Whether living next to an A-lister is your dream come true or worst nightmare, there are probably some stars you’d rather post up next to than others.
A survey by Zillow had a little fun with this “what if” scenario.
According to the findings, the Obama family should take comfort knowing that they’re bound to fit into their Washington, D.C., neighborhood, as they are the most-coveted celebrity neighbors in the country.
Meanwhile, more than one-third of Americans are repulsed by the prospect of living next door to Justin Bieber.
America’s most desirable celebrity neighbors…
The Obamas topped the list of desirable celebrity neighbors, with 14 percent of respondents saying they’d be happy to live next door to the former first family.
Barack Obama sent shockwaves last year when he revealed plans to remain in Washington, D.C., with his family for two years following his final term as president. They have since moved into a nine-bedroom mansion in D.C.’s exclusive Kalorama neighborhood.
The survey results note that one factor working in the Obamas’ favor in this regard could be the enhanced security measures that follow former presidents once they leave office.
In a dramatic twist following a contentious national election, President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka and her family have moved into a six-bedroom home in the same neighborhood, less than two blocks from the Obamas. Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner — a senior adviser to President Trump — also made the list of desirable neighbors, collecting 5 percent of the vote.
Other alluring neighbors included:
- Pro-wrestler turned actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (13 percent)
- Chip and Joanna Gaines of the popular HGTV show Fixer Upper (8 percent)
- Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and her actress wife Portia de Rossi (7 percent)
- Singers Adele (6 percent) and Taylor Swift (6 percent) and actors Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell (5 percent).
Still, nearly one-third (28 percent) of respondents said that they wouldn’t be interested in living near any of the above.
… and their least desirable counterparts
Some 36 percent of respondents ranked Justin Bieber as the least desirable celebrity neighbor. Zillow noted that this was the highest percentage of votes in the history of the survey.
Bieber has made countless headlines in recent years for unsavory behavior ranging from punching a fan in the face in Barcelona to abandoning his pet monkey in Germany.
But perhaps of most pressing concern to would-be neighbors, Bieber famously pelted his neighbors’ home with eggs in January 2014, leading to vandalism charges and a slew of legal penalties.
Reality stars Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna trailed close behind Bieber in the survey, with 23 percent of respondents voicing their displeasure with the prospect of living near the troubled pair.
Since they began dating a year ago, the couple’s explosive fights and troubled private lives have generated a wealth of unflattering publicity.
Other celebrities that made the undesirable list included:
- Actor Tom Cruise (7 percent)
- Football player Tom Brady (3 percent)
- Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte (3 percent)
- Radio and TV host Billy Bush (3 percent)
- Baseball player Alex Rodriguez (2 percent)
Taylor Swift was the only celebrity to make both the desirable and undesirable lists. According to the survey, 4 percent of respondents said they would not want to live next door to the singer.
Of the respondents, 19 percent said they wouldn’t mind living with any of the above-mentioned celebrities.
The Zillow survey was conducted between December 8-9, 2016, among 1,000 U.S.-based adults, and has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.
Ingrid Burke is international editor at Tranio.com, an international real estate broker with a dedicated and independent team of journalists and real estate investment experts.
