The 15 Metro Areas with the Most Community Pride

When you’re hunting for a place to live, your considerations typically include tangible factors like housing costs, school quality and weather (which is vital for lawn care). But one aspect that’s significant — but less measurable and perhaps overlooked — is pride in your community.

In the latest Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index, released in March 2018, researchers sifted through survey data for metro areas around the country and discovered, among other things, the communities where people love to live, feel safe and embrace community pride. A LawnStarter analysis of the data found residents of North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla., are prouder of their community than residents of any of the 100 biggest metro areas in the U.S.

“I have lived in North Port since 2004, and it has been a great experience. I’ve watched the city grow and flourish as more and more individuals continue to move in and become a part of our wonderful community,” one resident of North Port wrote on Niche.com.

In U.S. News & World Report’s most recent ranking of the best places to live in the U.S., Sarasota appeared at No. 2 among the top places in Florida (behind Melbourne, FL) — an accolade that undoubtedly is tied to the area’s community pride.

“Warm temperatures year-round, award-winning beaches and a thriving arts and cultural scene have made Sarasota a go-to place for retirees and families, not to mention a handful of celebrities (including Stephen King and Rosie O’Donnell),” U.S. News & World Report noted. “This southwest Florida region, which is about an hour from Tampa and two hours from Orlando, continues to attract new residents with great restaurants and plenty of shopping options.”

As outlined by Vogue.com, here are some of the other reasons that residents of the Sarasota area can take pride in where they live:

• Local beaches, including Siesta Key, are consistently listed among the best in the country.
• Midcentury architecture is plentiful.
• The list of cultural attractions continues to grow.

Speaking of lists, here is LawnStarter’s list, based on the most recent Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index, of the 15 Metro Areas with the Most Community Pride among the country’s 100 biggest metro areas. Texas boasts three metro areas in our ranking, with Florida, Tennessee and Utah having two each.

1. North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL

2. Des Moines, IA

3. Boise City, ID

4. Chattanooga, TN

5. Grand Rapids, MI

6. Honolulu, HI

7. El Paso, TX

8. McAllen, TX

9. Ogden-Clearfield, UT

10. Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL

11. Provo-Orem, UT

12. Raleigh, NC

13. Nashville, TN

14. Greenville, SC

15. San Antonio, TX

John Egan

John Egan is the former editor in chief of LawnStarter.com. Now, he is a freelance writer extraordinaire. He lives in Austin, Texas.

Posts by John Egan