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Environment and Behavior
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The Correlates of Community Attractiveness

Verl L. Lekwa

Columbus City, Iowa

Tom W. Rice

University of Iowa, tom-rice{at}uiowa.edu

Matthew V. Hibbing

University of Iowa

Anyone familiar with American communities knows that they vary significantly in terms of their physical attractiveness. In this study, the authors explore the community-level correlates of attractiveness using data from all of Iowa’s 954 cities and towns. Each of the communities was visited by a researcher who scored it in terms of its attractiveness. The authors correlate these ratings with a variety of community-level sociodemographic, economic, and attitudinal indicators. The results show that attractive communities tend to be larger, wealthier, and more civic-minded than other communities. Attractive communities also tend to have a higher percentage of elderly and college-educated residents. Further analysis revealed that population, wealth, and education are correlated less strongly with attractiveness as community size increases, whereas civic mindedness is correlated more strongly with attractiveness as community size increases. The authors discuss what their findings mean for communities trying to become more attractive.

Key Words: community • urban planning • beautification • urban design • community attractiveness

Environment and Behavior, Vol. 39, No. 2, 198-216 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0013916506288055
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