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Community Belonging

Community Belonging

​Current Trend

In 2015/2016, 73.4% of Chatham-Kent residents 12 years and older reported a somewhat strong or very strong sense of belonging to their local community which is higher than the provincial rate of 70.9%.
In 2017/2018, 76.8% of Chatham-Kent residents 12 years and older reported a somewhat strong or very strong sense of belonging to their local community which is higher than the provincial rate of 70.9%.
This represents almost a 4.5% increase in a sense of community belonging for CK residents over that period.

Desired Trend

An increase in the proportion of Chatham-Kent residents who perceive a strong sense of community belonging.


​Why is this measurement important?


Research has established links between social networks and health outcomes; that sense of community belonging is highly correlated with physical and mental health, even when age, socio-economic status and other factors are taken into account. Social isolation tends to be detrimental to health, while social engagement and attachment are associated with positive health outcomes.
Well over half of Canadians consistently report a somewhat strong or very strong sense of community belonging.

Sense of community belonging is a measure of social inclusion. Socially excluded Canadians are more likely to be unemployed and earn lower wages. They have less access to health and social services, and means of furthering their education.

Sense of belonging reflects the social and environmental connections people have made and a sense of pride in their community, province, and country. Research shows that a strong sense of community is linked to high levels of social participation and social engagement, stronger feelings of safety and security, and better health overall.


How is this measured?

Data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (administered by Statistics Canada) is used to understand residents' sense of belonging to their local community. To measure sense of community belonging, respondents to the Canadian Community Health Survey were asked, "How would you describe your sense of belonging to your local community? Would you say it is: Very strong? Somewhat strong? Somewhat weak? Very weak?". In 2018, the average indicated that the sense of belonging to the community was somewhat strong or very strong was 72.2%.
Is this good, bad, indifferent compared to other communities?
Data prior to the CCHS 2015/16 survey year will not be used as CCHS advised not to make comparisons with previous survey cycles as they made a lot of changes to their survey sampling frame that year.