The study in Arizona provides an excellent counterpart to our Soul of the Community study because none of the communities we surveyed are in Arizona. Furthermore, the results found that in Arizona, much like the rest of the communities we studied, the three key drivers of community attachment remain ascendant across all types of communities, urban and rural, with a wide range of demographic profiles.

Here's an excerpt of what else Gallup found in Arizona:

• Consensus: Arizona citizens agree on more than we disagree. There is remarkable consensus among Arizona citizens on a broad range of issues and policy positions regardless of where people live. There is also more agreement than we expected by gender, age, income, education and ethnicity. If this level of consensus can be translated into an action agenda for the future, we can achieve The Arizona We Want.
• Attachment: Arizonans are surprisingly attached to their communities. When the Center began this study, we wondered if Arizona’s high rate of in-migration meant that citizens were a little detached. Apparently, that’s not true. The Gallup Arizona Poll measures the emotional attachment people feel for “place” and found that 36 percent of all Arizona citizens feel passionate about and loyal to their communities. The criteria is rigorous and Arizona’s percentage is among the highest of all geographic areas studied to date using this index. It is not significantly affected by gender, income, education  or ethnicity, and it increases with time lived here.
• Aesthetics & natural environment: The state’s natural beauty and open spaces are seen by citizens as our greatest asset. Arizona landscapes matter — on both economic and emotional levels. It’s important that growth and development in the future respect the passion that citizens feel for their environment.
• Leadership: Citizens are not at all satisfied with their elected leaders. Only 10 percent believe that elected officials represent their interests, and only 10 percent rate the performance of elected officials as “very good.” Of the six leadership qualities presented in the Gallup Arizona Poll, citizens strongly agree that leaders need to understand complex issues, but they also want elected officials who will work across party lines.
• Job creation: Like the rest of the world, Arizona residents want jobs. Only six percent of our residents rate Arizona “very good” for job opportunities. A citizens’ agenda that does not address quality job creation and the educated workforce necessary to support it will not refect the concerns and opinions of citizens.
• Openness: Arizona is not a great place for young college graduates. Only 11 percent of our residents believe their city or area is a “very good” place for young college graduates looking to enter the job market. This is not a result that can be easily dismissed. What attracts young professionals to a place? Why are some areas a magnet for talent? Beyond a good job, talented young people want nighttime entertainment and recreational opportunities. They like places that share their commitment to the environment and “green” thinking.

Read the rest of the report at TheArizonaWeWant.org.