I’ve lived in a range of population centers, from mid sized towns of about 30k, to cities in the millions, and now in a small town of 5k spread through the entire valley. Its different strokes for different folks. The city was nice with lots of things to keep me occupied, but I could barley afford to do anything because my tiny apt cost 2.5k a month. Cities would be great if the CoL was addressed. Smaller towns on the other hand offer me plent of unspoiled nature to explore and a tighter knit sense of community while allowing me to live comfortably.
Each has its benefits and generalizing one side or the other doesn’t do it justice.