While people tend to focus on a traditional suburban-to-urban commute—specifically, heading from the suburbs to the city daily—millions of Americans reverse commute and head to suburbia for their 9-to-5s. And it makes sense—if you love city living, why give it up because your job takes you to Stamford, White Plains, Mountain View, or Bethesda?
That said, reverse commuters often have an added motivation to make the leap to 24/7 life in suburbia. Even if you don’t move to the town or area you work in, being in the ‘burbs and working in the ‘burbs can curb your commute while offering all the other amazing benefits of calling the suburbs “home.”
The reverse commute is on the rise nationwide
And if you do spend hours every day in a reverse commute? You’re not alone. Countless New Yorkers spend four hours daily or more getting from their urban dwellings to the suburbs. Stamford, CT, for example, is home to Synchrony Financial, Indeed.com, and a handful of Fortune 500 and 1000 firms.
Across the country in Dallas, it’s a similar reverse-commute scene. Public transportation is limited, vehicular traffic is crazy, and reverse commuters spend an hour each way traveling between Capital One, Toyota Motor North America, and other major corporations.
If this sounds like you, it’s time to look to the suburbs…
Tons of millennials and other young professionals have sparked a major suburban revival—and the best of the city is, hands down, following them. Head to suburbia—for both work and life—and expect to reap high-value benefits including:
#1. A reduced weekly commute
Reverse commuting isn’t just time-consuming; it’s expensive and stressful. A monthly MTA pass between NYC and Stamford is a whopping $376 per month, plus you’ve still got to get to the office after the ride. Move to Connecticut or even Westchester, and you’ll slash hours off your commute and direct them toward the things you love—your family, your hobbies, or, simply, getting your new backyard up and growing.
#2. Your dream home is within reach
A move to a suburb close to the city can save you money AND stress caused by a reverse commute. The median price for a home in Manhattan is $1.16 million. In Stamford, it’s hovering around $605,000. Space AND quality of life…. Check!
#3. Access to hot industry jobs
More and more urban companies are making the move to the suburbs. Whether it’s relocating headquarters to more affordable locations or simply opening an outpost or co-working space in suburbia, plenty of companies from Estee Lauder to Pampered Chef to Aetna are now calling the ‘burbs “home”—and many new entrants are following suit.
There are hundreds of towns to choose from. How do you figure it all out? You don’t without getting a Suburban Jungle Strategist to help you through it all. Schedule here for your strategy session with our innovative suburbs strategy team. All services are completely free.
