Soul of the Community

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

Education (local colleges and universities and K-12 public schools) and aesthetics (an area's physical beauty and green spaces) are community strengths – particularly the area’s colleges and universities and its natural setting.

Social offerings (particularly residents caring about each other), basic services (particularly affordable housing) and openness (particularly to gays and lesbians, due to a significant drop in perceived welcomeness to that group) are weaker areas, the survey found.

Not surprisingly, ratings of the economy were down significantly in 2009. However, civic involvement (due to increases in residents working together to make change) was up significantly this year.

Residents most likely to be emotionally connected to the area are older, retired, home-owning and higher-income – with a significant increase in emotional attachment for home-owning and retired residents in 2009. Those least likely to be emotionally connected are younger, single, rural-dwelling and new residents.