Space vs. Commute Time: Home Preferences Change
ORLANDO, Fla. – Since the pandemic, Americans want more room and more social distance from their neighbors.
COVID-19 shifted many consumers’ home preferences, with more people (60%) saying they want a larger home even if it means local amenities are farther away, a recent Pew Research Center study found.
That’s an attitude shift from before the pandemic in 2019, when more Americans desired smaller houses that were “closer to each other, but schools, stores and restaurants are within walking distance,” according to the study.
Six in 10 U.S. adults say they would prefer a community with larger homes that are farther apart, even if those homes had a greater distance to retail stores and schools, up from 53% in 2019.
On the other hand, 39% of consumers still prefer a community with smaller houses that are close together yet also have amenities like schools, stores and restaurants within walking distance, down from 47% in 2019.
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