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Milledgeville, Ga. - µSA

The information in our study covers the Milledgeville, Ga., Micropolitan 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 of Milledgeville cited unemployment as the area's most pressing problem in 2009.

In the Milledgeville 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 emotionally connecting residents to where they live.

Aesthetics and education are perceived to be community strengths. Aesthetics was rated significantly higher overall, with ratings of parks, playgrounds and trails significantly higher in 2009, but residents continue to rate the area’s natural setting even higher. In education, local colleges and universities continued to rate much higher than the K-12 public schools.

Social offerings and openness continue to need improvement. While residents cited opportunities to make friends as the highest-rated aspect of social offerings, nightlife was the lowest-rated aspect. The Milledgeville area is perceived to be most welcoming for seniors, and least welcoming for college grads and gays and lesbians – though there was a significant increase in perceived openness to the latter group in 2009.

Demographic factsResidents most attached to Milledgeville tend to be 65 or older, lower-education, widowed, urban-dwelling, retired, and lower-income.

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.

Residents who feel a strong emotional connection to the area are most likely older, urban-dwelling, retired, lower-education and lower-income residents. Those least likely to be emotionally connected are younger, mid-tenure, rural-dwelling, non-employed (including students) and higher-income residents.