Fewer than half of American adults know most or all of their neighbors. When survey respondents were asked if they knew the names of the neighbors who live close to them, 19% of adults said they knew all of their neighbors. Another 24% said they knew most of their neighbors. This left the majority of American adults knowing only some (29%) or none (28%) of their neighbors by name. These numbers are little changed from the last time the question was asked in July 2008. Previous research by the Pew Internet & American Life Project has shown no correlation between internet use and contact with neighbors. In fact, Americans who go online daily are more likely than non-internet users to know some of their neighbors by name. Read More

Russell Heimlich  is a former web developer at Pew Research Center.