Soul of the Community

The information in our study covers the Fort Wayne, Ind., 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 Ft. Wayne 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 were perceived as community strengths. In particular, residents rated parks, playgrounds and trails highly, as well as local colleges and universities.

Social offerings (particularly residents caring about each other) and openness (particularly to college graduates and gays and lesbians) were seen as areas needing improvement.

Not surprisingly, ratings of the local economy were down significantly in 2009, however the economy is still not a key factor emotionally connecting residents to their community. Civic involvement (specifically, an increase in voting due to the Presidential election, as well as volunteering) was up significantly in 2009.

Residents who feel a strong emotional connection to the area are most likely to be older, employed part-time or retired, and middle-income residents. Those least likely to be emotionally attached are renting, mid-tenure, non-employed (includes students) and middle-educated residents.