For more than 20 years, the Foundation for Community Association Research has surveyed homeowners on what it’s actually like to live in an HOA, condo association or co-op. The main goal: to find out if homeowners are happy living in an HOA.
The short answer to the title question is yes, and it’s been yes for a long time. Across the board, homeowner satisfaction data keeps saying the same thing: people who live in community associations tend to like it — now more than ever.
We were lucky enough to get a preview of the 2026 edition of the Homeowner Satisfaction Survey from Jake Gold, executive director of CAI’s Foundation for Community Association Research.
Key takeaway
HOA homeowner satisfaction is stable. Neighbor relationships matter more today than in previous surveys, and a few slower-moving trends are worth paying attention to.
HOA satisfaction has barely moved in 20 years
In 2026, 86% percent of residents rate their overall experience with their community association as very good, good or neutral. The very good and good portion alone is 63%.
That number has been remarkably consistent across survey iterations. “Despite what you hear in the news or see online,” Jake said, “the data shows they like where they live, they have a good relationship with their board of directors, they like their management and they get along well with their neighbors.”
Jake acknowledges HOAs have a reputation problem: enforcement disputes, fines, the occasional news story about a flagpole. Those cases are real. But the survey covers a nationally representative sample across a type of housing that now includes 35% of all U.S. homes. The vocal minority isn’t the whole story.
The social relationships that drive homeowner satisfaction
The 2026 survey added questions about neighborhood relationships and social connection. The answers were striking.
- 77% of residents say they get along well or very well with their neighbors
- 82% feel a sense of belonging in their community
- 55% are extremely or very confident their neighbors would offer support during a personal hardship or emergency
- 81% said those relationships contribute to their happiness
“Communities that are active, offering lots of things for their residents, really benefit residents,” Jake said. “The data shows they appreciate it.” Lifestyle directors and activity coordinators are showing up more often in association job postings, particularly in newer developments built around the social layer.
Jake’s underlying read is straightforward. “I feel like social connection, interaction, is more important now than it’s ever been. People really value that.”
Residents actually like the rules their HOAs set
The stereotype is that HOA rules are a burden. The data says residents disagree: 88% of homeowners say their association’s rules protect and enhance property values or have a neutral effect. The protect-or-enhance portion alone is 65%. This one usually surprises people.
“Residents who buy into associations and live there get it,” Jake said. “They recognize that rules and standards help set up a community for success and help protect what people always say is the biggest investment of their life.”
A slow shift in attitudes on government oversight
One trend line is moving in a more complicated direction. In 2014, 86% of residents said they preferred no change or less government control over community associations. By 2024, that figure had dropped to 66%. The 2026 read is 63%.
The break point occurred in 2020. Jake’s hypothesis is that growing government involvement has become more familiar. Manager licensing requirements are expanding in some states. Florida and a few others now require board members to complete education programs before serving. The recent Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac reserve standards set new funding thresholds communities have to meet for residents to qualify for conventional mortgages.
“Maybe it is an increasing trend where the government is more involved, and people are getting used to that, seeing it happen more,” Jake said.
For operators, the takeaway is practical. Residents aren’t asking for less oversight than they were a decade ago. Whether you interpret that as acceptance of professionalization or drift toward more top-down governance, the expectation has shifted. Government involvement is not hurting homeowner satisfaction in HOAs.
HOA buyers know what they’re getting
When someone buys into an association without knowing it’s an association, every subsequent rule enforcement looks like a surprise. When they buy in informed, the rules are part of the package.
In the 2026 survey, 81% of residents said they were told the property was in an association when they were considering the purchase. That’s up from 78% in the prior survey.
The buyer response is also positive: 41% said the HOA made them more interested in purchasing, up from 38%.
Civic engagement in community associations runs high
Homeowners in community associations vote. A lot.
- 88% say they always or usually vote in national elections
- 83% do the same in state and local elections (up from 77%)
- 69% vote in their own community association elections
HOA elections typically involve a few hundred households, with outcomes that affect nothing outside the community. And yet, nearly seven in 10 residents are showing up.
“People take pride in where they live and know that their leadership is looking out for everyone,” Jake said.
3 HOA issues on the horizon
A few things Jake says CAI is paying attention to right now.
1. Reserve funding:New Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac standards tie mortgage eligibility to community reserve levels. The Foundation is updating its best-practice report on reserves to reflect the change.
2. End-of-lifecycle planning: The Foundation is exploring strategies for extending the economic life of a community. In some cases, that includes deconversion — selling out and redeveloping a property whose physical structure has reached the end of its useful life.
3. AI at the board level: AI isn’t a problem by itself. Board members using general-purpose AI for questions that should go to counsel or a licensed manager is his real concern. “A lot of people are increasingly starting to rely on AI,” he said. “So that’s a danger.”
The bottom line
Homeowners in community associations are generally happy. They like their neighbors, they like the rules, they show up to vote and they want to be in an HOA. The data has said this consistently for two decades.
What’s shifting: expectations around government involvement and AI. Communities that get ahead of those shifts will do better than ones that don’t.
How Yardi is helping HOA managers
Running an association on email and spreadsheets is where real problems show up. Residents want online payments, digital documents, clear communications from the board and timely responses to maintenance requests – this is really difficult to do, and do well, with manual tools and processes.
Yardi Breeze Premier gives associations one system for accounting, board communications, violation tracking, online payments and resident communications, matching what homeowners already expect.
