More Americans Seek To Cocoon Politically

In another sign of the political divide in the United States, 42 percent of Americans say they would be hesitant to move to an area where a majority of people have different political views from their own.

That’s according to a new survey conducted this month by Redfin, which found the notion of cocooning increased from 32 percent in June and was the highest share since 2017, when Redfin began asking that survey question.

“With political signs lining the front yards of homes across America, house hunters can’t escape the political views of their prospective neighbors,” said Redfin chief economist Daryl Fairweather. “While living among like-minded people is important to many homebuyers, key concerns like affordability and space are more likely to be the deciding factors in the homebuying process—especially as remote work gives families the freedom to leave dense, expensive cities in search of bigger homes and better value during the pandemic.”

The survey also found:

  • 45 percent of voters intend to vote for Joe Biden and 45 percent who plan to vote for President Trump said they would be hesitant to move to a place where most residents have different political views.
  • More than a quarter of Americans are hesitant to move to a place where they’d be in the racial, ethnic or religious minority.
  • 28 percent said they would be hesitant to move to a place where most people are of a different race, ethnicity or religion. That’s up from 20% in June.

When broken down by race, 29 percent of white respondents said they would be hesitant to move to a place where most residents are of a different race, ethnicity or religion. That compares with 26 percent of both Black and Hispanic respondents, and 23 percent of Asian participants.