Skip to main content

Poll asks people how much they would give up for a safe neighborhood

How important is it to live in a safe neighborhood? A recent Trulia poll indicates that neighborhood safety is even more important than you may have originally thought. Trulia, in partnership with Harris Interactive, asked more than 2,000 people how they feel about neighborhood safety, and what they would be willing to give up if it meant living in a safer area.

Five out of six people say the neighborhood they live in is more important than the actual house itself; and, one in three people say they’d be willing to live in a smaller house and give up a bit of square footage for an ideal community. Surprisingly, roughly half of people said they’d even pay above list price for a choice location. Parents with kids are even more willing to shell out more cash if it means avoiding a dangerous community, as nearly 60 percent of parents with minor children said they’d be willing to pay above list price to live in a better neighborhood with good schools.

Recommended Videos

Money and space aren’t the only things home buyers are willing to give up in order to stay out of seedy places. A significant portion of people say they’d be ready and willing to forgo these features to get into a choice neighborhood:

  • A pool: 72 percent
  • A finished basement: 55 percent
  • A garage: 22 percent
  • Yard space: 19 percent
  • Storage space: 18 percent
  • A bedroom: 13 percent
  • A bathroom: 12 percent

When searching for a place to live, it is helpful to conduct research on a community’s crime ratings, school district ratings, and local activities. However, some renters and home buyers rely on a community’s reputation and the feeling they get when they visit the area. For that reason, 69 percent of survey respondents say they drive through the neighborhood during different times of the day to determine whether or not an area is right for them.

Erika Rawes
Former Smart Home Evergreen Coordinator
Erika became a professional writer in 2010, and her work is published all over the web on sites ranging from USA Today to…
Nanoleaf reveals two gorgeous new smart lights for your home and garden
Nanoleaf Rope Light above a couch

Nanoleaf is one of the biggest names in smart lights, offering a variety of bulbs, panels, and even a unique skylight with support for over 16 million colors. That lineup is expanding today with the launch of the Nanoleaf Rope Light and Nanoleaf Solar Garden Light -- two striking new products that look like an excellent way to bring a pop of color into your home.

The Nanoleaf Solar Garden Light is arguably the most exciting of the two, as the company hasn’t ventured into the outdoor space too often. Sold as a two-pack for $50, the Garden Light is Nanoleaf’s first-ever solar-powered lighting solution. Built with an IP65 weatherproof rating, eight LED branches that splay out from a central stem, a built-in daylight sensor to toggle the lights on and off, and support for a variety of RGB colors plus tunable whites, it should make a fun companion for most outdoor spaces.

Read more
Amazon Memorial Day sale 2025: The 35 best tech deals
Apple MacBook Air 13 M4 front angled view showing display and keyboard.

The Amazon Memorial Day sale is already up and running, which means there are some amazing discounts available for all kinds of tech products. Whether you're looking for upgrades to your home entertainment setup, additions to your arsenal of mobile gadgets, or devices that will simply make life easier, there's surely something for you from the retailer's Memorial Day deals this year.

There's a chance that you get overwhelmed with the sheer number of offers from Amazon though. To help you decide what to buy, we've gathered the 35 best tech deals that we've found below. Read on and see if anything catches your eye, but you shouldn't take up too much time because we're not sure how much longer stocks will last for these products. It won't be a good idea to wait until the final minutes of the holiday before you make your purchases -- proceed with your transactions from Amazon's Memorial Day sale as soon as you can.

Read more
Samsung Memorial Day sale: The best washer, dryer, and refrigerator deals
Samsung front-load washer and dryer set in chapagne finish in a laundry room.

The Samsung Memorial Day sale is finally online, so now's the perfect time to make some upgrades in your home. The brand, which is known for making some of the best phones and best TVs, is also a reliable name in the world of appliances, including washer, dryers, and refrigerators. No matter your budget and the amount of space you have, something will surely catch your eye in this year's Memorial Days deals for Samsung appliances.

You can take a look at all the home appliances that are on sale for Memorial Day from Samsung through the link below, but we've also highlighted our recommendations below if you want to finish your purchase quickly. That's actually a good idea, because we're not sure how much longer stocks will remain available. You shouldn't wait until the last minute of these Samsung Memorial Day deals before you proceed with your transaction, as you'll be in danger of missing out.

Read more