Is the grass greener in another town during the Covid-19 pandemic?
Americans increasingly think so, as 26 percent say their local government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has made them want to move away from where they currently live or change where they want to move, according to a new survey released Thursday by Redfin.
At the same time, 21 percent of respondents to the October survey said their local governments’ pandemic response has made them like where they live more.
“2020 has made Americans realize just how much power their local governments have over their way of life,” Redfin chief economist Daryl Fairweather said. “If residents of a certain area feel their local rules are too lax or too strict, they may want to move somewhere where the local leadership is more in line with their personal beliefs.”
The survey also found:
- 42 percent of respondents would be hesitant to move to an area where most people have political views different from their own, up from 32 percent in June.
- 24 percent would want to move to a different state if the Supreme Court were to increase states’ rights with respect to health care, gun laws or other issues.
- 32 percent of Trump voters said their local government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has made them want to move away from where they currently live or change where they want to move to.
- 23 percent of Biden voters agreed with that statement.
Additionally, school shutdowns impact where people want to live – with 19 percent saying school shutdowns have made them want to move away from where they currently live or change where they want to move to. Seventeen percent of respondents say school shutdowns have made them like where they live more.