The migration to the suburbs has hit a speed bump. Homebuyers are no longer willing to spend much of their work day traveling to and from work. In fact, a new survey puts a commute time of 45 minutes or less at the top of Americans’ housing wish list.
According to the 2004 American Community Survey (ACS) sponsored by the National Association of Realtors and Smart Growth America, a 45-minute-or-less commute is the leading factor in deciding where to live for 79 percent of Americans. Sidewalks and other places to walk are priorities for 72 percent.
Among those planning to buy a home in the next three years, 87 percent put a shorter commute at the top of their neighborhood selection process. When asked to select between two communities, six out of ten would-be homebuyers chose a neighborhood offering a shorter commute, sidewalks and other amenities over a sprawling community with larger lots. A large house on more than one acre is important to 57 percent of Americans.
Minorities and women are even more likely than other Americans to choose a walkable neighborhood. Fifty-nine percent of women, 57 percent of Hispanics and 78 percent of African-Americans selected close-in neighborhoods over communities with bigger lots and longer commutes.
“As communities around the country grow, they’re faced with the choice of where and what to build next,” says Don Chen, executive director of Smart Growth America. “In too many places, the choices are being made for them by a system of outmoded regulations that makes it hard to build great, affordable neighborhoods in the places where people need the house . . . “
The ACS survey says Americans place a high value on limiting their commute time. Even Texans complain about how long it takes to get to work. However, I’m not sure how many Texans agree with the survey’s observation that most Americans “. . . see improved public transportation and changing patterns of housing development as the solutions to longer commutes . . . ”
Most Texans I know will take two more lanes on the freeway over a bus ride any day. These survey numbers say something about the crowded conditions in many parts of the country. I suspect, however, that a survey of Texans only would be much different.
The ACS survey says, “Half of all Americans chose improving public transportation as the best option to solving long-term traffic problems.” Texans I know aren’t about to give up their vehicles.
And as far as mass transit goes, I offer the “successes” of mass transit in the bigger Texas cities as proof of the Texans love for the automobile. From what I’ve seen, developers aren’t having much difficulty selling properties “with acreage.”
Sure, Texas cities have their congestion around rush hour, but it’s nothing compared with other U.S. cities. A U.S. Census Bureau study gave the longest-commute trophy to New York City with an average of 38.4 minutes. Chicago was second with 32.7 minutes. In Texas, the longest-commute was in Houston at 25.6 minutes, and that tied for 15th with San Jose, Calif. Dallas’ average commute was put at 25.3 minutes.
If you want to know how your city’s average commute time compares with the U.S. average, go to http://www.arbitron.com/.
