Utah Communities Rank In Top Fifteen For Neighborhood Quality And Safety Standards

Apparently, Americans have finally figured out exactly what they want from their neighbors.

And, as it turns out, what we want is someone who will help us in an emergency, keep the neighborhood looking nice, be reasonably friendly, respect our privacy, and, apparently, know when to go home.

A new study from Neighbors Bank surveyed more than 1,000 Americans about what makes a good neighbor and ranked the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the country according to qualities associated with a good neighborhood.

The results are fascinating.

a large sign on the side of a building that says love your neighbor

Sixty-four percent of those surveyed said they want neighbors who are friendly but maintain boundaries. Fifty-six percent said a good neighbor respects boundaries, while 47 percent want someone who is quiet and considerate.

So there you have it.

Friendly, Yes! Overly Enthusiastic? Not So Much!

We don't want an unfriendly neighbor. We just don't want one who becomes overly enthusiastic about being our friend.

Apparently, the perfect neighbor is the person who waves at you from the driveway, lends you a ladder when you need one, and then disappears before you have to offer them a beverage.

people near trees

And Utah does pretty well in this particular competition.

Provo ranked number 10 among the 100 metropolitan areas studied, putting it in the national top 10. Ogden came in at number 13. Safety was the strongest category for both Utah communities.

That means two Utah metro areas landed in the national top 25, alongside places including Boise, Madison, Minneapolis and Boston.

The study also found that good neighbors can apparently add actual dollars to a home's value. Fifty-six percent of Americans said they would pay more to live in a more connected community, while 23 percent said they would pay five to ten percent more for a home with great neighbors.

There's one statistic, though, that might make us think about this a little differently.

a couple of women sitting at a wooden table

Thirty-four percent of Americans said they couldn't name a neighbor they would call in an emergency.

One out of every three people.

You could live next door to somebody for years, share a fence, watch the same mail carrier pull up every afternoon—and still not know their name.

Maybe being a good neighbor isn't all that complicated.

Keep your yard reasonably nice. Don't fire up the leaf blower at six in the morning. Don't turn the bass up to earthquake levels at midnight. Wave occasionally.

2 women smiling and standing near trees during daytime

And if your neighbor's house catches fire, know which door to knock on.

You don't have to become best friends.

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In fact, according to this study, please don't.

Just be a good neighbor.

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Apparently, that's about as much togetherness as we're ready for.