According to a 2018 study, the best neighbors are trustworthy, quiet, friendly, and respectful. While it is easy to focus on what you don’t like about your neighbors or what annoys you about them, it turns out that nationally most people actually have a generally positive outlook on their neighbors. Millennials and Gen Z respondents (ages 18-34) tend to care the most about having friendly neighbors, but that doesn’t mean that they want a close friendship with those neighbors. Only 9% of respondents said that having a close friendship is what made someone a good neighbor. Many just wanting a neighbor who appeared “welcoming,” so the key to getting your neighbors to like you might just be introducing yourself.
The most off-putting neighborly traits included disrespect of property, noise, nosiness, messiness, or unfriendliness. Feeling unwelcome is the quickest way to make people unappreciative of their community, as 39% of respondents say they were never welcomed into their neighborhood and therefore don’t feel a connection to it or their neighbors.