Safety Trumps Price in Apartment Hunting
The results clearly show: Security has become a central basis for decision-making when it comes to the future home. Especially older people over 60 years, single parents with children, and women rate a safe living environment as "particularly important." Even though young adults tend to express this need less frequently, there is a broad societal trend towards an emotional enhancement of the security aspect in housing.
Living Safely – An Emotional Value with a Real Background
It is striking that the feeling of security surpasses even factors such as land quality (79 percent) and financial affordability (77 percent). The search for living space is now more than ever guided by subjective well-being – and security plays the central role. The results of the immowelt study reveal: Security is not a side aspect, but has become a kind of basic condition for the housing decision.
This development is also reflected in a survey by TQS Research & Consulting, which shows that 22 percent of Austrians felt "significantly less secure" in 2024 than in previous years. Particularly affected: women, young adults, and families1.
This subjective insecurity explains why offenses such as vandalism or public acts of violence continue to significantly influence the quality of life for many people – especially in urban centers. The current crime figures from the Federal Criminal Police Office underscore this trend: The number of reported violent crimes rose in 2024 to the highest level in the past ten years, an increase of 8.3 percent compared to the previous year. Subcategories such as serious bodily harm (+6.9 percent), robbery (+7.2 percent), and vandalism (+4.1 percent) also show increases.
The representative study "Is Housing in Austria Still Affordable?" was conducted by immowelt.at in May 2025 and included 1,000 respondents aged 16 and over throughout Austria.
(Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.