Phoenix is Now More Populous Than Philadelphia
It’s also a hell of a lot hotter and dryer
I sometimes wonder how people decide to move to certain places. Maybe they got relocated or found a job there. But that is the normal flow of population. But when a city is growing rapidly, I have to believe they are there by choice. Which honestly makes me wonder if they have any idea what is fundamentally wrong out there.
Phoenix may be too hot and dry to live in very soon, like much of the southwest and west. As I’ve noted elsewhere, I do not want to live somewhere where I cannot comfortably go outside. When we talk about the safety of cities we are typically referring to crime rates. But hundreds of people died from the heat bubble that engulfed the Northwest recently, many more than died in crimes.
Now, I have zero doubt that Philadelphia is far more dangerous, crime wise, than Phoenix. But safety is also related to quality of life and I cannot see Phoenix continuing to offer an improving life experience. There is little water out there and diminishing likelihood that the supply will improve. And then there’s that heat thing.
But it’s dry heat!
If it’s regularly averaging 110 degrees F in the daytime and water is being rationed, you are not living in paradise, you are living on Arrakis…
