From Business North:

A Gallup study of the Duluth-Superior area and 25 other U.S. communities found that the economic crisis is not a key factor in residents’ loyalty for their community.

“While the pain from the recession is deep, other factors far outweigh economics when it comes to determining how emotionally attached people are to their communities,” said Warren Wright, managing partner for Gallup, which conducted the study with funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

The study pinpointed three key factors that bind residents to the region: social offerings (fun places to gather), openness (how welcoming a place is) and aesthetics (an area’s physical beauty and green spaces.)