew Blevins, 35, is an insurance agent who traded city life for the suburban charm of Rockford, Illinois (pop. 147,000; median home price $175,000). His story reflects the post-pandemic migration of millennials and Gen Z to smaller cities
From NYC to Rockford: Our 2020 Pandemic Home Purchase and Suburban Life
Pandemic Job Losses Spurred Our Move: From Broadway's "Cats" to Country Life. As a production stage manager and merchandise team member on the national Broadway tour of Cats, we faced unexpected unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This life change led us to relocate, seeking new opportunities and a different lifestyle
Rockford's lower cost of living and proximity to family drew us back to our roots. The area's safe, comfortable atmosphere made it the perfect place to settle down and build a life
Trading NYC Rent for Rockford Homeownership: Our Pandemic Escape
Our Inwood/Washington Heights NYC one-bedroom rent was surprisingly similar to the mortgage on our three-bedroom Rockford home. Buying before the market boom let us build equity fast, leveraging it for an even better home. Read our story of escaping the city and finding suburban comfort
From Big City to Rockford: Building Our Insurance Agency Dream
My career shift to insurance agent and move to Rockford in January 2021 were perfectly aligned. Growing up in an insurance family and working in my father's office during college gave me a solid foundation, even earning early licensing. A recruiter's call around the time I lost my job felt like the perfect opportunity to return to a familiar field. Now, my wife and I work side-by-side, building our agency and putting down roots in this vibrant community
Rockford, Illinois: Our Pandemic Escape and Thriving New Life. After the COVID-19 upheaval, we sought a better life and found it in Rockford. We're not going anywhere! This vibrant community offers the comfort and more we were searching for
Francheska Stone, a 36-year-old entrepreneur and Wayne, New Jersey resident, founded a thriving podcast and consulting platform. Her move to this affluent New Jersey suburb ($1.5M median home price) reflects a broader trend of millennials and Gen Zers relocating to smaller communities like Wayne (pop. 53,000) in the wake of the pandemic
From LA to Suburban NJ: Our 2021 Pandemic Relocation Story
My mother-in-law was diagnosed with dementia, so we wanted to be closer to family support on the East Coast. One month after arriving, I learned I was pregnant with our daughter, which reinforced the decision to stay in New Jersey. I’d never even visited New Jersey before moving, but family ties have made it work.
The first year in New Jersey was tough. It was a new state, I was pregnant, and I had to adapt to East Coast winters. But I have no lasting regrets about the move.
In Los Angeles, I worked on-site as a paralegal, but the move nudged me into remote legal work with the same law firm and then into entrepreneurship. I eventually launched my podcast and consulting platform business, and earlier this year, I left my full-time job to focus on it full-time.
We’re rooted here for now and have no immediate plans to move. We love that New York City is a short drive away while we enjoy suburban space.
Overall, the cost of living in New Jersey has felt comparable to LA. We’re renting for now, but buying a home here is a goal once my business income fully stabilizes.
Blanka Molnar, 40, is a parenting coach who lives in Sugar Land, Texas, which has a population of 110,000 and a median home sale price of $500,000.
My husband and I moved in June 2021 from Houston to Sugar Land, Texas.
We were looking to buy a home and start a family, but we were unsure about raising a child in Houston. The area we lived in started to feel dirtier and less safe, we didn’t have a backyard, and the schools were not as good as we’d have liked.
Overall, we think moving was a great decision. We have much more space, a better school system, and a beautiful neighborhood. There are plenty of green areas and playgrounds, and our daughter enjoys our lovely backyard with her little slide.
The downsides are that we drive more than we did in the city, the food scene isn’t as good as Houston’s, and we live further from the airport. My husband’s commute is also about twenty minutes longer.
Our housing costs are also higher now. We do not regret buying — we wanted to buy our own home, and we like our purchase — but adding up all the costs and expenses, it’s much more than our rent was.
After we moved, I resigned and left my corporate life behind due to medical reasons. I now work independently, and I’m happy with my current work situation.
Right now, we are satisfied with where we are. Unless my husband changes his job, we are not planning to move in the next three to five years.
Joscelyn Moen, 48, is an executive assistant who lives in Cedar Park, Texas, which has a population of 78,000 and a median home sale price of $491,000.
In October 2019, shortly before the pandemic started, we moved from Burlingame, CA — a town in the San Francisco Bay Area — to Cedar Park, Texas.
We moved because my husband found a new role with his tech company in Austin. While my husband initially wanted to live in Austin, I insisted on Cedar Park because the housing costs were lower. We would have never been able to purchase a home in our area of California, even though at the time, we both worked at tech companies and made over six figures.
We looked at housing, and before leaving California, I made it a goal that if we were going to uproot our family, we would buy a house in Cedar Park, which we did in June 2021 after renting for a while.
The cost of living is exponentially cheaper than in the Bay Area, and Texas’s lack of state income taxes has made a huge difference.
I do miss the Bay Area’s Asian food, but it’s getting better here in Cedar Park. Texas is also massive, so driving out of state takes forever. Additionally, the beaches are further away, and the culture shock was real. The vibes from Texans are so different from Californians.
The move also affected my career. When we moved out here, I quit my job, and I don’t have the same career I used to. However, I found I can make good money, have a work-life balance, and still enjoy a comfortable life.
Maryia Jimenez, 30, is a publicist who lives in Phoenix, which has a population of roughly 1.6 million and a median home sale price of $450,000.
I moved in December 2021 from New York City to Phoenix with my boyfriend, now husband.
Several factors pushed us to leave, but the decision really began to take shape after we witnessed violence on the subway. It shook me to my core. I no longer felt safe in a city I had once loved.
Shortly after, our landlord tried to increase our rent by $700 a month. It felt like a clear signal: we were being priced out, and staying would mean compromising too much.
Overall, I don’t have any regrets about the move. The home we’re renting is more spacious, and it feels like we’re actually getting our money’s worth. While Phoenix hasn’t brought the dramatic cost savings some people might imagine when leaving a major city, it still feels like a financial upgrade.
That said, my husband and I miss New York’s culture and energy. If the right job opportunity comes up on the East Coast, we might be packing our bags. However, I don’t see New York City itself being part of that plan again, at least not for the long haul.
We’re trying to find the best of both worlds. Ideally, we want to live in a place that’s not as crowded as a major city but still offers space, land, and strong job opportunities in our fields. That kind of balance is hard to come by, but we’re still searching and hopeful we’ll find that happy medium.
Toni Ferrara is the founder of a PR and talent management business. She’s in her 40s and lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, which has a population of 246,000 and a median home sale price of $810,000.
I moved in July of 2020 from Beverly Hills, California, to Scottsdale, Arizona.
It was one of those life-defining moments. The world was in lockdown, and I found myself sitting alone in my penthouse on my 40th birthday. That night, I realized LA no longer felt like home. The city no longer felt safe or joyful, and I had outgrown the glitz.
I now own a three-bedroom, three-bathroom home with a mortgage payment less than the rent on my old one-bedroom apartment in LA. While housing prices have risen with the migration boom, it’s still far more affordable than California. My money stretches further, my home is more spacious, and I can still fly into LA anytime I want for business or a quick recharge. It’s the best of both worlds.
When I first moved, people said I was sabotaging my career. “How can a PR and talent manager not live in LA?” they asked. But I’ve made it work. I do miss my LA inner circle and the beach — Scottsdale sand doesn’t quite compare. But I’m in LA monthly for work, so it’s a quick fix. And yes, Arizona’s triple-digit heat is no joke, but I’d still choose peace in the desert over chaos in the city any day.
I’m not sure I’ll stay in Scottsdale forever. I’m a single woman with no kids, which gives me freedom. If 2020 and the lockdown taught me anything, it is that happiness and safety are non-negotiable for me, but for now, I am staying in Scottsdale. There are way too many business opportunities to expand on the horizon.
Christopher D. Kaufman, 60, is a professor, consultant, and author who lives in Palm Desert, California, which has a population of 53,000 and a median home sale price of $549,000.
In March 2020, my wife and I moved from Hollywood to Palm Desert, California.
We moved to get more space during the pandemic, and we were having some issues with neighbors having all-night parties. We were also frustrated by how our HOA was run.
We’re both very happy with the decision to move. The lower housing costs in our area allowed us to buy a home with a pool, build a new bedroom, add solar panels, and install a great new A/C system. Additionally, living in a more walkable town has helped us get healthier. It took a while for me to get professor gigs due to the pandemic, but I was able to once classrooms opened up.
After selling our home in Hollywood, we started by renting in Palm Desert. We rented for about a year while looking for a home, and we’re very happy with the decision to rent in the new area before buying. We visited and loved the area, but that was a hotel experience. We needed to feel the environment and understand the community and local resources first. So I recommend always renting first and then buying if moving to a new place.
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