Soul of the Community

The information in our study covers the Columbia, S.C., 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 Columbia area, social offerings (fun places to gather), openness (how welcoming a place is) and basic services (community infrastructure) are the most important factors in emotionally connecting residents to where they live.

Education and aesthetics (an area’s physical beauty and green spaces) are perceived as community strengths. While residents rated local colleges and universities higher than K-12 public schools, they ranked parks, playgrounds and trails on an equal scale with the Columbia area's natural setting.

Meanwhile, openness, basic services and social offerings are seen as areas needing improvement to encourage residents' attachment to the Columbia area.

Not surprisingly, ratings of the local economy dipped significantly in 2009, however the economy is still not a key factor emotionally connecting residents to their community. Leadership was also rated significantly lower by residents in 2009 in the Columbia area.

Residents who feel a strong emotional connection to the area are most likely older, long-term, retired, homeowning and lower-educated residents. Those least likely to have an emotional connection are younger, mid-tenure, renting, non-employed (includes students) and higher-income residents.