Components of Satisfaction with Local Areas in the Metropolis

Using individuals' subjective evaluations, this paper investigates the specific features of local areas in the Seattle, Washington metropolitan region which are most strongly related to overall satisfaction with the community. On the whole, the data support the view that the contemporary local area serves important but limited functions for metropolitan dwellers. The strongest correlates of overall evaluation are related to the evaluation of the general physical and social environment, and also specific characteristics of the home. The social character of the local population is especially important. Various others attributes of areas which have been emphasized by theorists as important to neighborhood dwellers are much less useful as predictors. These include the nature of the individual's location in relationship to other urban activities, local community institutions, and the quality of governmental services. The variables generally work in a similar manner for various sub-groups in the population, although there are some notable exceptions.