Axios Finish Line

May 16, 2025
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1 big thing: We're good neighbors


We see headlines chronicling deep divisions among Americans. But when you zoom in, people are overwhelmingly game to step up for their neighbors or make sacrifices for their communities.
- That's the big takeaway from a recent Pew Research Center survey of people across the U.S., Axios' Erica Pandey writes.
π° Zoom in: 76% of U.S. adults say they're very or extremely likely to bring in neighbors' mail or water plants. 67% say they'd bring a meal to a sick neighbor.
- Even amid declining trust in institutions, 72% say they'd conserve water or electricity if public officials asked.
Between the lines: The camaraderie transcends politics. Just 28% of the surveyed adults say all or most of their neighbors share their political views.
π‘ Reality check: Living in neighborhoods with strong social ties comes with a host of benefits β safer streets, more time spent outside and happier aging. But the share of Americans who know their neighbors has fallen over the last several decades. And it varies significantly based on demographics, Pew found:
- 35% of people living in rural areas say they know all or most of their neighbors, compared with 20% of urban dwellers.
- 30% of those 50 or older say the same, compared with 22% of 18- to 49-year-olds.
Overall, 26% of Americans say they know all or most of their neighbors.
πΆ Parting shot!

Summer in a pic: Reader Jen Reinhard snapped this shot of a lighthouse on the shores of Lake Michigan in Schoolcraft County, Mich.
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