Poll Reveals Most Annoying Neighbors

A National Holiday created in 2003, National Good Neighbor Day was celebrated this year on September 28^th – did you know that? We all know and appreciate good neighbors, but what about the other end of the spectrum – the not-so-good neighbor? You might build or buy a home that’s a perfect sanctuary, but you have little control over what happens around it, especially when it comes to neighbors. Whether your dwelling is urban, suburban or on a private island, if you’re human, you’re bound to be irritated by things your neighbors do.

In a recent poll, ImproveNet, an online home improvement site, set out to identify the cities in America where neighbors roil each other most, and a laundry list of the most common complaints.  They surveyed residents from 24 of the biggest cities in America, and, inevitably, there were winners and losers. Atop the list of most annoying cities are Dallas, Miami and Austin. New York was 6^th on the list. Cities where neighbors are least annoying include Minneapolis, Portland and Atlanta.

Without question, noise is the leading offense. Loud music is the top culprit in that category. People also cite loud adults, kids, pets and parties as top ten issues. Loud talking and shouting is the second most annoying thing that neighbors do!

General grumpiness also made the top ten, along with parking issues and dog poop. Other modes of annoyance include smells (tobacco, pets, cooking) and filth (overflowing garbage, dirty yard, dirty home exterior) and boundary disputes.

The poll also asked respondents, “Did you confront anyone about it?” Results were close to an even split—56% have confronted a neighbor. For those who have, face-to-face is the preferred method, followed by calling the police, phone call, through an association, or an attorney.

          This poll certainly should makes us stop and consider if we are good neighbors.  It is worth the effort, it will only make our community a better place to live.

Source: ImproveNet Poll, October 1, 2018, Methodology: In August 2018, 2,500 adult residents of 24 cities were surveyed. Results are based on a sample of at least 100 residents from each city.