Feeling Part of a Community

Roughly 90 percent of residents strongly or somewhat agree they feel accepted by their community, are treated fairly and that there are opportunities for people in their communities to be successful. About 85 percent agree that they make a difference, while just over 80 percent say they know of at least one community organization that would help with an urgent issue. However, these figures fall off to between 62 and 65 percent when residents are asked whether they are active in their communities or feel like they have a voice in their schools.

Younger adults and older adults are less likely to feel like they are active in their communities. Those with higher incomes and education are more likely to feel like they make a difference, they can get help if needed, they are active and they have a voice in schools. Whites are significantly more likely to feel like they are accepted and treated fairly than blacks. However, the proportion of blacks saying they feel connected to their community increased in all categories except for one (feeling like they make a difference), though the changes were not statistically significant. Latinos, Asians and other minorities experienced the opposite trend, with a smaller proportion saying they felt connected to their community across every category in 2019 compared to 2018. This was especially true for feeling that opportunities exist and that they make a difference, where the declines were statistically significant.