Soul of the Community

The information in our study covers the Macon, Ga., 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 Macon area, social offerings (fun places to gather), openness (how welcoming the place is) and aesthetics (an area's physical beauty and green spaces) are the most important factors in connecting residents to where they live.

Education (particularly local colleges and universities) and aesthetics were perceived as community strengths. Ratings of aesthetics did significantly decrease in 2009, due to a significant drop in perceptions of the natural setting, though this was still rated slightly higher than the local parks, playgrounds and trails.

Residents gave lower ratings to the area's openness and social offerings (particularly after ratings for the area’s nightlife dipped significantly in 2009) in 2009. The area is perceived as being most welcoming to seniors and least welcoming to college graduates.

Macon did see a significant drop in overall residents' attachment to the community in 2009. This seems primarily due to significant drops in ratings of many of the key things that tie residents to the area.

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 communities. Leadership - also not a key factor - was also rated significantly lower in 2009.

Residents who feel a strong emotional connection to the area are most likely older, long-term, city dwelling, home owning and lower educated residents. Those least likely to feel emotionally attached are younger, full-time employed, higher educated, higher income and new residents.