Forget politics - how clean are you?
June 2024 - The average US roommate rent is currently $1,174 per month, rising to an eye-watering $1,524 in New York, the nation's most expensive metro area. So it's no wonder millions of Americans choose to live with roommates to keep their costs down.
But living with people isn't just about your finances. Finding the right people is key to a harmonious roommate situation. In an election year and an era where headlines are about how divided the country is, you'd think shared political views would be a high priority for what people look for in a roommate. But you'd be wrong.
According to a new survey by leading roommate finder SpareRoom, just 1 in 8 (12%) renters said that aligned political views were important in a potential roommate. However, having similar attitudes to drug use (45%), alcohol (38%) and pets (32%) all scored higher as priorities.
Top of the list of importance were respecting boundaries and privacy (84%), having similar standards of cleanliness (77%) and agreement on whether you shared a party house vs a quiet house (60%).
Here's the full list of what people agreed was most to least important in a potential roommate :
- Respect boundaries and privacy - 84%
- Similar standards of cleanliness - 77%
- Similar attitude to having a party house/quiet house - 60%
- Financial stability & reliability - 50%
- Similar attitude to drug use - 45%
- How sociable they are (or aren't) as a roommate - 41%
- Compatible routines/schedules - 40%
- Similar attitude to alcohol - 38%
- Compatible with pets - 32%
- Shared interests - 25%
- Similar political views - 12%
- Shared cultural/religious background - 12%
- Shared dietary choices (e.g. vegetarian/vegan/Halal etc) - 8%
- Mutual friends - 8%
The survey also revealed that, despite what people may think, existing friends don't necessarily make the best roommates. When asked 'who tends to make the better roommate', almost half of those who had a preference said strangers (47%), compared to a third who said existing friends (32%), with friends of friends being the least preferred on the list (20%).
Matt Hutchinson, spokesperson for SpareRoom comments:“Having similar political views may be important among social circles, but this isn't always the case when it comes to roommates. Data has shown that people actually prefer to have roommates that align with their daily habits and lifestyle choices.
Living with people who you may not typically be drawn to day-to-day, might in fact create your ideal living situation. Plus, it can generate some of the most unique and unexpected friendships!”