​NAR survey: Americans prefer walkable communities​

​WASHINGTON – The National Association of Realtors released a new survey revealing that Americans living in walkable communities report a higher quality of life.

Among the survey’s findings:

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