27 Pros and Cons of Living in the USA in 2023 

1. Pro: Beautiful and diverse nature

The thing I love most about living in the US is the beautiful and stunningly diverse nature. 

From endless deserts to stunning lakes and impressive mountains – there is something for everyone. 

This is one of the biggest pros of living in the US – an incredible amount of choices of things to do and places to see in nature. 

2. Con: Extreme weather 

The United States has some of the most extreme weather in the entire world. 

This is one of the biggest negative aspects of America. 

People are faced with blizzards, tornadoes, hurricanes and with extreme heat and dryness. 

For many people, this is one of the biggest downsides of living in the USA. With ongoing climate change, the weather is bound to become more extreme over time, so this will become more and more of an issue in many places in the US.

Florida is a good example of a state suffering from hurricanes. North Dakota and Minneapolis can have extreme temperatures of – 39°C (-38.2 F).

3. Pro: Diverse climate

Especially because there are so many different climates in the United States, it can be easy to pick the perfect one for you to live in. 

While some people prefer the heat over the cold, others prefer humidity over dryness. 

An upside of living in the USA is that you can pick a climate that you are most comfortable with.

5. Pro: Great air traffic system

Traveling via airplane is amazingly easy in America. 

There are airports in most American cities, even the relatively small ones. 

This makes domestic flying easy and you can reach almost any destination within the US within a couple of hours. 

Airfare is cheaper in the US than in other countries, like Canada.

6. Con: New measurement system

One of the biggest downsides of moving to America is their obsession with the imperial measurement system. 

The rest of the world uses the metric system.

This means you have to create entirely new habits of describing many things in your daily life, such as weight, distance, and temperature. 

7. Pro: Economic strength

The American average household income in 2021 was around $70.784 USD. The United States is ranked among the top 10 states regarding the average household income in the world.

The entire economy is very strong.

This results in a strong currency, as well as a smaller risk of economic disasters. The authorities have means and measures to soften the effects of the currently ongoing recession.

8. Con: US dollar is a strong currency

The fact that the United States Dollar is a very strong currency is one of the pros and cons of living in the USA simultaneously. 

If you are moving from a country with a less strong currency, you will experience the cost of starting your new life in America as quite steep. 

Everything is suddenly going to feel much more expensive, and with the money you have saved, you will not be able to buy as much as I could back home. 

Luckily, this will mean less and less over time, once you start earning income in USD.

9. Pro: Spacious and affordable housing

A definite pro of living in America is the huge offer of spacious and affordable housing. The United States ranks second in average house size globally. 

You have a big choice of houses outside major cities. The United States does not suffer from a scarcity of building ground, so houses are on average bigger than anywhere else in the world. 

Spacious houses, luxurious interiors and big yards make for a good quality of life in America.

10. Con: Unstable political climate

America has a two-party political system that is responsible for a massive political division between supporters.

This is one of the biggest disadvantages of living in the USA. The state discrepancy in law leads to a great deal of political and social division within the country. 

The legal system does not exactly inspire trust and security. By giving the president power to choose and appoint Supreme Court justices, the legal system is not safe from political influence. 

11. Pro: Relative safety

Even though the political system in America is not ideal and there is a great division between the citizens, America is not at risk of a domestic war.

The US is currently ranking 129th regarding safety. 

This means, there is currently no civil war going on in America. Gun violence, drug related crimes and sexual violence against women are sadly common, especially in the bigger cities.

12. Con: Gun violence

Gun violence is a huge downside of living in the US. 

In 2020, 45,222 people died from gun-related injuries in the United States. 

Compared to most other developed countries, the United States is doing extremely poorly where gun violence is concerned. 

Gun regulation is sadly not strict in the US, and the current culture there is not likely to allow a change either. 

The right to carry a firearm is one of the American amendment rights, which makes it a core value of the country. 

14. Con: Corporate Culture and income equality

Many jobs in America demand long working hours with very little pay. 

Unions do not have as strong of a stance and there is no good workforce protection. 

Employee rights are minimal, and hustling yourself up the corporate ladder is expected. 

Low minimum wages lead to greater income equality. The income of the top earners in America is on average 13 times higher than the low-level workers. 

The minimum wage in America is $7.25 USD per hour.

15. Pro: American dream

The American dream is a definite pro of living in the United States. 

Everyone loves a “rags to riches” story – and no dream is too big. 

This mindset can be incredibly motivating, and it is no surprise that some of the most successful people in the world are US citizens. 

Americans enjoy a great quality of life in regards to entertainment, food and living. 

16. Con: Expensive education

Education in America is costly. 

The price tag of higher education at colleges and universities is forcing students to drown themselves in debt before they even start their first job. 

If you are planning on pursuing education in the US or moving there with children, this is a disadvantage of living in the United States that you need to think about. 

17. Pro: High standards of schooling

While schooling may be expensive in the United States, they also have some of the best institutions for education worldwide. 

Harvard, Yale, and MIT are a few of the great American schools that people all over the world apply for. 

Not only is the education there great quality, but the social network you build in these schools can set you up for life. 

18. Con: Racism

Racism has always been and still is a great problem in America. 

The poor treatment of South Americans and Indigenous people are examples of a greatly poisoned society against minorities and different cultures.

 About 64 percent of Americans see racism as a great disadvantage of living in the USA. 

19. Pro: Diversity

The United States has more immigrants and non-nationals than any other country in the world. 

This makes for an extremely diverse population and a nice mix of different cultures, languages, and food. 

Mexico is the top origin country of these immigrants, which explains the big Latino influence on the Southern States.  

20. Con: Obsession with entertainment

Americans are obsessed with entertainment. 

This is a point that could be categorized as both a pro and con of living in the USA. 

This need for entertainment manifests in mental health problems, smartphone obsessions, and more superficial interactions between people. 

Hollywood and the Super Bowl are two examples of America’s obsession with entertainment. 

While these things seem very over the top, they are fun to experience.

21. Pro: Travel opportunities 

One of my favorite pros of living in the USA is a large number of travel opportunities. 

Both domestic and international travel is super easy and affordable because of the high average household income in the US. 

Within the USA there are so many different cities, national parks, and attractions to visit. 

For more avid travelers, Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America are literally around the corner.

Canada is also a great destination for an adventure holiday from the US. 

22. Con: Tipping culture

A not-so-obvious downside of living in the USA is the tipping culture. 

While eating out in a restaurant might seem not too expensive at first glance, people are still expected to add roughly 20% tip to the total amount.

It is great that hard work is appreciated with a nice tip. Employers underpay their workers structurally, and the consumer is supposed to make up for it. 

23. Pro: Diverse food culture

With the diversity in culture and people also comes a great selection of food. 

people from different cultures brought their recipes and food habits to America. 

Nowadays visitors can enjoy a great variety of food and restaurants in the United States which makes eating out and shopping for food a delight. 

24. Con: Unhealthy food

Many parts of the food industry in America have notoriously lax rules about how food needs to be processed. 

Antibiotics are added. Hygiene and health standards are not up to par., Americans enjoy a diet consisting of fatty, high-cholesterol food, and way too much salt. 

People eat less fruit and veggies than they are supposed to. 

This leads to a culture of overweight and unhealthy people.