Akron, Ohio - MSA
The information in our study covers the Akron Metropolitan 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 Akron area, social offerings (fun places to gather), aesthetics (an area’s physical beauty and green spaces) and openness (how welcoming a place is) are the most important factors emotionally connecting residents to where they live.
Aesthetics - particularly the parks, playgrounds and trails - and education - specifically colleges and universities - are perceived as strengths.
Social offerings and basic services (community infrastructure) are seen as areas needing improvement. So is openness - even though the Akron area saw a significant increase in 2009 in residents’ perceptions of how welcoming their community is, particularly towards families with young children, it is still rated as least welcoming to college graduates. The area as a good place to make friends and meet people was the highest-rated aspect of social offerings, while residents caring about each other was the lowest-rated aspect. With regards to basic services, locals rated health care services highly, but not highways, which had a significant drop in ratings in 2009.
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 openness were up significantly in 2009.
Residents who are most likely to be emotionally attached to Akron are older, retired, home-owning and lower-educated residents. Those least likely to be emotionally attached are younger, single, mid-tenure and lower-income residents.
