Most of us barely know our neighbors, according to new report

Living in New Jersey, do you know your neighbors?

Maybe you wave when you're getting the mail or smile when you see each other pulling out of the driveway, but do you know their names? Would you feel comfortable knocking on their door if you needed something?

Get our free mobile app

Most Americans Barely Know Their Neighbors

A recent study shows just how little we actually know our neighbors. Only about 30 percent of people say they know the people who live around them beyond that casual, "Hi, how are you?" kind of relationship.

Life is so busy between work, school, sports, activities, and everything else. Sometimes you barely have time to talk to your friends and family, never mind the people next door.

Nearly 29% of Americans say they sometimes avoid socializing with neighbors, often because they're in a hurry or preoccupied, according to a new Rocket Mortgage survey.

Large Percentage Of Americans Won't Knock On Their Neighbor's Door

The survey also found that around 40% say knocking on a neighbor's door feels too bold, while 22% say they feel awkward making the first move.

And nearly 42% of Americans say people in their neighborhoods tend to keep to themselves.

There's definitely been a shift compared to years ago; we keep more to ourselves and don't always take the time to get to know the people right next door. And while getting to know neighbors can be great, many people are holding back.

This is how much NJ home prices went up over 24 years, by county

Brace yourself —for each New Jersey county, here's the median price of new houses in 2000, versus 24 years later.

This data is from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs for new houses issued a new home warranty. For good measure, we also checked on the only quarter for 2025 new homes available, so far.

Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt

NJ towns paying the most taxes for public schools

The 20 towns with the most expensive school tax portion of their average property tax bills. Listed in ascending order. This is 2025 data from the state Department of Community Affairs.

Gallery Credit: New Jersey 101.5

How much does the average NJ home cost? Median prices by county

Everything is costing more these days — and housing is certainly no exception in New Jersey.

Data for 2023 from January through May, compiled by New Jersey Realtors, shows that homes hit the market and sell in two months or less, on average.

Median prices for single-family homes have reached $500,000 and above in nine counties.

Most counties have seen houses go for more than the list price this year, while the rest have been very close to asking — on average.

Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt

Source: New Jersey, how well do you know your neighbors?