6 of the worst hidden costs of living in the suburbs

When you live in the suburbs, almost every errand requires the use of an automobile, which of course means consuming fuel an urban dweller would not expend. What's more, these short trips are especially inefficient when it comes to fuel economy, as a cold engine gets roughly half the mileage as a fully warmed motor.

Just last year, I saw my own property taxes increase by nearly 40%. This was partially due to improvements we made, but also due to home improvements made by neighbors.

When overall neighborhood value increases, so do your taxes. New laws can also raise property taxes. And in most cases, homeowners have a window of only a few months to contest new tax increases.

City living is overall more expensive than suburban living … until transportation costs are factored in. Suburban workers with commutes usually pay around 15% of their annual income in transportation costs, but these expenses can balloon to 28% in inefficient locations. Bridges, tunnels, and toll roads pile on the expense.

In the city, the property for which you are responsible usually halts at your door and usually doesn't involve a roof or basement.

Suburban living, on the other hand, exposes you to damage from flooding, hail, falling tree limbs, creeping roots, and so much more. I have incurred costs created by windblown debris damage, roots breaking apart pipes buried beneath the yard, and more flooding than I care to think about.

That's just to name a few of the times nature has forced us to reach for the checkbook.

City residents consumer significantly less power per capita than their suburban denizens, largely due to HVAC costs. A standalone suburban residence of comparable size to a city condo will cost much more in terms of heating and cooling mostly due to cooled or warmed air escaping through windows or attics.