Walkable Communities Most Popular for Millennials

The walkability of cities and towns in the United States has become increasingly important for homebuyers – particularly its youngest generation. According to a new study released by the Transportation Research and Education Center at Portland State University, millennials show a strong preference to having a home that’s within walking distance of local amenities. These home buyers, those aged 18 to 34, preferred walking over driving by 12 percentage points.

All age groups saw walkability as a major asset in choosing a home—so much so that 48% of all respondents wanted a small home and yard within walking distance of activities, rather than a large home and yard that required driving to get to events and destinations—assuming prices were similar. Home sellers should keep this in mind when they go to list a smaller home with a great location—make sure not to forget one of the home’s best qualities!

Americans in general also looked for more transportation choices when choosing their new neighborhood. Eighty-five percent of American buyers looked for sidewalks to make sure their home would be walking friendly.

Women in particular showed a strong attraction to walkability, with 61% of those surveyed putting it as an important aspect of their home search.

For a smaller town like Bozeman, having close, walkable neighborhoods will continue to attract homebuyers to Bozeman. Not only can a person walk through the City of Bozeman in complete ease, but the city’s massive trail system provides even more options for the active homebuyer. Bozeman was ranked as the 11th most livable mid-sized town in the US, with transportation as a major factor in the rankings. It sounds like Bozeman is on the right path to keeping itself a walking friendly place that will continue to attract new residents to the area.

Source: http://www.realtor.com/news/trends/millennials-want-walkability/

http://realtormag.realtor.org/daily-news/2015/07/29/town-s-walkability-becomes-more-key