>Do they like them because of inherent qualities of US-style suburbs, or do they like them because that's all they know? Many Americans do have real-life exper

>Do they like them because of inherent qualities of US-style suburbs, or do they like them because that's all they know? Many Americans do have real-life experience of living in dense cities but still prefer suburbs because of their stage in life. A copy & paste of another comment outlining common multi-decade life timeline: - early 20s (single no kids) : going to college in a city or working at a downtown firm so they enjoy the dense city living like Manhattan, Chicago, etc... walking to restaurants and bars, museums, cultural things - mid-life with kids: they enjoyed cities in their younger years but they want to raise a family so they move out to the suburbs. They want the better schools, yard, garage to putz around in etc. Yes this means the proverbial "soccer mom" with a SUV to drive the kids to sports practice, ballet lessons, etc - retired and kids are grown and gone leaving an "empty nest": some senior citizens might sell the suburb house and move back to a city condo and enjoy walking to museums again So the suburbs are attracting the knowledgeable former city dwellers. Yes, lower land cost (and hence cheaper sq ft) is definitely part of it but not the only advantage. Some do like the quieter streets, a garage to pursue hobbies, a yard for barbeques, less crime, etc.