What do Americans think of their neighborhoods?

Three out of four Americans like where they live.

According to survey data from the Federal Reserve, 76% of American adults were somewhat or very satisfied with their neighborhood in 2023.

What do Americans like and dislike about their neighborhoods?

When asked about specific characteristics of their neighborhoods, Americans were less consistently satisfied. For example, 66% of parents were satisfied with their local schools.

For others, safety was a concern: 65% of respondents were satisfied with the level of risk of natural disaster and severe weather in their area, and 61% were satisfied with the level of crime risk.

It was the cost of housing, though, that was least satisfactory, with 37% of adults reporting being satisfied with the cost of housing in their neighborhoods.

Are homeowners more satisfied than renters?

Homeowners were more satisfied with each surveyed aspect of their neighborhoods than renters.

Homeowners were more likely to be satisfied with their area by nearly 20 percentage points: 83% to 64%. Housing costs were the least satisfying quality for both groups, with 42% of homeowners and 29% of renters feeling satisfied.

As of 2022, renters are housing burdened at over twice the rate of homeowners, with over 50% of renters paying more than 30% of their income on housing.

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