Exurbs: What It Means And What Home Buyers Should Know

Deciding where to live is a decision unique to each individual, with pros and cons to weigh. Living in a city can be more expensive and come with smaller homes, but you're right in the heart of it all. Living in a suburb might get you more house for less money, but you’ll be farther from the action.

Rural areas where real estate is usually less expensive than in the city or suburbs can get you more acreage for your dollar. For some buyers, these areas might seem like the “middle of nowhere,” but it can be very appealing to buyers looking to get away from the city and suburbs. This type of location is often referred to as an exurb.

Exurbs Vs. Suburbs

Suburbs are located right outside a city. They often offer more space, less businesses and attractions, and bigger houses than inside an urban area. Their close proximity to the city also offers a quick trip for lunch, some shopping, or a night out. Rural areas, or exurbs, are even further from the city than suburbs. They don’t offer the convenience of a quick drive to the city center, but they provide privacy, acreage, and less noise than their urban and suburban counterparts. Many home buyers just debate suburb versus city during their home search, but exurbs might offer what you are looking for if you’re in the market.

Living In The Exurbs

Homeowners that live in exurban areas enjoy what some might call a “quiet country life,” as these properties often have many acres to enjoy with lots of distance from your neighbors. If a vision of a farm is forming in your mind, you're on the right track. However, exurbs aren’t all farmland and pastures. Some exurbs might be on a lake or near an ocean. Whether its fields of grain, large swaths of mountainous land, or waterfront homes, the one thing all exurbs share is that they are not very close to a city.

For home buyers, the exurbs offer this quiet life as well as a boon to their wallet. Simply put, cities are expensive to buy in and to live in. Exurbs, not so much. More land, more house, more peace and quiet, more savings. You can see why exurbs can be an attractive option when shopping for a house.

Exurbs Pros And Cons

Now that you have a feel for what exurbs are and what living in them is like, let’s look at some pros and cons so you can make an informed decision about where you want to live.

Exurbs Pros

• Affordable housing costs: When it comes to home value, one of the biggest factors is location. Generally speaking, the closer you are to a city (or in it) the more expensive homes are.

• Safety: Cities often come with more people and more crime. Exurbs offer the opposite with less people and less crime. If neighborhood safety is an important factor in your home search, consider the exurbs.

• Privacy: If you like to keep to yourself, or at least need some privacy and downtime during your home hours, the exurbs might be the perfect location.

• Close enough to the city: It might not be as close as the suburbs, but exurbs are usually not too far from a city, depending on how much you like (or hate) to drive.

Exurbs Cons

• Less access to essentials: Everyday needs like groceries, pharmacies, doctors, and more might not be quite as close as you'd like.

• Lack of public transportation: If you don't have a car, the exurbs might not be the best choice. Public transportation rarely reaches very far from the city.

• Longer work commute: If you work in the city and the morning drive gets your road rage going, you might want to consider living closer to the city. However, with more and more people working remotely, this is becoming less of an issue for many Americans.

What’s Next For Exurban Real Estate?

Looking at recent real estate trends in exurban areas as well as metropolitan areas can provide insight into the future of the exurbs. Over the last few years, especially during the pandemic, more and more people decided they needed more space in their home and weren’t so keen on being around a ton of other people. Makes sense, right. This resulted in a lot more home buying activity in exurbs, a trend that isn't likely to stop anytime soon.

The Bottom Line

The exurbs provide a nice, quiet retreat for people looking to avoid a noisy, busy city. They also allow homeowners to find more affordable places to live. However, these locations often lack some of the daily conveniences offered by urban and suburban areas. Weigh the pros and cons carefully before deciding if an exurb is right for you. Ready to buy a house in the exurbsd? You can get started online and take the next step toward finding your exurb dream home!