Renters Feel Less Connected Than Homeowners

SEATTLE — Less than half (46.7%) of U.S. renters feel a sense of belonging in their neighborhood, compared with almost two-thirds (63.6%) of homeowners, according to a new survey from the real estate brokerage Redfin.

Just 38.9% of renters feel they have things in common with their neighbors, compared with 58.5% of homeowners. And renters are more likely to avoid neighbors; 41.6% try to avoid interacting with their neighbors, versus 33.1% of homeowners.

“When someone buys a home, they’re making an investment in a property and a neighborhood, which means they’ll probably see their neighbors for years to come. Many homeowners seek out positive relationships with their neighbors as a result,” said Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather. “Renters, on the other hand, tend to stay in their homes for a shorter amount of time, which means they’re often less inclined to get to know the neighbors.”

Homeowners are often putting down roots, thinking about things like where they want their kids to grow up. Renters tend to be more transient, meaning they may put less energy into finding somewhere they “belong” because they won’t be there for long. Less than half (47.6%) of respondents who have lived in their current home for under a year feel a sense of belonging in their neighborhood, compared with 58.1% of respondents who have lived in their home for 6-10 years (these figures include both homeowners and renters).

It’s worth noting that many respondents indicated that they do not feel a sense of belonging in their neighborhood: 21.2% of renters and 12.5% of homeowners. That could be a reflection of increasing political, economic and social division across the country.

Young homeowners most likely to feel a sense of belonging in their neighborhood

Over two-thirds (67.6%) of millennial/Gen Z homeowners feel a sense of belonging in their neighborhood, making them the group most likely to feel they belong. Millennial/Gen Z renters were least likely to feel a sense of belonging, at 44.4%.

Millennial/Gen Z homeowners were also the group most likely to say they have things in common with their neighbors, with nearly two-thirds (63.7%) reporting they feel this way. Gen X renters were the group least likely to say they have things in common with their neighbors, at 36%.

“Young homeowners probably feel more connected to their communities because they recently chose to live there, whereas older homeowners may be unhappy with how the neighborhood has changed since they first bought decades ago,” Fairweather said.

Millennial/Gen Z renters were most likely to say they try to avoid interacting with their neighbors (45.7%), while baby boomer homeowners were least likely (24.8%).

This is according to a Redfin-commissioned survey conducted by Ipsos in September 2024. The survey was fielded to 894 U.S. renters and 805 U.S. homeowners aged 18-65.

Source: Redfin

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