America in 2015: A ULI Survey of Views on Housing, Transportation and Community

America is a diverse nation and our story is ever evolving. How we feel and what we value about the communities we live in is changing too. With the second edition of ULI’s community survey, America in 2015, the Urban Land Institute takes the pulse of our country. ULI’s Building Healthy Places Initiative and Terwilliger Center for Housing conduct the survey to illuminate a core question for every American: what do we want in our communities?

In partnership with Belden Russonello Strategists LLC, a nationally recognized survey and communications firm, ULI conducted a statistically representative survey of 1,201 adults living in the United States. America in 2015 describes a nation where generally high levels of overall satisfaction partially mask differences in preferences and perceptions depending on demographic cohort, economic standing, community characteristics, and racial/ethnic background.

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Key Findings

• 87% of people are satisfied with their community’s quality of life.
• When choosing a place to live, quality of the environment is a top or high priority for 87% of adults, by far the highest community priority measured in the survey.
• 78% of people would rather live in a community with a mix of ages, and 66% would prefer a mix of cultures and backgrounds.
• Just over half of all Americans and 63% of the millennial generation would like to live in a place where they do not need to use a car very often.
• 15% of the country says healthy food is not available in their communities.
• Almost half of all adults and 73% of millennials report they are very or somewhat likely to move in the next 5 years.
• Although most respondents are confident they will be able to afford the homes they want in the next five years, nearly a quarter of those over 68 years old say they are not confident.

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Colorado in 2015

Bay Area in 2015