APOA | Colin Allen
Strong communities are built on a shared sense of purpose. When people feel connected to one another and committed to the place they call home, they’re more likely to invest in its success while creating new opportunities for future generations.
As the new school year begins, let’s take a look at how safety and stability, homeownership and local education come together to build strong, lasting communities.
Strong Communities
Safety and stability are the foundation of strong communities, providing the conditions necessary for families to thrive, businesses to grow, and neighborhoods to flourish. New survey data reinforces this point: neighborhood safety ranks as the most important factor when choosing where to buy a home, cited by 65% of Americans — ahead of affordability (61%) and school quality (38%). Renters also place slightly more emphasis on price and walkability, and homeowners weigh insurance costs and school quality more heavily. While these differences reflect the nuanced ways people define stability, the common thread is clear — safety is foundational to strong communities.
As former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge noted, “Strong communities are built on the belief that everyone deserves a safe, affordable place to call home.” When people feel secure in their homes and communities, trust deepens, opportunity is created, and families feel confident planning for the future. One element central to building this sense of safety and stability: homeownership.
Valuing Homeownership
Homeownership anchors individuals and families to a community and represents promise, opportunity and prosperity. A recent national survey of registered voters found 90% of respondents said “owning your own home” is part of achieving their American Dream.
The American Dream of homeownership provides a variety of benefits for both families and communities. To realize these benefits, local officials need to regularly address key housing issues. Recent survey data via Occam shows that homeowners, on average, show 6% more trust in local elected officials to ‘make decisions that strengthen your community’ relative to non-homeowners. That same survey also found that over 75% of all Americans believe local government should prioritize homeownership and housing issues, reinforcing the connection between stability, long-term community investment and creating opportunity for more individuals and families to realize their American Dream of homeownership.
The benefits of higher homeownership rates in a community extend far and wide – from financial stability to a deeper connectedness to local issues, opportunities for upward mobility to more resilient neighborhoods, and increases in consumer confidence to stronger local tax bases. And the combination of those factors leads to one of the most tangible benefits to strong communities: investments in schools and education.
Investing in a Community’s Future
Education and quality schools are one of the most important investments a community can make in its future. They shape the next generation of leaders, contributors, and citizens while serving as a reflection of local values and priorities.
It’s no surprise that families often choose to buy homes in areas known for strong public schools. Among households with children, over eight in ten (82%) say school quality is very or somewhat important when choosing where to live, compared to 60% of those without children. Even for those not directly using the schools, education quality is still viewed as a vital community asset — a signal of long-term stability and strength.
Even though buying a home in a strong community with great schools is often more expensive, families still make the choice to move. A Realtor.com study found that homes within districts rated 9 or 10 (out of 10) are on average 49 percent more expensive than the national median price while also selling faster and attracting more buyer interest. Research shows that families consistently pay a premium to live in top-rated public-school districts—a clear signal that great schools are seen as essential community investments.
Just as a new school year brings hope, promise and opportunity, when community leaders, local businesses and homeowners share a common purpose in building a safe and stable community, they are able to create economic growth and prosperity, provide quality education, and enable new opportunities across generations.