In recent years, people have moved from major metropolitans to quiet suburbia or different cities/states entirely in search of something new. For those who took advantage of low interest rates when buying a home or relocated to a new city thanks to remote work options, everyone from coast-to-coast is now feeling a bit more “stuck” in their current living situation. While this can be attributed to interest rates rising to their highest levels in the last 21 years, it has prompted more homeowners and renters to stay put and therefore embrace the communities they are currently living in.
So what does that mean in the context of neighborliness in 2023? Since 2020, Neighbor has recognized and honored the 25 Most Neighborly Cities in America (see 2020, 2021 and 2022 rankings), based on factors such as charitable donations, volunteer work, and low crime rates. This year, our factors also include population changes and voter turnouts to account for citizen engagement and investment in their communities.The cities that top these rankings reflect the core values of unity and neighborliness that make a community truly great.
In addition to identifying the 25 Most Neighborly Cities, Neighbor surveyed 1,000 Americans, inquiring about their neighborly habits, their relationships with their neighbors and what they think makes a community most neighborly. Findings reveal:
- Planting roots. 85% of Americans are planning to stay in their current residence for the long term—45% say that it’s permanent. Encouraging them to be more involved in their community and make it a better place.
- Embracing community events. 90% of Americans plan to participate in neighborhood events (neighborhood block parties, local church events, youth sports, live music performances, shopping at farmer’s markets, etc.) as much or more over the next year. 11% plan to participate significantly more than they do this year.
- Especially in the event of a natural disaster – neighbors are here to help. 94% of Americans will help their neighbors in the event of a natural disaster. 63% are likely to ask for help from their neighbors if and when needed.
- Politics at home. 40% have seen the political divide in America impact their neighbors in at least one way. This includes:
- 18% being annoyed by a neighbor’s political signs
- 17% have complained in an online forum
- 15% have ended friendships over politics
- 11% describe their neighborhood as “very politically active… I have crazy neighbors who take it too far.”
“In these challenging times when Americans report increasing loneliness and division, recognizing America’s ‘Most Neighborly Cities’ is not just a celebratory act, but a call for unity and hope,” says Joseph Woodbury, Founder and CEO of Neighbor. “Good neighbors heal our society’s biggest wounds, starting with the smallest friendly gesture. The real magic of community is the ability to uplift and magnify our impact. At Neighbor, we’re building a community of neighbors helping neighbors, and everyone’s invited.”
Top 25 Most Neighborly Cities in 2023
There is more on the Top 25 ranking methodology and survey results section at the end of this article, so without further ado – here are The 25 Most Neighborly Cities in America in 2023:
- Madison, Wisconsin
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Sarasota, Florida
- Rochester, New York
- Provo, Utah
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Ogden, Utah
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Richmond, Virginia
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Seattle, Washington
- Toledo, Ohio
- Portland, Oregon
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Buffalo, New York
- Des Moines, Iowa
- Boise, Idaho
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
- Washington, D.C.
- New Haven, Connecticut
- Knoxville, Tennessee
- Cincinnati, Ohio
#1: Madison, Wisconsin
Up one spot from America’s 25 Most Neighborly Cities 2022, Madison reclaims its place at the top of the rankings! Affectionately known as “Mad City,” Madison ranks high for its incredible outdoor recreation, great food and brews and it is home to the largest producer-only farmers’ market in the country.
Madison also has a very politically active community, as it scored high in voter turnout with 59.67% of residents participating in the last mayoral race. Not that politics get in the way of neighbor relationships, but it shows people care about their city and participate in elections to help shape the future of Madison. Additionally, Madison is attracting a high number of recent grads who choose to move to the friendly, midwest city over San Francisco or New York City.
#2: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis has moved up the of America’s Most Neighborly Cities in a big way! From #13 to #2, Minneapolis scores high in volunteering and charitable giving.
This neighborly city has more to offer than its midwest hospitality. It is known for its countless blue lakes, thriving art scene and high-end entertainment and cuisine joints. Plus it’s a short drive from City Center to the Mall of America! With so much to do around the city, we can see why people move here and then plan to stay.
#3: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Up from #12 on last year’s Most Neighbor Cities list, Colorado Springs is taking the top ranking as the city with the highest volunteer rates with 69% of city residents supporting a local organization.
In the heart of the Rocky Mountains, it is clear why visitors flock to Colorado Springs to experience nature during all four seasons. For some, a quick visit to the Colorado Springs just isn’t enough to satisfy their craving for rugged Colorado charm. More and more tourists are making the switch to full-time residency. The result? Colorado’s second most populated city has taken the cake as one of America’s hottest real estate markets, three years and counting.
#4: Sarasota, Florida
At #4 we have Sarasota, Florida – a newcomer to the Most Neighborly Cities list! This picturesque seaside community has average temperatures of 72 degrees and 37 miles of shoreline. With year-round beach life calling many to The Sunshine State, Sarasota topped the list with the highest population change of all the top 25 cities – adding 3.4% new faces to the community between 2021 and 2022.
#5: Rochester, New York
The Most Neighborly City of 2022 appears, once again, in the top 5 of 2023. Rochester continues to score high in charitable giving and volunteering. Last year, Mayor Don Jefferies shared last year “one of the things we often hear from visitors is how welcoming and friendly Rochesterians are.: Today, Rochester continues to meet the gold standard of neighborly charm.
#6: Provo, Utah
Provo, Utah has consistently been in the top 10 of the Most Neighborly Cities ranking – landing at #6. Provo ranks incredibly high in volunteering and population change. This is no surprise especially because some of the largest companies in the state (and even in the country) are headquartered in Provo, including Qualtrics, Nu Skin, and Vivint. The city also ranked as one of the best places to start a new business. So if you’re in search of a new job in a city with an affordable cost of living – Provo is full of opportunity and great neighbors!
#7: Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City has cracked the top 10 for the first time since the list debuted in 2020. Moving up from #16 to #7, Salt Lake City earns these high remarks for its safe neighborhoods, voter turnouts and volunteering. Just a 45 minute drive north of Provo, Salt Lake City has been dubbed the next Silicon Valley and is attracting tech talent from coast-to-coast.
Wedged in between Salt Lake City (#7) and Provo (#6), you’ll find Lehi, Utah–the home of Neighbor’s headquarters. With Lehi bridging two of the most Neighborly cities in the U.S.,our Neighbor team exudes both the entrepreneurial spirit of Provo and the volunteerism of Salt Lake City.
#8: Ogden, Utah
Our third Utah city cracking the top 10 Most Neighborly Cities list is Ogden. As the oldest town in all of Utah, Ogden has moved up the rankings from #14 to #8 this year, given that 50% of its residents reported that they volunteer in the community.
Between its historic art deco architecture in its vibrant downtown to its endless options for outdoor entertainment year round, Ogden has moved past its railroad town reputation and is now home to some of the country’s best outdoor recreation.
#9: Raleigh, North Carolina
For the third year in a row, Raleigh is recognized as more than just the “City of Oaks.” This neighborly city has a strong economy, abundance of jobs, pleasant climate and small town hospitality. Last year Raleigh ranked #6 and this year it is being recognized for its population changes which has brought several newcomers to the area!
With 180 miles of greenway trails to explore, Raleigh is the perfect city for people to plant roots and invest in its communities.
#10: Richmond, Virginia
At #10 we have a new city joining the Most Neighborly Cities rankings….welcome Richmond, Virginia! This city is more than the political capital of Virginia, it is also the arts and culture capital of the state and home to 40 museums rich with early American history.
Because the housing market is prompting homeowners to relocate to more affordable communities, Richmond has seen an influx of over 30,000 new residents between 2020 and mid-2022, which gives the area a high score in population change of the last year. Additionally, these new Virginia residents are quickly showing their commitment to bettering the community, as Richmond ranked in the top 10 cities for highest voter turnouts.
#11: Virginia Beach, Virginia
According to the Guiness Book of World Records, Virginia Beach is the longest pleasure beach in the world and the #11 city on America’s Most Neighborly City rankings. This is the first time Virginia Beach has been recognized as a neighborly city and it deserves this recognition for its high voter turnouts.
There are plenty of other family-friendly attractions in the area, including Grommet Island Park – a 15,000 square foot island park with beautiful green space and a great beach.
#12: Seattle, Washington
For the fourth year and counting, Seattle has been recognized as in this Most Neighborly City list. Moving up three spots in the rankings, Seattle has rightfully earned its place on this list for its high scores in charitable giving and volunteering – clear indications that its residents are invested in bettering their community.
Aside from being the coffee capital of America, Seattle is also known for its homebase of big technology companies (Amazon, Microsoft) and the origin of grunge music. It is also home to iconic landmarks like the Space Needle and Pike Place Market and beautiful natural surroundings.
#13: Toledo, Ohio
Toledo returns to the Most Neighborly Cities list and moved up eight spots this year to #13. Toledo continues to be recognized for its neighborly attitude because of its high rankings in charitable giving. Residents of Toledo, Ohio go beyond the call of duty, demonstrating an unfailing commitment to helping each other out, initiating conversations with strangers, and welcoming newcomers.
Although Toledo is known for its humid, continental climate – its residents find year round fun in its several museums, botanical gardens and zoo.
#14: Portland, Oregon
Up four spots from #18, Portland lands at #14 on this year’s Most Neighborly Cities list. This is the city’s fourth consecutive year being recognized for its community of neighborly beer lovers, vegans, vegetarians and bike riders. Portland prides itself on being a city of counter-culture where art, theater and music foster a unique sense of community, rooted in individuality and creativity.
#15: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The “Steel City” has moved up four spots in the rankings to #15. Pittsburgh ranks high in charitable giving and volunteering and continues to live up to its neighborly reputation.
For those looking to buy a home in this expensive economy, Pittsburgh lands at the top of Business Insider’s list for U.S. cities where young people are buying the most homes. With an influx of new, young buyers – we’re anxious to see how this city becomes even more neighborly in years to come!
#16: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Welcome to the Most Neighborly Cities list, Winston-Salem! As the second North Carolina city to make this list, Winston-Salem is nearly half the size of Raleigh but packed with just as much charm and hospitality.
Winston-Salem was initially put on the map as the birthplace of Camel cigarettes in 1875, but now it can reclassify itself as the home of the Krispy Kreme donut.
#17: Buffalo, New York
Whoever thought the northeast was cold and unfriendly was mistaken! With Rochester claiming the #5 spot and Buffalo ranking at #17, this northeast city is best known for its iconic local food, craft beer scene, historic architecture, sports teams and winter weather.
From our survey, we found that 94% of Americans are willing to help out a neighbor during a natural disaster. Buffalo’s tight knit community is a key piece of that 94%. When those brutal New York winter storms hit, expect to see Buffalo residents lending a helping hand to neighbors in need of a snow shovel (or two).
#18: Des Moines, Iowa
This midwest city filled with rich farmlands makes its third appearance on our Most Neighborly Cities ranking at #18. Des Moines has been recognized as one of the best mid-sized cities in the country for its high quality of life, which is reflected in its communities!
There is no shortage of reasons for the community to gather together throughout the year. Des Moines is home to the Iowa State Fair and other local events like the Downtown Farmers’ Market and Iowa Cubs minor league baseball games.
#19: Boise, Idaho
Congratulations to Boise, you finally made it! The city that was surprised to see it didn’t make our first Most Neighborly Cities list in 2020 – now has rightfully earned its spot in the rankings at #19.
Boise has more to offer than just locally grown potatoes. It has been crowned by National Geographic as the number one “Adventure City” in the country, serving as a playground for outdoor adventure enthusiasts looking for a taste of world-class mountain biking, boating, hiking and more. Boise also ranked high in population change, as more people recognize the city’s affordability, healthy environment and friendly community.
#20: Phoenix, Arizona
With 320 days of sun each year, it’s no wonder that Phoenix is building a community of neighborly people! Phoenix enters the Most Neighborly Cities top 25 for its top ranking for voter turnout! As Arizona’s capital city, 77.39% of residents turned out to vote in the last mayoral election.
Thanks to its warm weather (and air conditioning!), job opportunities, growing population and strong local economy – it is a popular city to settle down as a recent college grad, family or retiree.
#21: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
The state capital of Pennsylvania community is filled with state and local politicians kept up with its strong participation in charitable giving and volunteering. This city offers a lot for outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy from hiking and camping in the many parks and forests near Harrisburg, including the Susquehanna River trails and several state forests. History buffs can learn about the region’s rich past at the National Civil War Museum and The State Museum of Pennsylvania.
Bonus, Harrisburg is also in close proximity to Hershey, Pennsylvania where the famed chocolate factory is located.
#22: Washington, D.C.
After a slight drop in the rankings, our nation’s capital returns to the Most Neighborly Cities list at #22. Washington D.C. scored impressively high in volunteering and voter turnout.
What is most surprising about Washington D.C. residents is that they are very pet friendly, making it easy to connect with people. Compared to other major cities they are more likely to give directions or share recommendations with tourists. How neighborly!
#23: New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven joined the Most Neighborly Cities rankings at #17 last year and has fallen six places to #23. With its close proximity to Boston and New York, plus the highly esteemed Yale University, New Haven caters to those who love city living, walkability and thriving culture, but don’t want to live with crippling traffic and outrageous rents. Of all the cities in Connecticut, New Haven has the most Zagat-rated restaurants with 56 in the area.
#24: Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville joins Raleigh and Winston-Salem is one of three Southern cities on our Most Neighborly Cities list, all of which embody that home-grown southern hospitality. This Tennessee city is known for its Southern food, its beautifully renovated downtown area, and the die-hard sports fans cheering on the University of Tennessee.
For those considering moving to Knoxville, it boasts a growing job market, affordable cost of living and a friendly, welcoming feel across the city. The majority of its population lives in the suburbs, so its neighborhoods are highly desirable for families.
#25: Cincinnati, Ohio
Rounding out 2023’s Most Neighborly Cities list is Cincinnati, Ohio. This midwest city is home to several Fortune 500 companies and caters to young professionals who work in healthcare, finance, manufacturing and retail. It also ranks high in affordability, which makes it enticing to plant roots and stay put to build a family!
The city of Cincinnati is steadily transforming into an economically prosperous city in the midwest and we look forward to watching it transform into an even more neighborly city.
Methodology
The 100 largest metro areas in the USA were analyzed using a combination of scientific randomized survey response data, US government data sets, and consumer data.
A representative sample of 1,000 Americans (margin of error 3.1% with 95% confidence) were asked what factors they think make communities most neighborly. The results of that survey supported weighting. Metrics related to safety (measured by crime rate) and civic duty (measured by voter turnout) carried the most weight, followed by charitable giving and volunteering, followed by population shifts.
Here’s how each set of data was weighted based on survey responses: Violent Crime = 2X, Voter Turnout = 2X, Charitable Giving = 1.5X, Volunteering = 1.5X, Property Crime = 1X, Population Change = 0.5X.
To finalize the scores for each metro area, the total was averaged by the amount of categories used in the index. In a limited number of cases where any of the above information was not available, we averaged the results by the number of variables to maintain consistency. Scores for each category of analysis were normalized using standard deviation so results were not skewed by different levels of disparity between cities within any given category.
Violent Crime and Property Crime
This data comes from the FBI, which tracks and compiles incidences of violent and property crimes per capita for each U.S. state and city as part of their Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. The vast majority of the crime statistics utilized in Neighbor’s ranking algorithm are sourced from the 2019 report, the most current to be publicly released. Some metro areas did not have data from 2019, so data was compiled from the most recently recorded year. The cities with the lowest amount of crime per capita had the highest rankings.
Volunteering
Americorps has collected data on volunteering rates in many American cities. We used this data to rank the cities where people did the most volunteering.
Voter Turnout
Rankings were based on turnout statistics for contested mayoral races. Mayoral races were selected instead of federal races to avoid potential problems with federal district dynamics, and focus on the city’s own civic dynamics. Data was compiled from various sources, all of which provided statistics based on information provided by local government documents and press releases. Most frequently, numbers were sourced directly from local government websites such as Boston.gov. For each metro area, turnout percentages were calculated as total vote count divided by number of registered voters. A small amount of cities did not have publicly available data for their most recent election, in which case calculations were instead based on a previous mayoral race.
Charitable Giving
Charitable giving was measured using Meta data, which provides broad and thorough information about user engagement in charity and causes. For each of the metro areas, total interest in charitable giving was calculated as the audience size for interest in “charity and causes”, divided by the total adult population of users in the same geographical area. The top 100 cities were then from highest to lowest proportion of residents interested in charity and causes.
Population Change
Data was compiled for each metro area using the U.S. Census Bureau’s release of population data from the two most recent years (2022 and 2021), and calculating the percent change between the two years.
2023 Survey Questions and Responses
How long have you lived in your current primary residence?
- 15.1% have been there under 2 years
- 30.6% have been there 2-5 years
- 21.7% have been there 6-10 years
- 32.6% have been there over 10 years
Do you consider the neighborhood you currently live in to be:
- 45.2% consider their neighborhood to be permanent
- 39.5% consider it a long-term neighborhood
- 15.3% consider it a temporary neighborhood
Please select the statement that best describes the community you live in:
- 26% say generally similar types of people, and nothing unusual
- 16.1% say similar types of people, but definitely not “cookie-cutter”
- 48.9% say diverse and different types of people, but otherwise pretty “normal”
- 9% say different unique
How do you rate the importance of living in a neighborly community?
- 22.4% say very high
- 36.8% say high
- 35.8% say moderate
- 3.1% say low
- 1.9% say very low
Select ALL of the following that describe your current neighbors:
- 46% say caring
- 75.7% say friendly
- 38.2% say interesting
- 53.2% say trustworthy
- 70.2% say respectful
- 9.7% say disrespectful
- 14.1% say annoying
- 11% say judgmental
- 10.2% say rude
- 2% say none of the above
Please select the statement that best describes your overall relationship with neighbors:
- 18.7% say they talk all the time with their neighbors, many of whom are great friends, and like most or all of them
- 47.1% say they are friendly with their neighbors whenever they interact, but it depends on when and who
- 19.7% say they are only friendly when needed, and usually don’t seek out their neighbors
- 7% say they avoid some of their neighbors
- 7.5% say they avoid most most or all of their neighbors
How many of your neighbors do you know on a first-name basis?
- 8.4% say none
- 44.8% say a few
- 16.8% say about half
- 22.8% say most of them
- 7.2% say all of them
How likely are you to ask your neighbors for help if/when needed?
- 17.9% say very likely
- 45.4% say somewhat likely
- 22.5% say somewhat unlikely
- 14.2$ say very unlikely
Do you find your neighbors to be helpful when needed?
- 32.7% say always
- 40.9% say sometimes
- 8% say rarely
- 3.6% say never
- 14.8% say they would never ask for anything
Do you find your neighbors to be friendly?
- 48.5% say always
- 383% say sometimes
- 5.1% say rarely
- 2.3% say never
- 5.8% say they never ask for anything
Select ALL of the types of neighborhood events your consider important for having a strong community:
- 29.1% say block parties
- 10.6% say an HOA
- 46.2% say events in nearby/local parks, like games, live music, or movie nights
- 15.9% say neighborhood workouts, yoga, or fitness
- 19.6% say charity or cause fundraisers
- 23.1% say local school sports
- 22.8% say local church event
- 28.7% say volunteer /service projects (ex: park cleaning)
- 2% say other
- 27.9% say none of the above
Select ALL of the following you’ve done with neighbors in recent memory:
- 30.2% said they’ve attended an outdoor party or event
- 20.2% said they’ve attended an indoor party or event
- 7.1% said they’ve traveled together
- 29.4% said they’ve shared a meal together
- 19.8% said they’ve watched a game together
- 13.2% said they’ve had a game night (ex: poker night, bowling, etc.)
- 11.7% said they’ve attended kids’s sports game together
- 14.9% said they’ve shopped at local farmers markets together
- 8.9% said they’ve worked out together
- 16.2% said they’ve listened to live music together
- 18.1% said they’ve swam/ had pool time together
- 13.5% said they’ve attended a local church event
- 12.3% said they’ve volunteered/ participate in service projects together (ex: park cleaning)
- 35.9% said none of the above
Over the past year, how often have you attended neighborhood or community events (farmers markets, local festivals, garage sales, lemonade stands etc.)?
- 6.1% said weekly
- 18.2% said monthly
- 27.6% said a few times a year
- 17% said once or twice
- 9.3% said never
- 21.8% said their neighborhood does not host organized events
In the next year, do you want to participate in your community:
- 10.8% said much more
- 25.9% said somewhat more
- 53.6% said about the same
- 4% said somewhat less
- 5.7% said much less
Select ALL of the ways you currently volunteer or would consider volunteering in your neighborhood:
- 42.6% said neighborhood watch
- 33% said park or beach clean up
- 6.5% said volunteer firefighter
- 29.6% said helping with school events
- 26.5% said helping with church functions
- 17.6% said sports: playing, coaching, refereeing, etc.
- 28.9% said none of the above
Select ALL circumstances in which you would lend space in your home, garage, driveway, or lawn to a neighbor:
- 62.9% said during a natural disaster (blizzard, tornado, flood, hurricane, earthquake, etc.)
- 29% said for military deployment storage
- 26% said if their neighbor needed to borrow space for a major new purchase (car, boat, RV, etc.)
- 49.1% said hiding holiday presents from kids
- 25.4% said for long term absence/ sabbatical
- 39.2% said if their neighbor was in financial trouble
- 52% said if their neighbor was dealing with challenging family issues
- 13.2% said none of the above
Select ALL of the following spaces in your home you might be willing to lend to a neighbor in need:
- 29.1% said basement
- 48.8% said garage
- 35% said driveway
- 35.4% said guest bedroom
- 45.1% said backyard
- 9.5% said pool house
- 28.5% said porch/ balcony / deck
- 14.5% said none of the above
Please rank the importance of the each of following in your life, from most important to least important: (Mean)
- Good neighbors: 2.0
- Large home or lot: 2.7
- Short commute: 2.7
- Quality neighborhood schools: 2.6
Please rank the importance of the each of following in your life, from most important to least important: (% Top Rank)
- 41.4% said good neighbors is important
- 19.7% said large home or lot is important
- 15.5% said a short commute is important
- 23.4% said quality neighborhood school is important
Select ALL of the following you’ve done before (it’s ok to admit it!)
- 24.7% said they’ve lied about being busy to avoid attending a neighbor’s event
- 41.7% said they’ve pretended to not see a neighbor in order to avoid talking to them
- 9.8% said they’ve plotted revenge against a bad neighbor
- 9.4% said they sent an anonymous letter of complaint
- 16.4% said they’ve filed an official complaint, called the police, or sued
- 18.2% said they’ve been annoyed political signs on a neighbor’s property
- 35% said none of the above
Please select the statement about election season and your neighbors that best applies to you:
- 8.7% said they lived in a neighborhood that’s very politically active, and they are usually participating
- 11% said they live in a neighborhood that’s very politically active, but this means they have some crazy neighbors who take it too far
- 7.9% said their neighborhood isn’t very political, but they wish it was
- 49.5% said their neighborhood isn’t very political, and they are fine with that
- 22.9% said they generally ignore politics in their neighborhood
Select ALL of the ways you’ve seen the political divide in America impact your neighbors:
- 12.9% said they’ve seen a heated argument in the yard or driveway over politics
- 17.3% said they’ve seen complaints in online forums
- 9.3% said they’ve seen issues brought up in an HOA or neighborhood association meeting
- 15.2% said friendships have ended over political allegiance
- 10.7% said they’ve seen neighbors who’ve considered moving because of neighborhood politics
- 13.5% said they’ve seen property damage, sign theft, or other vandalism
- 59.9% said they haven’t seen any impact
Which of the following best describes your political affiliation:
- 25.1% said definitely a democrat
- 13.1% said they lean democrat
- 22.4% said they are not affiliated with a party or are independent
- 14.7% said they lean republican
- 18.7% said they are definitely a republican
- .9% said other party
- 5.1% said they don’t care at all
