America is becoming less neighborly, and it’s hurting Gen Z and millennials’ chances at economic mobility

Americans have grown far less likely to strike up a conversation with a stranger or get to know people living closeby, and it could be costing the country a lot more than neighborhood quaintness. The average American now finds themselves living next to strangers. Around 25% of adults age 18 to 29 say they talk with their neighbors at least a few times a week, according to a survey released earlier this month by the American Enterprise Institute, down from 59% in 2012. That has implications for the country’s declining social engagement and rising rates of loneliness, but there’s an economic cost to losing neighborhood ties, too. Americans who lack a collaborative community environment or reliable neighbors—defined as people they would turn to in times of hardship—are less likely to be doing well financially and less confident of their ability to navigate economic circumstances, according to a Gallup poll released Tuesday. Loss of social connections effectively leads to a negative compounding effect for Americans who are already struggling financially, a particularly distressing trend for low-income households and young people. The Gallup poll primarily attributes the harmful effects of declining community to a widespread loss of personal agency. Across age and income levels, Americans who do not consider their neighbors reliable are 16 to 22 percentage points less likely to feel as if they are in control of their own financial future. Strong community ties were also associated with more affordable housing and better job prospects. “The type of community people reside in may also contribute to how much control they believe they have over their lives, independent of their individual circumstances,” Gallup wrote of the poll’s findings. “Strengthening the social and economic fabric of local communities may be as important as addressing individual-level barriers.” America’s community loss Repairing the country’s fraying social ties will be a challenge. One in three Americ