Soul of the Community

The information in our study covers the Aberdeen, S.D., Micropolitan Statistical Area.

In each community, the Soul of the Community Study identified factors that emotionally bond residents to where they live. Some of these community characteristics were rated highly by residents, and are therefore community strengths while others were rated lower, making them opportunities for improvement. This information can provide communities a roadmap for increasing residents’ emotional attachment to where they live, which the study found has a significant relationship to economic vitality.

In the Aberdeen area, social offerings (fun places to gather), openness (how welcoming a place is) and aesthetics (an area’s physical beauty and green spaces) continue to be the most important factors emotionally connecting residents to where they live.

Education and aesthetics continue to perceived as community strengths. Locals rated parks, playgrounds and trails higher than the city’s natural setting. Meanwhile, colleges and universities were more highly regarded than the city’s K-12 public schools.

Social offerings and openness were both seen as areas needing improvement. Aberdeen’s nightlife ranked poorly, and the city, while welcoming to seniors, was perceived as being less welcoming to gays and lesbians.

Not surprisingly, ratings of the local economy dropped significantly in 2009, however the economy still was not an important factor in determining residents’ emotional connection to place. Civic involvement (due primarily to voting increase for presidential election) and perceptions of safety were up significantly.

Residents who feel strong emotional connection to the area are most likely older, lower-income, suburban and long-term residents. Those least likely to have a strong emotional connection to the area are most likely unemployed (which includes students) and younger residents.