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Most Americans Know and Trust Their Neighbors

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Despite quarantines and social distancing keeping people in their homes during the pandemic, Americans still say they know their neighbors.

Almost 7 in 10 U.S. adults (68%) say they trust the people who live in their local community, according to a study from Nashville-based Lifeway Research. Close to a quarter of Americans (23%) disagree, and 10% say they aren’t sure.

“Trust is the basis of a peaceful society,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “It’s a hopeful sign that amid months of distancing and political unrest more than two-thirds of Americans trust those in their community.”

Men (72%) are more likely than women (63%) to say those who live around them are trustworthy. Those 65 and older are most likely to agree (79%), while younger adults, aged 18-34, are least likely to agree (59%).

Residents of the South (24%) are more likely than those in the Midwest (18%) to disagree and say they don’t trust the people who live in their community.

Religious identification and practice also play a role in the likelihood someone is trusting of those in their neighborhood. Protestants (71%) and Catholics (69%) are more likely to agree than the religiously unaffiliated (60%). Americans with evangelical beliefs (76%) are also more likely to trust their community than those without evangelical beliefs (66%).

Specifically among those who identify as Christian, those who attend church services at least four times a month (17%) are less likely than those who attend less than once a month (25%) to express doubt about trusting the people who live near them.