published about 9 hours ago
Having good neighbors can make your life easier, from having someone to help look out for pets and kids to simply seeing a friendly face each day. But where are the friendliest communities located?
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For the third year in a row, Neighbor.com set out to discover the top 25 neighborly cities in the U.S. Analyzing public data around things like community well-being, happiness, and charitable giving, in addition to surveying 1,000 Americans, the team found out where you can find the most welcoming people next door. Last year, Madison Wisconsin took first place, but which city came out on top in 2022?
The study’s most recent data found that Rochester, New York is the most neighborly city in America, climbing up from its second place spot in 2021. The city ranked third overall for neighborly acts and fourth for volunteering. Fun fact: It’s also home to Art Park, the only U.S. state park dedicated to performing and visual arts.
Former top pick Madison, Wisconsin fell to second place this year, but there’s still plenty to love about this high-ranking Midwestern city. For one, it’s the second happiest city in the U.S., and one of only five platinum-level bike cities. Madison also has the most local nonprofits per capita on this year’s list at 16.6 per 10,000 residents, so you can always count on neighbors to lend a helping hand.
In third place is Provo, Utah, climbing rapidly from its #23 spot in 2021. With the highest rates of residents who volunteer for local organizations and the highest rate of charitable giving, it’s easy to see why this cheerful Utah city is a neighborly place to call home.
Also making the top ten in this year’s study is: Oxnard, California, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Raleigh, North Carolina, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Poughkeepsie, New York, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Des Moines, Iowa.
By surveying 1,000 Americans across the country, Neighbor.com also identified common neighborly habits. With less travel occurring over the past years due to the pandemic and inflation, over half (52%) of respondents said they feel more connected to their communities as a result. Meanwhile, 43% said they’re more willing to help a neighbor out since the pandemic started.
So, did your city make the list? View the full study here.
