Soul of the Community

The information in our study covers the Philadelphia, Pa., Metropolitan Division.

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 Philadelphia area, openness (how welcoming the place is) social offerings (fun places to gather) and aesthetics (an area's physical beauty and green spaces) are the most important factors connecting residents to where they live.

Aesthetics (particularly parks, playgrounds and trails) and education (particularly the area’s colleges and universities) were considered community strengths.

Meanwhile, openness and social offerings were seen as needing improvement. Philadelphia area was rated most welcoming to families with young children - thanks to a significant jump for that group in 2009 - and least welcoming to gays and lesbians.  The nightlife was rated highest among the aspects of social offerings. The lowest-rated aspect of social offerings was residents caring about each other.

Not surprisingly, ratings of the local economy were down 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 married or widowed, suburban-dwelling, higher-educated and higher-income. Those least likely to have a strong emotional connection to the area are single/divorced, non-employed (including students), new, lower-educated and lower-income residents.