I would say a lack of buffer capacity from fewer options for a given thing is huge. I've lived in small cities and currently live in a huge one. In a small city, yes, you might have one of most of your hobbies represented. But maybe there is literally only one Indian restaurant, only one golf course, only one movie theater, only one bar, only one car dealership, only one grocery store, etc. If that one thing sucks, you have literally no alternative. You have to deal with it.

Versus in the city I live in now, there are almost a dozen public courses in a reasonable drive. Dozens of car dealerships. Dozens of hiking trails. Dozens of beaches. Dozens and dozens of everything. I can vet options. I can do the same activity in different settings easily. If I am in one area of town, I have flexibility to find options in that area rather than going with my usual option close to me. I have choice. I have agency. I can take my business elsewhere if I need to, and come out better from it thanks to this huge population being able to support a variety of choices for any niche interest I might have.

And of course in the old days the argument was you could just make do with online shopping. But these days the signal to noise ratio on the internet is so pathetically low, I really value actually holding an object I buy in my hand before I get fleeced buying something online once again. Reviews can't be trusted. Images can't be trusted. I trust my eyes and my hands and if the price is fair, taking it home with me is the best deal on shipping there is. Being in a huge city means there are a lot of brick and mortar businesses. Businesses that probably closed years ago with the death of main streets in smaller cities and towns, but thrive here thanks to a huge population being able to sustain more businesses in a given area, even if many people opt to online shop.

It sounds like you are talking about small towns not small cities? All the small cities I know of have multiple options for the amenities you described.

I live just outside a small town and there are zero of many of those amenities. No Indian restaurant, movie theater, new car dealership, etc.

It is not fundamental difference between small vs big city. Options, people and culture are different in this city versus different city - no matter which one is larger.

Say you liked boardgames with friends. The new city have different people, the play different games, you dont like either new games or new people. Say you liked swimming and the swimming pools in new city are too full or otherwise dont suit you. You liked going to local beginner art/dance club, but new place dont have equivalent.

Moving to different place, especially when the environment changes comes with changes in lifestyle you may or may not welcome.

You also have the issue of the wealth divide. Its gonna be very difficult to hang out with locals when your annual income is more than they have made in a decade. Jealously alone will tear things apart, nevermind the near complete lack of overlapping life experience.

So you end up with the wealthy newcomers only interacting with other wealthy newcomers. Essentially a new culture in a place that had an established culture for years before hand.

I think that can happen, but doesn't have to. It depends if the person integrates into the local system. There are usually some wealthy people in the area to begin with, like doctors, lawyers, etc. If the community feels you are a part of it, then the wealth shouldn't be an real issue.

>depends if the person integrates into the local system.

That's just not going to happen though. The newcomers have nothing in common. Life experience, wealth, religion, ideology, none of if. And then the top it off by showing up and changing the place both intentionally and unintentionally. No wonder the locals don't want them around.

I can see that somewhat. Maybe you like surfing or salt water fishing and move from the coast to the middle of the country where it just isn't geographically possible, or laws in one area prohibit it (homebrew, guns, etc), etc.

But I don't really see location as a major factor in most hobbies. I grew up as a military dependent and can't remember giving up hobbies just because we moved. You can almost always find ways to continue them.