Attitudes toward Public Transit by Metropolitan Area

How many metro residents are happy with their public transit system? It depends on where they live, according to the 2017 American Housing Survey, which was fielded nationally and in 15 metropolitan areas. One of the questions asked by the survey is whether residents agree or disagree that their neighborhood has "good bus, subway, or commuter bus service." Here is the percentage of respondents who agree by metropolitan area...

Neighborhood has good bus, subway, or commuter bus service, 2017 (percent agreeing)
75.4% in San Francisco
75.4% in New York City
67.3% in Los Angeles—Long Beach
65.1% in Boston
65.1% in Washington, DC
64.5% in Chicago
62.1% in Riverside—San Bernardino
61.6% in Philadelphia
59.7% in Seattle
56.2% in Miami
47.6% in Phoenix
40.4% in Detroit
36.5% in Dallas
35.6% in Houston
32.7% in Atlanta

Attitudes toward public transit vary not only by metro area but also by homeownership status within metros. Near the top of the list is New York, for example, where 87 percent of renters and 64 percent of homeowners say public transit in their neighborhood is good. At the bottom of the list is Atlanta, where only 50 percent of renters and 22 percent of homeowners give their public transit a thumbs-up.

Nationally, 42 percent of Americans think their neighborhood has good bus, subway, or commuter bus service—57 percent of renters and 35 percent of homeowners.

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the 2017 American Housing Survey