We like to imagine where we live as the defining line in America. As such, it shapes everything from campaign strategies to cultural stereotypes. But when you ask people directly how they’re doing, the divides are smaller, more complicated, and, in some ways, more surprising.
That’s what we set out to explore: how people are experiencing community wellbeing and the rhythms of daily life across urban, suburban, and rural America. But, we didn’t stop there. We also zoomed in by U.S. Census Division, because a place isn’t just about whether you live in a city or a town. It’s also about the broader region you call home, and how history, culture, and economics intersect there.
The takeaway? There’s no neat story of “cities thriving” or “rural communities struggling.”
The mix above tells us something important about how civic life actually takes root. It isn’t about broad categories like urban or rural. When you read about community wellbeing in people’s own words, it’s much more about the texture of daily life: the quality of local schools, the strength of neighborhood networks, whether people feel safe, or whether they feel seen.
So let’s dig into some specific places to see what it actually looks like on the ground.
The Pacific Paradox
On paper, the Pacific should sparkle: economic engines and diverse communities. Yet residents there rated their community wellbeing 3pp lower than the national average (63% vs. 66%).
When we dug deeper, we started to see why. Stress is higher (46% report moderate to high stress vs. 44% nationally). Perception of community care is lower (24% vs 26%). Confidence in government lags (49% vs. 55%). And many describe neighborhoods hollowed out by rising costs, displacement, and social division.
“Local community worried about ICE raids and protests.” –63, Male, Republican, Orange, CA
“All the young people are moving away to greener pastures, the local government is not allowing anything new to be built. There’s no prospects and no hope.” –27, Female, Independent, Malheur, OR
When we look at what people in the Pacific describe in negative terms about their local community, two challenges stand out: public safety and housing.
When asked about their community wellbeing, nearly twice as many Pacific residents talked about housing in a negative light compared to the entire nation (11% vs 6% nationally), and they were 4pp more likely to bring up challenges to public safety (18% vs 14%). Often people intertwine these into a single issue that continues to trouble their neighborhoods: homelessness.
“There are many drug addicted and homeless, there is also lots of vandalism and crime.” –60, Female, Republican, King, WA
“There are still lots of homeless and drug addicts roaming the streets.”–18, Female, Democrat, San Diego, CA
Concerns about housing don’t just affect those who are struggling to find an affordable place to live. Especially for those on the Pacific coast, it affects entire communities.
Mountains Without Ascent
Cities in the Mountain West promise rugged beauty and resilience, but the reality, for many, is bleaker. Only 59% say their community is thriving, lagging the 66% urban average across the rest of the county.
Here, stress spikes (49% mountain urban vs. 45% national urban). Financial struggle climbs (21% vs. 17%). And personal impact on community (28% vs. 35%) and community care (19% vs 26%) both drop.
Like the Pacific coast, people living in cities in the Mountain West are more likely than the rest of the nation to talk about housing and public safety as challenges their communities face.
But, city residents in the Mountain West are also more likely to talk negatively about the connection and support they receive from their neighbors compared to other cities across the country. And while the difference is slight (only 1-2pp), it stands out in the way people talk about their communities.
In some cases, it seems to be a symptom of fast growth and fewer opportunities for long-term relationships:
“I live in a very transient community with people moving in and out all the time. Since we have lived in our current house, every house on the block has had new residents in and out. The neighbors on either side of us have moved 3 or 4 times, and it is sometimes difficult getting to know people.” –73, Male, Republican, Clark, NV
Other times it’s about how easy it is (or isn’t) to meet and gather with others:
“In my area there aren’t many events so in order to go to events and meet people you have to travel somewhat far.”–26, Female, Democrat, Broomfield, CO
Or, it’s framed as an observation about social distance:
“Just people tend to stick to themselves and not really pay attention to anybody.” –50, Male, Republican, Maricopa, AZ
New England, Old Tensions
New England looks strong on the surface: 69% of residents rate their community’s wellbeing as good or excellent. Suburban New England leads (71%), cities aren’t far behind (68%), and even rural areas (64%) come in above the national average for rural areas.
But scratch a little deeper and the picture is more complicated. Stress is high, especially in the region’s cities, where it reaches 51% (vs. 45% urban nationally). People report feeling less able to make an impact (28% vs 30%), and people are less likely to say their communities care about them “a great deal” (23% vs 26%) than elsewhere in the country.
When we look at what people in New England describe in negative terms about their local community, different challenges stand out: economic and local government.
Compared to other regions, New Englanders are especially likely to zero in on economic challenges:
“Businesses are still struggling since the pandemic and some have closed. People are struggling to get by every month and prices continue to climb.” –74, Female, Democrat, Androscoggin, ME
And despite being more likely than other parts of the country to say that their local government is effective at solving problems (57% vs 55% nationally), New Englanders are slightly more likely to talk about local politics in a negative context.
“My town spends money foolishly. We can always count on tax hikes along with service cuts.” –50, Female, Independent, Norfolk, MA
In other words, New Englanders may have slightly more faith in their local government, but no one’s beyond reproach. Or as one Bay Stater put it:
“People are decently happy and safe but there can always be more improvement.”–20, Male, Independent, Worcester, MA
Final Thoughts
Community is supposed to be the container that holds us—a place where belonging, safety, and possibility come together. But what people told us makes clear how unevenly that promise is felt.
On the Pacific coast, the weight of housing and public safety looms large, reshaping daily life. In the Mountain West, fast growth and transience chip away at connection. In New England, economic strain and political frustration complicate an otherwise high baseline of wellbeing. Even where the numbers look strong, the stories reveal frayed seams.
So the questions we’re left with are less about “which region is doing best” and more about what it actually takes to sustain civic life:
How can communities thrive when the basics, like housing, safety, and affordability, feel out of reach?
What builds connection in places where neighbors barely know each other, or where life feels too transient to form lasting ties?
What does it take to make care the defining feature of community life?
In the end, community wellbeing isn’t just a local story. It’s the scaffolding for how people imagine their future. If we want a healthier democracy, we have to start where people actually live their lives.
Place matters. People matter more.
Murmuration is a non-profit that strengthens community-driven change at the local level. By equipping local organizations with powerful data, technology, and insights, Murmuration helps them amplify community voices, build collective power, and drive solutions that reflect the lived realities of the people they serve. murmuration.org