Building H Index
Pulte Group
INDUSTRY
housing
Category
single-family home development
products Profiled
houses and communities developed by Pulte Group
H-Score
42
ranked 5th of 7 within housing industry
ranked 21st of 37 overall
product description
Pulte Group is a home construction company and is the 3rd largest home construction company in the United States. The company works in 23 states and is best known for running the Del Webb senior communities in the southwest.
Pulte Group offers homes that range in size starting at 1,000 square feet. They delivered 24,624 homes and had revenues of $10.6 billion in 2020. The company offers brands oriented towards young families and first-time home buyers, the Del Webb 55+ age restricted communities, and options amongst DiVosta, John Wieland, and American West brands.
influence on health-related behaviors
EATING
neutral to slight negative influence
Proximity to grocery stores with healthy food options can positively influence eating habits. One metric of a neighborhood’s food environment is whether it is characterized by the USDA as “low access to food stores.”(1) In a sample of new Pulte Group locations reviewed by Building H, 44% were in low-access neighborhoods.
Pulte Group has an entire ‘Kitchenology’(2) brochure that discusses the best kitchen layouts and appliance options within selected developments, depending on the interests and preferences of the owners. To the extent that this service results in more cooking at home, it is likely to improve eating habits, although the brochure is focused on the social and stylistic aspects of the kitchen as much as its function for cooking. There is also mention of gardening activities within specific Del Webb communities.(3)
- Review the food environment – both access to fresh foods and prevalence of unhealthy food outlets – as part of the decision to build in a certain neighborhood. Use the potential of aggregated demand that a new development would create to encourage investment in local fresh food outlets like grocery stores.
- Include raised beds for vegetable gardens as part of home landscaping design – or establish community gardens within the developments.
PHYSICAL ACTVITY
slight to moderate negative influence
The walkability of a geographic location has an influence on the physical activity of its residents. In a sample of new Pulte Group locations reviewed by Building H, only 4% were in neighborhoods rated as “very walkable” or better by Walk Score.(4) 92% of locations were in neighborhoods rated “car-dependent” by Walk Score and 30% scored 0 out of 100 on Walk Score’s scale. Mean Walk Score was 12.2; the median was 2. A higher Walk Score rating for a given neighborhood has been associated with increased physical activity among neighborhood residents.(5)
Pulte Group provides a number of amenities that facilitate physical activity in their communities. These include, depending on the community, bocce, clubhouses, fitness centers, pools, playgrounds, access to nature trails, and dog parks.
- Review the walkability, bikeability and access to transit of a neighborhood as part of the decision to build in a certain neighborhood. Use the potential of aggregated demand that a new development would create to advocate for and encourage investment in sidewalks and bike lanes, if not available.
- Publish data on the walkability, bikeability, and access to transit of new developments.
- Provide bike sharing and scooter sharing services at properties.
- Build sidewalks and ensure adequate, safe space for bicycle traffic within developments.
- Provide bike sharing and scooter sharing services at developments.
- Build playgrounds and community gardens in new developments.
Sleeping
neutral to slight negative influence
There is no indication that Pulte Group does anything in the design of their properties to enhance their residents’ sleep experiences.
To the extent that Pulte Group’s locations and property designs influence physical activity and time spent outdoors, they could indirectly influence sleep as both of those behaviors are positively correlated with better sleep.
- Promote healthy circadian rhythms by
- designing for exposure to natural light through larger windows, skylights and solar tubes where possible
- installing circadian LED lighting systems that adjust color temperature to mimic natural light throughout the day
- Build in air quality monitors, as poor indoor air quality has been shown to influence sleep(6)
- Build in smart thermostats in order to optimize nighttime temperatures for better sleep.
- Use soundproofing and other acoustic design techniques, such as sound-absorbing materials, to reduce noise that could interfere with sleep.
Engaging Socially
neutral to slight positive influence
In the sample of new Pulte Group homes reviewed by Building H, approximately 19% featured front porches. Neighborhoods with high prevalences of design characteristics such as front porches have been associated with more frequent talk among neighbors.(7)
Pulte Group provides amenities like art classes, golf courses, pools, pickleball, and continuous learning classes at many of its senior living communities.(8) All of these amenities encourage social interaction with neighbors.
- Design new homes with front porches or other street-facing outdoor spaces that facilitate casual social interactions among neighbors.
- Build common outdoor spaces, such as playgrounds, community gardens and walking spaces, that draw neighbors together.
- Within developments, offer regular social programming – events designed to bring neighbors together.
Getting Outdoors
neutral to slight negative influence
Neighborhood walkability is a key driver of spending time outdoors. The walkability of Pulte Group’s locations (discussed above in physical activity) has an influence on how much time its residents spend outdoors.
Access to public parks can also encourage people to go outdoors. In the sample of new Pulte Group homes reviewed by Building H, only 22% were within a 10-minute walk from a public park.(9)
In its Del Webb senior communities, Pulte Group offers floor plans that are designed to seamlessly incorporate outdoor space and blur the line between indoor and outdoor living.(10)
- Pursue opportunities noted above related to neighborhood walkability, bikeability and access to transit.
- Pursue opportunities noted above related to outdoor amenities such as playgrounds, community gardens and walking paths.
Notes
The “low-access to food” designation means that a significant portion of residents of the Census tract are more than one mile (if urban) or more than 10 miles (if rural) from the nearest supermarket or large grocery store. See U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. Food Access Research Atlas: Measuring Access to Food.
Kitchenology: Kitchen Style For Your Life. Pulte Group website.
Carl Oleskewicz. 55+ Communities in Florida for Year-Round Gardening. 55 Places website. October 18, 2019.
Walk Score is a methodology for assessing the walkability of a location, using a proprietary algorithm that factors in walking proximity to amenities and pedestrian friendliness. Walk Score is based on a scale of 0-100. Locations scoring 49 or under are considered “car-dependent;” Locations scoring 70 or more are rated “very walkable.” Those scoring 90 and above are labeled “walker’s paradise.” See https://www.walkscore.com/methodology.shtml for more on the Walk Score methodology.
E. Twardzik et al. Walk Score and objectively measured physical activity within a national cohort. J Epidemiol Community Health 2019;73:549-556.
Tereza Pultarova. Trouble Sleeping? Air Pollution Could Be the Culprit. Live Science. May 24, 2017
Carrie LeVan. Neighborhoods That Matter: How Place and People Affect Political Participation. American Politics Research. 2020, Vol. 48(2) 286–294.
Del Webb Living, on the Del Webb website.
Based on a geographical analysis using ParkServe, a tool provided by the Trust for Public Land.
Del Webb Unveils New Consumer Inspired Homes Designs. Pulte Group press release, September 11, 2019.