New NAR’s survey confirms preference for walkable communities.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) 2023 Community & Transportation Preferences Survey, which is a national poll of 2,000 adults conducted every three years to gauge people’s partialities regarding their home’s location or potential location as well as community attributes they find desirable, found this year that Americans who live in walkable communities are reporting higher quality of life levels. "With COVID in our rearview mirror, this study shows that a substantial demand for walkability persists for Americans of all ages," said NAR President Kenny Parcell. "NAR has conducted community preference surveys for over 20 years, providing Realtors and their communities with valuable information on shifting American lifestyles and migration trends. To help local communities and Realtor® associations improve the places they live, NAR generates this survey and makes the results available to all." Among noteworthy findings of the survey, if deciding today where to live:

• 79% said being within an easy walk of other places and things, such as shops and parks, is very/somewhat important. 78% of those indicated that they would be willing to pay more to live in a walkable community.
• 85% said sidewalks and places to walk are very/somewhat important.
• 65% said having public transport nearby is very/somewhat important.
• 56% said they would prefer a house with a small yard and be able to walk to places vs. 44% who would prefer a large yard and would need to drive to most places.
• 53% would prefer an attached dwelling (own or rent a townhouse/condo/apartment) and be able to walk to shops, restaurants, with a shorter commute to work vs. 47% who would prefer a single-family home (own or rent) and have to drive to shops, restaurants and with a longer commute.

Source: MReport