U.S. Department of Commerce

Economics and Statistics Administration

BUREAU OF THE CENSUS

Neighborhood Pride

Most People Like Where They Live

CENBR/98-3 | Issued May 1998

N bottom. Renters expressed a high level of satisfaction as

well, with 60 percent scoring their neighborhood at 8 or

better and 25 percent ranking their neighborhood a perfect 10.

Taken together, mobile home renters and owners were

even more pleased with their neighborhoods — 40 percent

of all mobile home dwellers in the survey gave their neighborhood the highest possible rating. Elderly mobile home

owners and renters, age 65 and over, expressed particular

satisfaction with their living conditions; overall, 44 percent

of the households in this age group said their neighborhood

deserved the highest possible rating of 10.

But life in the neighborhood is not without problems.

Residents of homes with severe physical problems were generally less satisfied than others, with 9 percent scoring their

EIGHBORHOOD PRIDE IS ALIVE AND WELL. This is the

underlying theme in answers to a question on neighborhood satisfaction gathered as part of the American Housing Survey for the United States in 1995.

The housing survey includes a question asking residents to

rank their neighborhood on a scale of 1 (worst) to 10 (best).

The data are of particular importance to community leaders, urban planners, home builders and residents seeking to

preserve and strengthen their neighborhoods. Broad overall

satisfaction with neighborhood life cut across groups, such

as owners and renters, urban and rural dwellers and residents of all regions. This census brief looks at the level of

neighborhood satisfaction and the problems, such as crime

and traffic, which can undercut a sense of neighborhood in a

community.

HIGH SATISFACTION LEVELS

As part of the survey, Census Bureau

field representatives interviewed residents of single-family homes, apartments, multifamily buildings and mobile homes located in suburbs, central

cities and rural areas throughout the

country.

Homeowners expressed particularly high neighborhood satisfaction,

with more than three-fourths of the

respondents rating their neighborhood an 8 or higher and more than

one-third giving the area where they

live the highest possible rating of 10.

Just 2 percent of the homeowners who

responded rated their neighborhood

a 3 or below and less than 1 percent

scored their neighborhood at the very

COMPARISON OF NEIGHBORHOOD SATISFACTION RATINGS

FOR HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS

(Percents may not add to 100 due to rounding; numbers in thousands)

Neighborhood

satisfaction Total Owners Renters

rating Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

95,494 100 62,225 100 33,270 100

Lowest 1 1,349 1 447 1 902 3

2 795 1 324 1 471 1

3 1,208 1 482 1 726 2

4 1,813 2 764 1 1,049 3

5 7,011 7 3,387 5 3,623 11

6 4,919 5 2,521 4 2,398 7

7 10,173 11 5,943 10 4,230 13

8 22,242 23 14,692 24 7,551 23

9 14,361 15 10,311 17 4,050 12

Highest 10 31,623 33 23,354 38 8,269 25

Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, American Housing Survey for the United States in 1995, H150/95RV.
CENSUS BRIEF | May 1998

C O N T A C T S:

American Housing

Survey Staff

301-457-3235

<Edward.D.Montfort@

ccMail.census.gov>

Statistical Briefs:

Public Information

Office

301-457-3030

<pio@census.gov>

This Brief is one of a series that

presents information of current

policy interest. All statistics are

subject to sampling variability,

as well as survey design flaws,

respondent classification and

reporting errors, and data

processing mistakes. The

Census Bureau has taken steps

to minimize errors, and

analytical statements have been

tested and meet statistical

standards. However, because of

methodological differences, use

caution when comparing these

data with data from other

sources.

neighborhood at 3 or lower and 4 percent answering with a 1. Those living below poverty also saw

their neighborhood in a less flattering light. Their

proportion of very low ratings was not different

from households in units with severe problems.

TRAFFIC, CRIME AND NOISE: TOP REASONS

FOR DISSATISFACTION

In a separate survey question, each household was asked if its neighborhood had serious

problems. While 64 percent of households reported that their neighborhood had no serious

problems, the others said that problems involving

people, crime, traffic and noise were an issue.

Of the overall sample, 12 percent complained about people in their area. About 8 percent cited noise, 8 percent cited traffic and 7

percent cited crime as serious problems. Litter

and poor public services also were identified

as problems that detracted from a high level of

neighborhood satisfaction.

Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, American Housing Survey for the United States in 1995, H150/95RV.

RESIDENTS' VIEWS OF NEIGHBORHOOD CONDITIONS

(A household may report more than one problem; numbers in millions)

PRESENCE OF PROBLEM 

NOT REPORTED

Type of problem not reported

Other

Undesirable development

Poor services (city or county)

Litter

Crime

Traffic

Noise

People

AT LEAST ONE PROBLEM

NO PROBLEMS 60.2

34.9

11.2

7.4

7.3

6.9

4.1

1.2

1.1

9.4

0.6

0.5