The Pandemic's Profound Impact on Localities
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Covid-19 has changed where many Americans want to live and what they think the future looks like for their communities, according to the Pew Research Center.
The coronavirus has had a profound impact on Americans—from where they want to live, to where they think the nation is headed to how long it will take their communities to recover from the pandemic, according to research by the Pew Research Center.
In fact, about one-in-five adults surveyed expressed a preference for living in a city, down from about a quarter in 2018, while those who prefer the suburbs have increased from 42% to 46% during this time, the research shows.
The desire for more space also pushed people out of cities, other research shows.
“Many are now moving out of the cities and apartment living to seek out more space in rural and suburban locations,” Christopher Michael, architect and founder of archisoup, an online learning platform for architecture students, told RentCAFE.
A Divided Nation
Nearly 50% of those surveyed by Pew said the pandemic has split their communities and many see a long road to recovery, the report says. And one-in-five people surveyed said life in their community will never get back to the way it was before the coronavirus outbreak.
Meanwhile, 77% of U.S. residents surveyed said the pandemic has divided people in America as a whole. In addition, Republicans and Republican-leaning Americans are more likely than Democrats and those who lean Democratic to say the pandemic has driven people apart—both in the country and in their local communities, according to the report.
Back to Normal
U.S. residents have mixed views on the duration of time needed for communities to revert to pre-pandemic normalcy. About 36% of those surveyed believe it will take longer than two years, including 19% who say things will never get back to normal.
When asked about their local economy, residents had similar responses. About 39% said it will be more than two years before the economy in their area returns to normal, including 14% who said it will never be the same. However, about 10% said things are already back to normal while 18% believe the economy will recover in less than a year.
The research also looked at how Americans feel about housing affordability and other topics. For more information from the Pew Research Center research click here.
Andre Claudio is an assistant editor at Route Fifty.
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