"Living in a close-knit community isn't just about feeling welcome; it can shape your day-to-day quality of life," Redfin's chief economist, Daryl Fairweather, said Wednesday in a report ranking U.S. metro areas for their neighborliness.
"Neighbors who connect, help each other out and participate in local activities create a stronger sense of security, belonging and well-being," Fairweather said.
Policymakers can foster neighborly cities, she noted, by supporting dense, affordable housing built near community amenities such as parks, playgrounds and libraries where local residents can get to know one another.
To identify the most neighborly U.S. cities, Redfin researchers looked at individual cities within each of the top 75 U.S. metro areas that met baseline population criteria — at least 30,000 residents — and housing criteria — the median single-family home priced at no more than $500 per square foot as of December.
They then determined how each city ranked based on social and community factors:
- Charitable giving, volunteering rates, and rates of working with, helping, meeting or discussing issues with neighbors
- Social connections, access to parks and membership in social associations
- Economic connectedness and civic organizations per capita
- Overall community health
Researchers calculated each metro's average rank for each factor and identified those with the highest average rank across all factors.
See the accompanying gallery for the 10 most neighborly American metros.
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