What the average person wants is not the point. Roughly speaking, 25% of people prefer urban living, 50% prefer suburban living, and 25% prefer rural living. U

What the average person wants is not the point. Roughly speaking, 25% of people prefer urban living, 50% prefer suburban living, and 25% prefer rural living. Urban living is currently expensive, because there is a massive shortage of urban housing. People didn't build enough of it in the 20th century for a number of reasons. All other things being equal, urban living should be cheaper than suburban living, because urban areas need less infrastructure for each resident. Every city where urban living continues to be expensive should build high-density mid-rise areas until that's no longer the case. High-rises rarely make sense outside central locations, as they are expensive to build.