--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's a reason Atlanta, Dallas, Houston…" description: "\"There's a reason Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Phoenix are our four fastest-growing areas. They offer an astonishingly high standard of living for ordin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/edward-glaeser-46122_houston_there-s-a-reason-atlanta-dallas-houston_1940536.png" --- # There's a reason Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Phoenix are… ![“There's a reason Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Phoenix are our four fastest-growing areas. They offer an astonishingly high standard of living for ordinary Americans. New York City is a great place to be really rich and not a terrible place to be really poor, but it's a pretty hard place to live on…” quote by Edward Glaeser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/edward-glaeser-46122_houston_there-s-a-reason-atlanta-dallas-houston_1940536.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/edward-glaeser-46122_houston_there-s-a-reason-atlanta-dallas-houston_1940536.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/edward-glaeser-46122_houston_there-s-a-reason-atlanta-dallas-houston_1940536.png) > “There's a reason Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Phoenix are our four fastest-growing areas. They offer an astonishingly high standard of living for ordinary Americans. New York City is a great place to be really rich and not a terrible place to be really poor, but it's a pretty hard place to live on $60,000 a year. You don't experience anywhere near the basic standard of living you would in Houston on the same income.” [Edward Glaeser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-glaeser/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cities with lower costs of living provide higher real purchasing power for average incomes, making them more livable than expensive metros. **In simple terms:** Cheap cities let you live better on the same money. Key Takeaway Consider relocating to lower‑cost cities. Themes cost of living urban economics quality of life Mood pragmatic analytical Type economic urban planning When to use this quote - job search - family relocation - retirement planning - budgeting decisions Key Concepts housing affordability income elasticity regional migration Questions to Reflect On - What trade‑offs matter most when choosing a city? - How does income level change your city preference? A Different Perspective High‑cost cities may offer better jobs or cultural amenities that offset expenses. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/houston/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [New york city](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york-city/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) ## Related quotes > [Get really rich and then help the people who didn't have the opportunity you did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-harv-eker/get-really-rich-and-then-help-the-people-who-didn-t-have-the/) [T. Harv Eker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-harv-eker/) > [“Your sister is really rich,” I say as I feel him pull the covers over both of us. “What the hell does she do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/your-sister-is-really-rich-i-say-as-i-feel-him-pull-the-covers-over/) [Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/) > [“If Warren Buffet made chocolate, I’ll bet it’d be really rich. And corrupt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/if-warren-buffet-made-chocolate-i-ll-bet-it-d-be-really-rich-and/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I hate being around really rich people, there kinda weird.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-hate-being-around-really-rich-people-there-kinda-weird/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What's so great about TV is that you can get an opportunity to tell really rich stories, over the course of so many hours.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pratt/what-s-so-great-about-tv-is-that-you-can-get-an-opportunity-to-tell/) [Chris Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pratt/) > [I do think that sports is really rich dramatically that, and this is kind of a self-serving thing to say, but I wonder why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-harbach/i-do-think-that-sports-is-really-rich-dramatically-that-and-this-is/) [Chad Harbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-harbach/) > [If we want to jack up the tax rates on the really rich, the amounts of money that would bring in are trivial compared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/if-we-want-to-jack-up-the-tax-rates-on-the-really-rich-the-amounts-of/) [Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) > [There’s something really rich and powerful in not talking about what you need to talk about sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-moody/there-s-something-really-rich-and-powerful-in-not-talking-about-what/) [Rick Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-moody/) > [Did you ever notice the people who say money isnt everything are usually really rich?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/did-you-ever-notice-the-people-who-say-money-isnt-everything-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are wonderfully talented actresses. It's a really rich field. There isn't as rich a field of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/there-are-wonderfully-talented-actresses-it-s-a-really-rich-field/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [“The really poor is he who misuses what he has. The really rich is he who well uses what he has.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-naimy/the-really-poor-is-he-who-misuses-what-he-has-the-really-rich-is-he/) [Mikhail Naimy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-naimy/) > [ There's also the idea in this country \[USA\], it's not wholly new, but it's new in its kind of purity, in that you have… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/there-s-also-the-idea-in-this-country-usa-it-s-not-wholly-new-but-it/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [I'm really not that rich. I really don't know how I got the reputation of being so loaded. Maybe my business manager started it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-macmurray/i-m-really-not-that-rich-i-really-don-t-know-how-i-got-the-reputation/) [Fred MacMurray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-macmurray/) > [If I were really rich, I would be flying places, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tao-lin/if-i-were-really-rich-i-would-be-flying-places-i-think/) [Tao Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tao-lin/) > [I like writing for individuals with really rich musical personalities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-meyer/i-like-writing-for-individuals-with-really-rich-musical-personalities/) [Edgar Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-meyer/) ## More by Edward Glaeser > [One classic paper compared the effects of right-to-work laws on factory jobs in neighboring counties, on either side of a right-to-work border. It found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-glaeser/one-classic-paper-compared-the-effects-of-right-to-work-laws-on/) [Edward Glaeser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-glaeser/) > [Great cities are not static, they constantly change and take the world along with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-glaeser/great-cities-are-not-static-they-constantly-change-and-take-the-world/) [Edward Glaeser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-glaeser/) > [The strength that comes from human collaboration is the central truth behind civilisation's success and the primary reason why cities existwe must free ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-glaeser/the-strength-that-comes-from-human-collaboration-is-the-central-truth/) [Edward Glaeser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-glaeser/) > [One of the great ironies is that the impact of the flattening world has not been to empower decentralized rural land, but to strengthen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-glaeser/one-of-the-great-ironies-is-that-the-impact-of-the-flattening-world/) [Edward Glaeser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-glaeser/) > [Knowledge is more important than space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-glaeser/knowledge-is-more-important-than-space/) [Edward Glaeser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-glaeser/) > [“Cities don't make people poor; they attract poor people. The flow of less advantaged people into cities from Rio to Rotterdam demonstrates urban strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-glaeser/cities-don-t-make-people-poor-they-attract-poor-people-the-flow-of/) [Edward Glaeser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-glaeser/) > [An economist's definition of hatred is the willingness to pay a price to inflict harm on others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-glaeser/an-economist-s-definition-of-hatred-is-the-willingness-to-pay-a-price/) [Edward Glaeser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-glaeser/) [Explore all 8 Edward Glaeser quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-glaeser/) ## More Houston quotes > [My philosophy was always try to look like Whitney Houston at all times. That did not work out so well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/my-philosophy-was-always-try-to-look-like-whitney-houston-at-all/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [I have a gut instinctive feeling that I will be as massive as Madonna, as massive as Michael Jackson... Whitney Houston, sure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-trent-d-arby/i-have-a-gut-instinctive-feeling-that-i-will-be-as-massive-as-madonna/) [Terence Trent D'Arby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-trent-d-arby/) > [And when I went to Houston, they had a conditioning coach by the name of Gene Coleman. And that was the first time I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-ryan/and-when-i-went-to-houston-they-had-a-conditioning-coach-by-the-name/) [Nolan Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-ryan/) > [I think Houston is a city players love to play for, love to play in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-morey/i-think-houston-is-a-city-players-love-to-play-for-love-to-play-in/) [Daryl Morey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-morey/) > [My first encounter with yoga was in 1969 with my older brother Doug. I was thirteen years old, and he was eighteen. He'd learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-f-swensen/my-first-encounter-with-yoga-was-in-1969-with-my-older-brother-doug-i/) [David F. Swensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-f-swensen/) > [Growing up in Houston, the music scene is super boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-scott/growing-up-in-houston-the-music-scene-is-super-boring/) [Travis Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-scott/) > [“He skidded to a dead halt and stared hard at Austin. The boy’s chin carried so many nicks from his first shave that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorraine-heath/he-skidded-to-a-dead-halt-and-stared-hard-at-austin-the-boy-s-chin/) [Lorraine Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorraine-heath/) > [My family lived in West Texas. We went to Houston and Laredo, ended up around Fort Worth - really just made the rounds. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-bingham/my-family-lived-in-west-texas-we-went-to-houston-and-laredo-ended-up/) [Ryan Bingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-bingham/) > [And I remember leaving my place in L.A. and - my father is a big fight fan - and I said, 'Dad, I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilt-chamberlain/and-i-remember-leaving-my-place-in-l-a-and-my-father-is-a-big-fight/) [Wilt Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilt-chamberlain/) > [I'm massively inspired by Janet Jackson, and I adore Whitney Houston and Madonna.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shura/i-m-massively-inspired-by-janet-jackson-and-i-adore-whitney-houston/) Shura > [I certainly think that the publishing houses have to learn more about this informal network of literary blogging and get over the idea that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mcinerney/i-certainly-think-that-the-publishing-houses-have-to-learn-more-about/) [Jay McInerney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mcinerney/) > [Over the weekend, former Enron executives Jeffrey Skilling and Rebecca Carter married each other during a huge ceremony in Houston. The happy couple is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/over-the-weekend-former-enron-executives-jeffrey-skilling-and-rebecca/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [Ensuring that minority businesses across the Greater Houston area have access to the tools they need to succeed is of paramount importance to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-n-green/ensuring-that-minority-businesses-across-the-greater-houston-area/) [Al N. Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-n-green/) > [The whole time I've been an actor, from early in Houston, my goal has been to work - to keep doing it. I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-parsons/the-whole-time-i-ve-been-an-actor-from-early-in-houston-my-goal-has/) [Jim Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-parsons/) > [I'm a competitor. I want the ball when it matters. But I came to Houston because I wanted to play with Chris Paul (a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-tucker/i-m-a-competitor-i-want-the-ball-when-it-matters-but-i-came-to/) [P. J. Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-tucker/) [Browse all 383 Houston quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/houston/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's a reason Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Phoenix are our four fastest-growing areas. They offer an astonishingly high standard of living for ordinary Americans. New York City is a great place to be really rich and not a terrible place to be really poor, but it's a pretty hard place to live on $60,000 a year. 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