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Political disputes rise among neighbors as election nears

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As the presidential election approaches, political tensions are rising, from heated debates to disputes between neighbors, according to a recent Redfin analysis.

A survey commissioned by Redfin and conducted by Ipsos in September 2024 revealed that 18.7 percent of respondents had political disagreements with neighbors. Specifically, 27.1 percent of men reported conflicts, compared to 13.4 percent of women.

When the survey focused on participants planning to vote for Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, it showed that 23.1 percent of Trump voters reported political disagreeing with neighbors while 19.5 percent of Harris supporters had done the same.

Redfin’s survey focused on 1,802 participants aged 18 to 65 with the option to select “I don’t remember,” or “I don’t know” when answering survey questions. Therefore, totals do not equal 100 percent.

While some engage in these political conflicts, 34.5 percent of overall respondents prefer to avoid political conversations entirely. Certain groups, however, are more inclined to engage, comprising 30.4 percent of respondents who said they regularly discuss politics with neighbors. Men (40.9 percent) were significantly more likely to engage in such discussions than women (24 percent).

Other patterns also emerged: 35.5 percent of homeowners were more likely to talk politics than the 25.9 percent of renters who responded. Younger generations such as millennials (40.3 percent) and Gen Zers (38.9 percent) were more likely to participate in these conversations compared to Gen Xers (21.7 percent) and baby boomers (23 percent).

Additionally, Trump voters (39 percent) were more likely to engage in political conversations with neighbors than Harris voters (32.7 percent).

The survey also revealed that racial issues have also led to disputes, with 11.9 percent of respondents disagreeing with a neighbor over race. Among men, 15.3 percent were more likely to get into a disagreement compared to 9.5 percent of women.

Gen Zers (20.1 percent) are the most likely generation to get into a disagreement about race, followed by millennials (15.6 percent), Gen Xers (9.3 percent) and baby boomers (4.9 percent).

Among voters, 14.7 percent of Harris supporters reported disagreements over race, compared to 11.9 percent of Trump voters.

Email Richelle Hammiel