Most Americans consider sidewalks, nearby amenities and other walkability features important when choosing where to live — and nearly two-thirds say they would pay more for them.
A new survey from the National Association of Realtors® shows that Americans value walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods and a broad range of housing choices.
Demand is strong for smart-growth features such as easy access to parks, shops, restaurants, schools and workplaces – and many Americans are willing to pay more to live in communities that offer them.
“It’s clear that Americans place a high value on making sure the place they call home has the amenities they need to lead a happy and healthy life,” said NAR Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy Officer Shannon McGahn. “NAR members know this intuitively, but having hard data like this is an asset in our advocacy efforts at the federal, state, and local level.”
Among the survey’s noteworthy findings:
Walkability remains a top priority for homebuyers and residents • 89% say sidewalks and places to walk are important when deciding where to live.
- 82% say being within an easy walk of shops and parks is important when deciding where to live.
- 74% say having a place to walk or exercise a pet is important.
- 71% say the places they need to go are too far away to walk.
- Weather, cited by 41%, and traffic-safety concerns, cited by 39%, are other major barriers to walking.
Walkability has real market value. Nearly two-thirds of respondents, 63%, say they would be willing to pay more to live in a community where they could easily walk to parks, shops and restaurants.
When given a choice between a larger home site that requires more driving and a smaller lot in a walkable neighborhood, 59% preferred the walkable option.
Community design can help reduce driving. Nearly half of respondents, 46%, say it should be a high priority for local governments to make it easier to develop communities where people do not have to drive long distances to work or shop.
Another 39% say it should be a middle priority, while only 15% consider community design that reduces long drives a low priority.
Respondents support practical housing options that expand choice
- 63% say small-lot single-family homes are a good idea for their communities.
- 51% support townhomes, duplexes and other attached housing options.
NAR’s Community and Transportation Preference Survey is conducted every three years and includes 2,000 residents in the nation’s 50 largest metropolitan areas. The survey assesses Americans’ preferences related to NAR’s Smart Growth principles.
Complete findings are available through NAR Community and Transportation Preferences Surveys.
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