Soul of the Community

This information covers the Duluth-Superior, Minn.-Wis., 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 Duluth area, social offerings (fun places to gather), openness (how welcoming a place is) and aesthetics (an area's physical beauty and green spaces) are the most important factors emotionally connecting residents to where they live.

Aesthetics and education are perceived as community strengths. In particular, residents rated highly the area’s natural setting and the local colleges and universities. However, residents rated K-12 public schools significantly lower in 2009.

Social offerings (particularly the nightlife) and openness (particularly to college graduates) are seen as areas needing improvement.

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 an increase in voting for the Presidential election) was up significantly in 2009.

Residents who feel a strong emotional connection to the area are most likely older, long-term, part-time employed and lower income residents. Those least likely to be attached are 34-64 years old, urban dwelling, full-time employed and mid- to high-income residents.