Survey results: Recommending where you live, or not
I recently put several questions to you that were part of a survey of Baltimore residents -- bottom-line sorts of queries about whether you like your neighborhood and jurisdiction enough to recommend it to others. Almost 70 of you weighed in. Mostly city residents, as it happens -- so much for comparing and contrasting across the region!
Eight Baltimore County residents took part, which I decided is just enough to make a comparison not completely ridiculous. (Hey, a scientific survey this isn't.) Here are the results for the city and county:
How likely are you to ...
Recommend living in your neighborhood to friends?
Among city residents, 84 percent said "likely" or "very likely." Sixty-three percent of county residents said the same; the remainder opted for "not likely" or "not at all likely."
Recommend living in your jurisdiction to friends?
Among city residents, 76 percent said "likely" or "very likely." Seventy-five percent of county residents said the same.
Recommend buying a home in your jurisdiction?
Among city residents, 76 percent said "likely" or "very likely." Seventy-five percent of county residents said the same.
Recommend your jurisdiction as a place to raise children?
Among city residents, 42 percent said "likely" or "very likely." Seventy-five percent of county residents said the same.
Recommend your jurisdiction as a place to retire?
Among city residents, 51 percent said "likely" or "very likely." Fifty percent of county residents said the same.
Move out of your jurisdiction in the next 1 to 3 years?
Among city residents, 47 percent said "likely" or "very likely." Thirty-eight percent of county residents said the same.
So: Survey-takers living in the city are more likely to recommend living in their neighborhoods specifically than in the city generally. A majority offer a recommendatory thumbs up to buying a home in the city and (just barely) to the city as a place to retire, and a thumbs down to the city as a place to raise kids (though not overwhelmingly). And the majority don't plan to move out of the city in the next few years, though quite a few do.
Survey-takers in the county are -- in contrast to city folks -- more likely to recommend their jurisdiction as a place to live than their particular neighborhoods. They're split on whether to recommend the county as a place to retire but do recommend it as a place to raise kids. Most would recommend buying a county home, and most don't plan to move out in the next few years.
How do you like your neighborhood and jurisdiction? More importantly, what do (or don't) you like?
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Comments
My wife and I have been thinking of moving for some time. We live in a rowhouse and are expecting another child, so our living space has become quite smaller. We live in North Baltimore, and struggle when we look at other houses because we love our neighborhood so much. I love raising our children in the city, but they are not of school age. I do have a sense that city schools are improving, but I am not sure if they are improving quickly enough for us to take a chance. Plus no matter how well the elementary schools become you still have to deal with the middle school situation.
Crime also seems to be getting a bit worse as the economy limps along. I can deal with the occasional car break in, three in thirteen years and one slashed roof. It angers you, but you learn not to keep anything in your car. But over the past year we have had quite a few incidents involving guns. Last evening someone actually burst into a neighbor's living room and stole their wallet and purse while they were in their kitchen. Now that we have children, I don't want to chance it anymore. I want them to be able to play outside and not even think about it. But man I don't want to commute, there is usually nothing to walk to in the suburbs, and I guarantee there is nothing like The Dizz in the 'burbs.
Posted by: Mr. Baltimore | October 25, 2009 9:50 PM