Study: Arizonans do not feel connected to local communities

PHOENIX — A new study said Arizonans don’t feel as connected to their local communities as people in other places do.

While they may not feel disconnected, Marian Salzman CEO of Havas North America, the public relations agency that conducted the survey, said the roots aren’t dug as deep for Valley residents.

The study said Arizona residents are low on the scale when it comes feeling ties to their cities and the state.

“Fifty-nine percent of Americans feel that they identify with the city or town they live in. But among Arizonans, it’s only 46 percent,” she said.

And that, Salzman said, means local involvement and commitment to community is weaker in Arizona than in other places. What’s missing is the participation in schools, clubs, and volunteer projects.

“I think that Arizonans tend to be more transient,” she said. “They’ve come from other places. They’re staying because they like to be there, but they don’t have that same natural tie as someone who’s third generation, from Rhode Island, for example.”

Salzman said it all boils down to Arizona attracting a lot of newcomers, and they all have ties somewhere else.

“Since so many Arizonans come from someplace else, there probably is a lesser sense of connectivity.”