User blog comment:IamJakuhoRaikoben/Chapter 383: Surfer Lucy, Review./@comment-68.1.178.233-20140510202916/@comment-7418318-20140510211417

On the other hand who knows how many disasters didn't strike Magnolia because Fairy Tail kept them away.

The guild certainly brings the entire town quite a bit of extra revenue and since Fairy Tail always payed for the damages they caused, those damages probably helped the towns economy more than they hurt.

Value of the damage is replaced for the victims + construction companies earn money = win for all, except the guild itself. Now add in the income from the increased tourism and the deliveries of alcohol to the guild and Fairy Tail must be one of the most important sources of income for the town, both directly and indirectly.

With the wide-spread destruction that happens now it might be different, but this is war between Humans and Demons. Sooner or later Magnolia would have been hit for sure, FT or no FT. With the guild being there it was just sooner rather than later.