Well more than half of Baton Rouge residents surveyed in a new Gallup poll said they are proud of their city, placing the Red Stick in the middle of the pack among the 100 largest U.S. cities included in the poll.
Gallup asked poll respondents to answer to a simple statement—“You are proud in your community or the area where you live”—on a five-point scale, with 5 representing “strongly agree” and 1 “strongly disagree.” In Baton Rouge, 59% of those taking the poll responded by saying they either “agree” or “strongly agree.”
Residents of Des Moines, Iowa, were the most proud of their community, followed by Greenville, South Carolina, and Asheville, North Carolina, according to Gallup. Memphis is said to have the lowest community pride in the nation of the cities included in the poll.
The results show New Orleans has slightly more community self-esteem than Baton Rouge with about 61% of New Orleanians saying they were proud of their community. New Orleans also ranks highest in the nation for recognition of community service, with 28% of those polled agreeing they had received recognition for their service. Gallup suggests there’s a connection between the rebuilding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and the comparatively high level of recognition for community service in the city.
Nationally, more than half of Americans polled said they are proud of their community, and Gallup says the results show feelings of safety and security are linked to community pride. About 91% of Americans who reported feeling safe and secure also reported being proud of their community, while only about 2% of those who said they did not feel safe also stated that they were proud of their community.
See the complete survey results.
—Deanna Narveson
