According to a recent Redfin survey, less than half (46.7%) of American renters and over two-thirds (63.6%) of homeowners feel a sense of belonging in their community.
Compared to 58.5% of homeowners, only 38.9% of renters believe they share characteristics with their neighbors. Additionally, renters are more likely than homeowners to try to avoid engaging with their neighbors; 41.6% of renters do so compared to 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 Daryl Fairweather, Chief Economist at Redfin. “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.”
Considering topics like where they want their children to grow up, homeowners are frequently establishing roots. Since they won’t be there for long, renters are more likely to be transient, thus they might not invest as much effort in choosing a place where they “belong.” Compared to 58.1% of respondents who have lived in their present house for 6–10 years (including both homeowners and renters), less than half (47.6%) of respondents who have lived there for less than a year experience a sense of belonging in their area.
Notably, a large percentage of respondents—21.2% of renters and 12.5% of homeowners—said they don’t feel like they belong in their community. That might be a reflection of the nation’s growing social, political, and economic division.
Majority of Young Homeowners Report Feeling as They Belong in Their Neighborhood
Millennials and Gen Z homeowners are the most likely to feel like they belong in their area, with over two-thirds (67.6%) reporting a sense of belonging. At 44.4%, millennial and Gen Z tenants had the lowest likelihood of feeling like they belonged.
Nearly two-thirds (63.7%) of millennial/Gen Z homeowners reported feeling they share things in common with their neighbors, making them the group most likely to say this. At 36%, Gen X renters were the least likely to claim they share characteristics with their neighbors.
“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.
Baby boomer homeowners were least likely to claim they try to avoid engaging with their neighbors (24.8%), but millennial/Gen Z renters were most likely to indicate that they do so (45.7%).
This is in line with a September 2024 Ipsos survey that was commissioned by Redfin. 894 American renters and 805 American homeowners between the ages of 18 and 65 were surveyed.
To read the full report, including more data, charts, and methodology, click here.
