NAR 2023 Community and Transportation Preferences Survey

A national poll conducted in April 2023 of 2,000 adults in the fifty-largest metro areas found that coming out of the Coronavirus pandemic that demand for living in a walkable community remains robust.  The survey shows that people living in walkable communities more likely to be very satisfied with their quality of life (slide 11 in Detail Analysispdf); that over 30% of Gen Z and Millennial respondents willing to “pay a lot more” to live in a walkable community (slide 22 in Detail Analysispdf) and 53% of all respondents indicting that they would prefer to live in an attached dwelling (apartment, condo, townhome) rather than a detached single-family home if it meant they would have an easy walk to shops and restaurants (slide 28 in Detail Analysispdf).

NAR 2020 Community and Transportation Preferences Survey

A national poll conducted in July of 2,000 adults in the fifty-largest metro areas found that the Coronavirus pandemic has caused some shift regarding where families with children would like to live, specifically an increased preference to a setting where they can have a detached home with a large yard. That said, interest in walkable communities is alive and well, and there still exists a margin of one-in-five living in a detached home currently that would prefer to live in an attached home in a walkable community with shorter commute. This compares to one-in-ten that would prefer to move from an attached home in a walkable community to a detached dwelling (slide 30 in Detail Analysispdf). Finally, people with place to walk in their community continue to be the most satisfied with their quality of life (slide 10 in Detail Analysispdf).

NAR 2017 Community and Transportation Preferences Survey

A national poll of 3,000 adults in the fifty largest metro areas found that it is no longer just Millennials propelling interest in walkable communities. This new report shows that the Silent and Greatest Generation prefer smaller homes in neighborhoods with easy walks to shops and restaurants. The poll was conducted by the National Association of REALTORS®.

NAR & Portland State University 2015 Community and Transportation Preferences Survey

A national poll of 3,000 adults in the fifty largest metro areas found that Millennials are distinguishing themselves as the generation that, more than any other generation, prefers to walk. The poll was jointly conducted by the National Association of Realtors® and researchers at the Portland State University.

NAR 2013 Community Preference Survey: Americans Prefer to Live in Mixed-Use, Walkable Communities

According to the National Association of REALTORS® 2013 Community Preference Survey, 60 percent of respondents favor a neighborhood with a mix of houses, stores, and other businesses that are within walking distance, rather than neighborhoods requiring driving between home, work, and recreation. Respondents indicated that while the size of a home or yard does matter, most are willing to compromise size for a preferred neighborhood and less commuting.

For more information, please contact:

Hugh Morris
Manager, Smart Growth Programs
National Association of REALTORS®
500 New Jersey Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202/383-1278
E-mail: hmorris@nar.realtor
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