10 Reasons Why You Should Move Out of NYC

While there are many advantages and perks to living in NYC, there are also a lot of not-so-good sides. If you’re living in NYC, you probably already know some of them.

If you’re thinking of moving out of NYC but are still somewhat double-minded, it helps to know the exact reasons why you should take the step. Seeing all the reasons in one place can help you understand the big picture. In this post, that is what we’re going to help you with.

Should I Leave NYC?

It depends.

There are several reasons for one to move out of NYC. Whether you should leave the city depends on where you live, how you live, and how many of those reasons impact your daily life.

10 Reasons to Move Out of NYC

1. The weather

While you’ll be able to enjoy different seasons in New York, there’s also a huge downside to it. Not everyone digs the cold weather, and if you’re among this group, you won’t enjoy brutal winters. New York is ranked seventh in terms of the most snowfall in the entire country, and winters are usually pretty harsh and difficult to deal with.

What the Weather Is Usually Like

New York City has a humid continental climate. Winters are cold, gray, and wet. Summers are hot, humid, and heavy. Spring and fall are short and unpredictable. Comfortable weather exists, but it does not last long.

Where the Weather Becomes a Daily Challenge

Winter brings slush instead of clean snow. Wind tunnels between buildings make cold days feel colder. Sunlight is limited for weeks at a time. Summer heat gets trapped by concrete and asphalt. Humidity turns routine walks into exhausting trips. Weather extremes affect commuting, mood, and daily energy.

Weather Statistics That Add Up

These numbers explain why the weather feels draining over time. It is rarely extreme in one direction, but consistently uncomfortable.

U.S. Cities Where This Is Less of an Issue

Southern California offers mild temperatures year-round with low humidity. San Diego and Los Angeles avoid major seasonal swings. Arizona cities like Scottsdale provide dry heat and consistent sunshine. Parts of North Carolina and Virginia offer gentler winters and manageable summers. Colorado cities stay cold in winter but benefit from lower humidity and far more sunshine.

2. Difficult for raising a family

Limited Living Space

Apartments in New York City are small by default. Space comes at a premium. Many families live in one or two-bedroom units with little storage. Play areas are shared, cramped, or nonexistent. Privacy becomes a daily compromise.

• Average apartment sizes are significantly smaller than the national average
• Outdoor space is rare and often shared
• Storage units cost extra and fill up fast

Small spaces add stress as families grow.

Constant Noise and Crowded Streets

The city rarely slows down. Streets stay busy from early morning to late at night. Traffic, sirens, construction, and crowds become background noise. Children grow up with limited quiet time.

• Heavy traffic near residential areas
• Busy intersections close to schools and parks
• Limited safe play zones away from roads

The quiet and calm needed for healthy child development can be difficult to find.

Crime Rates and Safety Concerns

NYC is safer than it was decades ago, but concerns remain. Certain neighborhoods see higher rates of theft, assault, and vandalism. Parents stay alert at all times. Children gain independence later due to safety worries.

High Costs That Affect Family Stability

Raising children in NYC is expensive. Rent absorbs a large share of income. Childcare costs rival college tuition in some areas. Schools vary widely in quality, creating pressure to move or pay more.

• Daycare costs are among the highest in the U.S.
• Public school quality depends heavily on zip code
• Family activities often come with high price tags

3. Unaffordable Housing

Another reason to move out of NYC is the unaffordable pricing. If you are already living in NYC, you probably already know about it. However, just in case you’re missing how bad things actually are, we’ve compiled some information below. We’ve described the true housing costs in NYC, taken from a source called Zillow.com.

Typical Home Values Are Eye-Popping

The average home value in New York sits around $793,963 and has been rising each year. That is nearly four times the national median in many parts of the U.S.

Rent Is Also Far Above the U.S. Average

The average rent in NYC runs about $3,700 per month, almost double the national average.

Here’s how that compares in basic terms.

Source for NYC values: Zillow housing data, November 2025.

What This Means for Residents

Buying a home here requires a hefty investment. Renting eats up a big share of take-home pay. Both squeeze budgets for everything else, like food, childcare, transportation, healthcare, and savings.

Neighborhood Prices Vary, but All Are Costly

Even in more affordable pockets, prices are high. Popular areas like Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant often exceed $1,000,000.

Real Stress on Everyday Life
High housing costs force many people into:

• Long commutes to save on rent
• Smaller apartments than they need
• Delayed family plans
• Less money for long-term savings

That pressure is real and ongoing.

Surprise Contrast With Other U.S. Places
In many Sun Belt cities, average home prices and rents are much lower. Cities in the Midwest and some in the Southeast offer more breathing room financially. Buyers and renters in places like Cincinnati, Raleigh, or Oklahoma City can often get significantly more space for much less money.

4. The cost of living

Well, we all knew this was coming at some point in the video, as everyone knows that living in New York is expensive. But the info hits different when you understand exactly how pricy it is to live in the Big Apple.

Once again, if you are already in the Big Apple, you’ll notice how pricey things are. But, just in case it hasn’t hit yet, here is some information that we compiled in the same manner as above. For this data, we’ve used a website called Numbeo.

Living in NYC is significantly more expensive than the U.S. average.

The overall cost of living in New York City is about 74 percent higher than the national average. This data comes from RentCafe.

Here’s a snapshot of how everyday costs compare:

Source: RentCafe

Everyday Costs That Hit the Wallet

Numbeo’s price data shows real numbers you’ll see on receipts.

• Meal at an inexpensive restaurant: ~$25
• Cappuccino: ~$5.64
• Milk (1 liter): ~$1.53
• Eggs (12): ~$7.11
• Monthly public transit pass: ~$133
• Cell phone plan: ~$62.90
• Childcare (full day): ~$3,429 monthly per child

These numbers come from the most recent Numbeo price listings and reflect typical consumer expenses.

The Salary vs Cost Gap

In New York City, the average monthly take-home salary after tax is around $5,261. At the same time, basic living expenses and rent consume a large share of that income. With high housing costs on top, many residents feel stretched even with steady work.

What This Means in Real Life

Daily life in NYC feels expensive even before luxuries are added:

• Grocery bills are noticeably higher than in most urban and suburban areas.
• Eating out becomes a heavy monthly line item.
• Transportation and utilities cost more than the U.S. norm.
• Childcare is a significant financial burden for families.

High costs push many residents to compromise on living space, skip leisure activities, or work multiple jobs.

5. Taxes

Another reason to move out of NYC is the high taxes.

Just how high are taxes in NYC?

Taxes in NYC tend to feel heavy because they stack. City tax sits on top of state tax, which then sits on top of federal tax. Each one on its own might seem manageable. Together, they add up quickly.

For many residents, this means a noticeable portion of every paycheck disappears before it ever reaches a bank account. The effect becomes even more obvious as income rises. Over time, that constant reduction can weigh on how worth it the city feels financially.

Statistics about the taxes in NYC

NYC consistently ranks at or near the top when it comes to overall tax burden. In fact, it is often cited as having the highest individual income tax burden among all major U.S. cities and states. That ranking is driven almost entirely by how state and city taxes are layered together.

New York State’s income tax system is widely considered one of the least competitive in the country. According to national tax comparisons, New York ranks 50th out of 50 states for overall tax competitiveness. Last place.

At the state level, the top marginal income tax rate is 10.9%, which is among the highest in the U.S. This rate applies to very high earners, but lower brackets are still elevated compared to most states.

On top of that, NYC adds its own local income tax. The NYC local income tax tops out at 3.876%, something most U.S. cities do not impose at all. This local tax is a major reason NYC ranks so poorly in national comparisons.

When state and city income taxes are combined, many NYC residents pay over 10% of their income to New York before federal taxes even enter the equation. Compared to residents in most other cities, that gap is substantial.

How Much of a Difference Does it Make to Move Out of NYC? (In terms of “take-away income”)

Moving out of NYC can lead to a noticeable increase in take-home pay, even if your salary stays the same. Leaving the city tax behind is the biggest immediate change. For many people, that alone means thousands of extra dollars per year.

If you also move to a state with lower income taxes or no state income tax at all, the difference becomes even clearer. Monthly budgets get relaxed, allowing you to save more. Financial pressure eases in subtle but meaningful ways.

Over a few years, that extra take-away income can translate into real outcomes. You feel less stressed about money, less stressed about paying debt, and less stressed about building an emergency fund. For people on the fence, the tax difference often ends up being a deciding factor.

6. The Crowds

Moving on to number six on the list of reasons why you should move out of New York City – it’s the crowds. Considering the size of a city and the number of residents, plus so many tourists, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a space to be alone.

Population of NYC and the annual number of tourists

New York City has a population of over eight million residents, all living within a relatively compact footprint. That density shapes daily life in ways that are hard to ignore, from how long it takes to get anywhere to how often you find yourself surrounded by strangers.

Layered on top of the resident population are tens of millions of tourists each year, many of whom flood the same neighborhoods, transit routes, and attractions. The result is a city that feels perpetually full, where even ordinary routines involve navigating lines, crowds, and constant movement. For many people, the feeling of always being “around everyone” never really goes away.

24/7 activity due to constantly open businesses

NYC’s reputation as a city that never sleeps is accurate. Businesses stay open at all hours, and with that comes nonstop activity. There is always someone heading to work, coming home, ordering food, or making deliveries, no matter the time of day.

That level of convenience also means true quiet is rare, even late at night. Noise, foot traffic, and general motion bleed into what would otherwise be calm hours. Over time, the lack of predictable downtime can make the city feel mentally draining rather than exciting.

Walk-friendly architecture means constant crowds on the roads

NYC is designed for people, not cars. Dense neighborhoods and walkable streets keep residents on foot, which works well in theory. In practice, it creates continuous congestion on sidewalks and crossings, especially in busy areas.

Commuters, tourists, delivery workers, and residents all move through the same space at once. Quick errands often turn into slow, crowded walks, and personal space becomes a luxury. For those craving openness and breathing room, this constant closeness becomes one of the clearest reasons why you should move out of New York City.

7. The Subway

Another point worth addressing when talking about why you should move out of New York City is the subway. On the surface, it feels optional. In reality, it slowly becomes unavoidable.

NYC is designed around walkability, density, and limited space. As a result, car ownership is actively discouraged. Parking is difficult to find, and garages are expensive. Street parking is competitive and time-consuming. Over time, many residents give up on the idea of having their own vehicle altogether.

That leaves public transportation as the default, with the subway at the center of it all. While it works efficiently on paper, using it every day can be nerve-racking for some people. Crowded platforms, unpredictable delays, and heat in the summer turn routine commutes into stressful experiences.

What makes this especially draining is that the subway isn’t presented as a choice; it’s simply built into the background of city life. You do not opt into it so much as you adjust to it. Eventually, it becomes the only practical way to move across the city at scale.

For people who value independence, personal space, or control over how they travel, this loss of autonomy can wear down patience over time. In many cases, the subway ends up being less of a convenience and more of a daily obligation, one that quietly pushes people toward reconsidering whether NYC still fits their lifestyle.

8. Job Opportunities

Number nine on the list of why you should leave New York City is job opportunities, and this one often gets misunderstood. NYC does offer a massive number of jobs. That part is true. The problem is how hard it has become to secure work that actually pays well enough to justify living here.

Competition is intense. Roles attract hundreds, sometimes thousands, of applicants. Standing out usually requires an exceptional resume, years of experience, and strong personal connections, all at the same time. Even then, progress can be slow. For people trying to level up financially or build something of their own, things require a lot of patience.

Job market statistics in NYC

At a glance, the NYC job market looks active. As of September 2025, private sector employment increased by 51,800 jobs year over year, bringing total private sector employment to approximately 4.25 million jobs. That growth, however, does not tell the full story.

Job gains were heavily concentrated, while many areas experienced declines at the same time. Several segments of the labor market saw net job losses, meaning opportunities shrank even as the overall number technically rose. This uneven growth makes it harder for job seekers to move laterally or pivot without starting over.

The unemployment rate in NYC stood at 5.1% in September, up from the previous month and nearly a full percentage point higher than New York State’s 4.2% rate. That gap matters. It reflects how competition inside the city remains more intense than in surrounding areas.

Participation also paints a more restrained picture. Only 61.9% of the working-age population was either employed or actively seeking work. That suggests a meaningful portion of residents are sitting on the sidelines, discouraged, between roles, or unable to find opportunities that make financial sense.

Taken together, these numbers point to a market that is busy, but strained. Jobs exist, yet stability, upward mobility, and pay growth are harder to secure than the volume alone would suggest.

Sources used:

• https://www.careergroupcompanies.com/blog/nycs-whats-trending-in-nycs-job-market
• https://www.bls.gov/regions/northeast/news-release/jobopeningslaborturnover_newyork.htm
• https://dol.ny.gov/labor-statistics-new-york-city-region

Unemployment and job-search difficulty

NYC’s unemployment rate regularly sits above the national average, even during strong economic periods. When conditions tighten, layoffs ripple quickly, and reemployment can take longer than expected due to the volume of applicants.

What this means if you’re planning your next move

If your goal is financial growth, NYC can feel like a slow burn with a high cost of entry. Before committing long-term, it helps to assess a few things clearly.

Ask whether your current role scales fast enough to outpace living costs. Consider how replaceable your skill set is within such a large market. If you are starting a business, factor in how long it may take to gain traction while covering high overhead.

For some people, the opportunity density makes sense. For others, the imbalance between effort and reward becomes one of the strongest reasons why you should leave New York City and look for markets where good work converts into real progress more quickly.

9. Fast pace of life

One of the clearest reasons on the list of why you should move out of New York City is the pace at which everything operates. The city runs fast by default, and once you are inside that rhythm, slowing down feels almost unnatural.

People move with urgency, conversations feel transactional, and long hours quietly become the norm rather than the exception. There is a constant sense that time is scarce, even on days when nothing urgent is happening. Over time, that pressure builds. What once felt energizing can turn into background stress that never fully switches off.

Burnout becomes easy to dismiss because everyone around you seems just as tired. Living in a constant state of motion starts to feel normal, even when it shouldn’t.

• While you plan your move out of NYC, there are ways to reduce the strain. Creating stricter boundaries around work, choosing slower routines for mornings and evenings, and stepping outside the city whenever possible can provide temporary relief. These changes help, but they require intention and consistency to sustain.
• When people look for a more permanent solution, they often gravitate toward places where life still moves forward without feeling rushed. Cities like Denver, Madison, Raleigh, and Ann Arbor tend to offer a healthier balance. Others choose quieter suburban or small-city settings in states such as Colorado, North Carolina, or Wisconsin, where daily life allows more space to breathe.

10. Detachment from nature

Another important factor in why you should move out of New York City is how disconnected daily life can feel from the natural world. Green spaces exist, but they are limited, heavily shared, and framed by the city rather than separate from it.

Most days unfold among buildings, traffic, and enclosed spaces, which subtly reshape how you experience time and quiet. Nature becomes something you visit instead of something you live alongside, and even those visits often involve crowds, planning, and travel.

Over time, that separation adds up. Fresh air starts to feel like a break rather than a baseline, and stillness becomes harder to come by.

• While you plan your move out of NYC, small adjustments can help. Seeking out less crowded parks during off hours, prioritizing daylight in your schedule, and taking regular trips to nearby natural areas can offer moments of reset. These solutions work in the short term, but they depend on effort and availability.
• For people who want a lasting fix, relocation is usually the answer. Places like Boulder, Asheville, Burlington, and Portland offer daily access to trails, water, and open space. States such as Vermont, Oregon, Washington, and Colorado attract those who want nature woven into everyday life rather than reserved for weekends.

Wrapping Up

From the pace of life to the crowds, the subway, the job market, and the distance from nature, many of the challenges are structural, not temporary. They are built into how the city functions. You can work around them for a while. You can adapt. Most people do. But adaptation takes effort, and effort eventually turns into fatigue.

For some, NYC remains the right place. For others, realizing it no longer fits is not a failure. It’s simple clarity. Leaving can be a strategic move, one that creates room for growth, calm, and a lifestyle that aligns better with what you want next.

If you’ve been double-minded about staying, that hesitation is worth paying attention to. Sometimes, moving on is not about giving something up. It’s about choosing something that works better for the life you’re trying to build.

If you’re double-minded about the actual process of moving, don’t worry. You can get in touch with reliable movers in NYC to learn more about how the move usually works. Here at Dumbo Moving, we’re available to give you a free quote and to answer questions to dispel any concerns that you may have.

Thanks a lot for reading!