Environmental correlates of residential satisfaction: An exploration of mismatched neighborhood characteristics in the Twin Cities

• Residential congruence affects residential satisfaction.
• Significant neighborhood attributes differ by time of stay in the neighborhoods.
• Safety and amenities are neighborhood improvement priorities.

Previous studies have overwhelmingly focused on the effects of objective and/or perceived neighborhood characteristics on residential satisfaction. Little attention has been paid to residential preferences and their realization. This study hypothesizes that residential satisfaction is different for individuals whose residence is located in a neighborhood with characteristics that match their preferences and those whose residence is located in a neighborhood with characteristics that do not match their preferences. Therefore, residential satisfaction depends upon whether perceived neighborhood characteristics match the resident’s preferences for the characteristics. Using data from the Twin Cities, this study explores two related issues: the impact of mismatched neighborhood characteristics on residential satisfaction and the impact of perceived neighborhood characteristics on residential satisfaction. We find that using mismatched neighborhood characteristics or perceived neighborhood characteristics as explanatory variables produces somewhat different environmental correlates of residential satisfaction. Findings from this study suggest that improving parks and open space, neighborhood safety, and neighborhood appearance is important to enhance residential satisfaction of existing residents.