While Priestley enjoyed preaching in Philadelphia, he could not afford the expense of living there; he also disliked the city's opulent Quakers and feared the yellow fever epidemic that had recently decimated the city. He considered settling in Germantown, which had better access to transportation and communication than Northumberland, but Mary preferred the country and wanted to be near her sons. Joseph considered splitting his time between Northumberland and Philadelphia, but this plan became impractical. Determined to ensure the future economic stability of his family, Priestley bought land and settled in Northumberland by July 1794, which was "five days of rough travel" north of Philadelphia. There they hoped a larger community would eventually blossom.