A new survey from the National Association of REALTORS® shows Americans place a high value on walkability, mixed used neighborhoods and a number of housing options when buying a home.
The association’s Community and Transportation Preference Survey also shows a demand for easy access to parks, shops, restaurants, schools and workplaces.
“It’s clear that Americans place a high value on making sure the place they call home has the amenities they need to lead a happy and healthy life,” said NAR Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy Officer Shannon McGahn in a press release. “NAR members know this intuitively, but having hard data like this is an asset in our advocacy efforts at the federal, state and local level.”
The majority of respondents agreed that walkability is still a top priority, with 89% saying sidewalks and places to walk to are important when deciding where to live. Furthermore, 63% said they would be willing to pay more to easily walk to parks, shops and restaurants, indicating the market value of walkability.
More than half — 59% — said they preferred a smaller lot in a walkable neighborhood rather than a larger lot that required more driving, while 46% said local governments should place a high priority on making it easier to develop communities that reduce long drives to work or shop, 39% said it should be a middle priority, and just 15% said it should be a low priority.
Respondents also widely supported expanded housing options, with 63% saying small-lot, single-family homes are a good idea for their communities and 51% supporting increased attached housing options like duplexes and townhomes.
