Apartment Dwellers Are Attached to Communities Too

Who’s a better neighbor, an apartment renter or a homeowner?

Popular wisdom says the homeowner has a greater stake in his community and will thus be a better citizen--although new research from the apartment industry suggests otherwise.

Compared to homeowners, apartment residents are equally involved in community groups and just as attached to their communities, according to the National Multi Housing Council.

In fact, says the group, renters are “generally more socially engaged.”

The council’s findings were based on data from the General Social Survey of households conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.

According to the study, nearly a third of apartment residents spend at least one evening a week with someone who lives in their neighborhood, compared to 16.5% of homeowners.

An equal number of homeowners and renters (21.8%) are members of sports groups, while nearly the same (10.3% for renters, 10.8% for homeowners) are members of a literary, art, discussion or study group.

“Apartment residents should get much more credit for being good neighbors and active participants in their local communities,” said council president Jonathan Kempner. “The differences between house owner and apartment residents have clearly been overstated.”