Survey: Twin Citians among nation's most trusting of their neighbors

August 31, 2017 at 1:44AM
Neighbors gathered for a barbecue during National Night Out in the 4200 block of Harriet Avenue S. on Tuesday night in Minneapolis.
About 80 percent of Twin Cities area residents are trusting of their neighbors, the second-highest percentage of metro regions covered by a newly released national survey. (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

About 80 percent of Twin Cities-area residents trust their neighbors, the second-highest percentage of metro regions covered by a newly released national survey.

More than 4,000 people nationwide were asked in the online survey by London-based YouGov, "How trusting, if at all, are you of your neighbors?"

Those respondents in Minneapolis-St. Paul and the suburbs, 202 of them, replied: very trusting (27 percent) and somewhat trusting (52 percent).

Among those wary of their neighbors, the results were: not very trusting at 13 percent and not at all trusting at 4 percent. Three percent are not sure.

Women in Minnesota were slightly more likely — 83 to 77 percent — to say they are somewhat or very trusting of their neighbors.

Only Portland, Ore., scored higher, 83 percent, when it comes to trusting neighbors. Close behind Minneapolis-St. Paul were Denver (79 percent) and four metro areas at 77 percent: Philadelphia, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Seattle-Tacoma and San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose.

At the bottom is Los Angeles (66), with Cleveland, Miami-Fort Lauderdale and Washington, D.C., a rung above at 71 percent.

The survey of adults was conducted July 27-31 through an online interview administered to a select number of members of the YouGov panel of 1.2 million individuals who have agreed to take part in surveys. E-mails are sent to panelists selected at random from the base sample.

Founded in 2000, YouGov is a marketing research firm with operations in Europe, North America, the Middle East and the Asian Pacific.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482

Longtime neighbors Denny Emerson and Veronica LaNoux shared a laugh at a block party in 2000 in St. Paul.
Longtime neighbors Denny Emerson and Veronica LaNoux shared a laugh at a block party in 2000 in St. Paul. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Neighbors gathered for a bbq during National Night Out in the 4200 block of Harriet Avenue south August 1, 2017 inMinneapolis, MN. ] JERRY HOLT Ô jerry.holt@startribune.com ORG XMIT: MIN1708012027298482
In the survey, only Portland, Ore. scored higher when it comes to trust. Above, Minneapolis neighbors gathered for National Night Out on Aug. 1. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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Paul Walsh

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Paul Walsh is a general assignment reporter at the Minnesota Star Tribune. He wants your news tips, especially in and near Minnesota.

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