More than a third of Americans living in cities say that protests this year have made them move elsewhere – or have already moved, according to a new survey released Monday by Redfin.
The survey of 3,000 US residents, conducted in October, found:
- 34 percent of people living in cities say they want to or have moved.
- Overall, 30 percent of Americans say protests have made them want to move.
- 47 percent say the protests have had no impact.
- 23 percent say the protests have made them like where they live more, driven by 28 percent of rural residents.
“Americans have been leaving major cities in droves during the pandemic, and recent unrest is just one small piece of the puzzle,” Redfin chief economist Daryl Fairweather said. “For some families, the protests, curfews and looting that have taken place in 2020 may have played a role in the decision to leave big-city life behind, but remote work and record-low mortgage rates were likely the driving factors.”
Protests broke out this spring after the police shooting death of George Floyd, notably in Minneapolis, Seattle, Washington, DC, and elsewhere. In Kenosha, Wisconsin, there were a series of protests after the Aug. 23 police shooting of Jacob Blake.
When broken down by political parties, 39 percent of Trump voters said they wanted to move away from where they live, while 23 percent of Biden voters said they wanted to or have moved.