These Are the Most Neighborly Cities in the U.S.
At a time when we're largely still tethered to our homes, the people surrounding us mean that much more. After all, Fred Rogers did once say, "All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we're giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That's one of the things that connects us as neighbors — in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver."
To celebrate that neighborly spirit today, which happens to be National Neighbor Day, self-storage company Neighbor.com released the results of its study on the most neighborly cities in the country. To determine the rankings, it looked at factors like volunteering, charitable giving, and neighborly acts, as well as the number of nonprofits per 100,000 residents, happiness levels, and crime rates.
Combining those elements, Madison, Wisconsin, emerged as the winner. "In Madison, many people spend free time volunteering, and many report doing kind acts for their neighbors — two things we think make a community more neighborly," the report says. "Madison also has a low rate of crime, making it a safe, happy city with a palpable community bond."
Related: Finland Is Still the Happiest Country in the World — See the Full 2021 Ranking
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Rochester, New York, came in second place, having risen from is number 10 spot last year, and Portland, Oregon, landed in third, rising from number five in 2020.
The study also looked at neighborly trends by surveying 1,000 Americans and found that 79% performed at least one favor for a neighbor in the last year, while 62% said they hang out with neighbors a few times a year at minimum. Meanwhile, 66% of people said they have at least two neighbors they can count on for small favors, like watering plants and picking up mail.
The pandemic has had an effect on neighborhood relations, too, as 42% said they're now more likely to start up relationships with their neighbors.
Here are the 25 most neighborly cities in the U.S., according to Neighbor.com:
Madison, Wisconsin
Rochester, New York
Portland, Oregon
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Des Moines, Iowa
Washington, D.C.
Boston, Massachusetts
Seattle, Washington
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Raleigh, North Carolina
San Jose, California
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Salt Lake City, Utah
Spokane, Washington
Oxnard, California
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Indianapolis, Indiana
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Durham, North Carolina
Provo, Utah
Baltimore, Maryland
San Francisco, California
