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.
