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Boulder, Colo. - MSA

The information in our study covers the Boulder, Colo., 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.

Most Important ProblemResidents continued to cite overcrowding as the community's most pressing problem in 2009, although it was cited less often than in 2008.

In the Boulder 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 and education are perceived as community strengths. In particular, residents continue to rate Boulder’s natural setting highly, though it was rated significantly lower in 2009. Local colleges and universities continue to be rated higher than K-12 public schools.

Openness, social offerings and basic services (community infrastructure) are seen as areas needing improvement. Among its social offerings, the community was most highly rated for being a good place to make friends and meet people. "Residents caring about each other" was the lowest-rated aspect of the area's social offerings. While residents say Boulder is most welcoming to gays and lesbians and families with young children, it is perceived to be least welcoming to immigrants and racial/ethnic minorities. The Boulder area was the only place studied where there was a significant increase in perceived welcomeness to college graduates in 2009. And while residents rated health care highest among the basic services, the availability of affordable housing was the lowest-rated aspect.

Demographic factHigher-income residents grew significantly more attached to the community from 2008 to 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.

Residents who are most likely to have an emotional connection to the Boulder area are married, mid to higher educated and highest income residents. Those least likely to be attached are younger, single, non-employed (including students) and mid-income residents.