Survey: Most Americans Prefer Communities With Larger Homes And Distant Amenities

Most Americans prefer having neighborhoods with larger houses and distant amenities rather than having smaller houses and more amenities within walking distance, according to a new survey from Pew Research Center.

In a poll of 5,079 adults conducted last spring, 57% of respondents said they preferred living where “houses are larger and farther apart, but schools, stores, and restaurants are several miles away,” while 42% said they would rather live where “houses are smaller and closer to each other, but schools, stores, and restaurants are within walking distance.”

Pew then sliced and diced this data among political, age, education, race, and ethnicity. The results: White Republicans ages 30 and older who did not have bachelor’s degree were the most likely to prefer the larger house communities.

Pew also found 74% of respondents living in rural areas preferred houses that are larger and farther apart, but also farther from schools, stores, and restaurants – a narrower majority of suburban Americans (56%) shared that preference, while 57% of urban dwellers liked smaller houses that are within walking distance of schools, stores, and restaurants.