A recent survey of 1,001 homeowners and renters reveals 74% of Americans don’t feel a strong sense of community where they live, according to home warranty company American Home Shield (AHS.com).

The survey notes:

• Nearly 1 in 3 avoid their neighbors, primarily due to hating small talk or social anxiety, but some either don’t like their neighbors or are feuding with them.

• 59% have never socialized with their neighbors

• 3 in 5 parents don’t let their children play with neighborhood kids.

The biggest neighbor pet peeves revolve around parking, nosiness, and noise. 

Gen Z is by far the least social, the survey adds, claiming half of Gen Zers aren’t even comfortable knocking on a neighbor’s door, and 1 in 4 feel lonely in their neighborhoods. The older they get, the more comfortable people are knocking on a neighbor’s door; only a third of Millennials feel uncomfortable, less than a quarter of Gen X-ers, and 1 in 5 Boomers are not comfortable.

When it comes to borrowing a cup of sugar, 70% replied they’d rather Instacart the sugar and pay rather than ask a neighbor. (My preference would be to hop in my car and drive to the store.)

Only 13% know all their neighbors and 14% trust all of them.

The survey did have some bright spots that supposedly show many are still building relationships with their neighbors: 

• 43% have shared food with a neighbor (or vice/versa)

• 35% have borrowed items from neighbors in the past

• Over 1 in 10 have given a neighbor a spare key

“Not only that, but 31% have asked a neighbor to collect their mail while traveling, and 13% have had their neighbors babysit,” the AHS editorial team reports. “Interestingly, 22% interact with neighbors on social media, and 35% said it improved their relationship; unfortunately, 34% said it did the opposite.”

Read the full survey at https://www.ahs.com/home-matters/homebuyer-hub-resources-and-guides/neighbors-statistics-trends/.

Times have changed, and yet we still see families doing things together, people walking in their neighborhoods and kids setting up lemonade stands. For our part, coworkers serve as an extended neighborhood and one can often count on them to share food, loan items or provide a ride when needed. The circle becomes bigger when we join a group – school, church, social or civic – and get involved in the community in some way. 

But getting to know the people who live just a few doors down? That does seem more challenging. What do you think?

Susan Thacker is the managing editor of the Great Bend Tribune. Contact her at sthacker@gbtribune.com.