To many Americans, the grass is greener elsewhere

[M_Smith]

To many Americans, the grass is greener elsewhere
[SIZE=-1]
According to new research from the social and demographic trend-trackers at the* Pew Research Center, nearly half of us would rather live somewhere other than our current address.

That doesn?t mean we?re necessarily unhappy with our digs.*​

To the contrary, the nationally representative survey of 2,260 adults shows that most of us are indeed quite satisfied with where we hang our hats --whether we?ve lived in the same place our entire lives or are constantly on the move. So what?s going on here?​

*?It?s wanderlust,? theorizes Paul Taylor, executive vice president of the Pew Research Center, and director of its Social and Demographic Trends project. Most people are perfectly content where they are, but 46 percent of those surveyed said they?d rather live in a different type of community if given the choice. ?It suggests to me that part of our American character is the view that there?s always something better around the next bend,? Taylor says.

When it comes to the American idea of utopia, we?re all over the map. Thirty-percent of respondents said they?d most like to live in a small town; 25 percent would prefer suburbia; 23 percent in a city; and 21 percent in the rural heartland.
If given the choice, the overwhelming majority of us said we?d like to live where the pace of life is slow, not fast; where neighbors know each other well instead of a place where no one generally knows each other?s business; and where the weather is warm, not cold. Sounds good to me.
There were some fascinating demographic and ideological patterns in the findings that illustrate who feels well matched with their current community and who doesn?t. For instance, most young urbanites consider cities the place to be; most middle-aged urbanites would like to live elsewhere. Seven-in-ten rural men are content where they are, compared with just half of rural women. Most rural conservatives feel right at home; most urban conservatives don?t. As for urban liberals, they?re fine just where they are, thank you.
Many more young adults than older adults are drawn to the bright lights of New York and Los Angeles. More men than women want to live in Las Vegas. Affluent adults are twice as likely as those of lesser means to want to live in Boston. Republicans think Phoenix would be a great place to reside. Democrats feel the same way about San Francisco.
When asked to select the metropolitan areas they?d most like to call home, respondents ranked Denver, San Diego, and Seattle at the top of a list of 30 cities, and Detroit, Cleveland, and Cincinnati at the bottom.
Last but certainly not least, here?s the one burning question I couldn?t wait to be answered. Would Americans rather live in a community with more Starbucks coffee shops or McDonald?s? Survey said: Advantage Mickey D?s, by a 43 percent to 35 percent margin. But don?t worry, you can live in any of the six cities mentioned above and get your fill or burgers or caffeine. Both chains have a large presence in each.
[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]Subscribe now![/SIZE]
Subscribe to [SIZE=-1]ConsumerReports.org[/SIZE] for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products. [SIZE=-1]Update your feed preferences[/SIZE]