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Neighborhood Satisfaction
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About Neighborhood Satisfaction
Scale Name
Neighborhood Satisfaction
Author Details
Douglas D. Perkins, Paul Florin, and David M. Rich (1990), adapted by the Houston Community Demonstration Project (1993)
Translation Availability
English
Background/Description
The Neighborhood Satisfaction scale, originally developed by Douglas D. Perkins, Paul Florin, and David M. Rich in 1990 and adapted by the Houston Community Demonstration Project in 1993, is a resident-report questionnaire designed to measure urban residents’ attitudes toward their neighborhood, such as whether they perceive it as a good place to live. Targeting urban residents aged 18 and older, the scale assesses subjective evaluations of neighborhood quality and livability. Cited in Dahlberg et al. (2005), it aligns with social capital theory (Coleman, 1988) and environmental psychology frameworks (Bonaiuto et al., 1999), evaluating how positive attitudes toward the neighborhood promote community well-being and engagement.
The scale comprises 6 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = “strongly disagree” to 5 = “strongly agree”). Examples include “My neighborhood is a good place to live” and “I am satisfied with my community.” Scores are summed (range: 6-30), with higher scores indicating greater neighborhood satisfaction. Validated in urban adult samples, it is used to assess community perceptions, predict resident retention, and inform community-based interventions.
Psychologists, sociologists, and public health researchers use the scale to evaluate attitudes toward neighborhood quality, study protective factors for community cohesion, and design programs to enhance livability. Its brevity and focus on subjective satisfaction are strengths, but moderate reliability and English-only availability may limit reliability and cross-cultural use.
Administration, Scoring and Interpretation
- Obtain a copy of the scale from authorized sources, such as Dahlberg et al. (2005) Measuring Violence-Related Attitudes, Behaviors, and Influences Among Youths or Houston Community Demonstration Project publications, ensuring ethical use permissions.
- Explain the purpose to respondents, noting that it assesses attitudes toward the neighborhood to support community well-being, emphasizing anonymity and using clear, non-judgmental language.
- Provide instructions, asking residents to rate their agreement with statements about neighborhood satisfaction over the past month, using the 5-point scale.
- Approximate time for completion is 1-2 minutes, given the 6-item format.
- Administer in a community, household, or research setting, using paper or digital formats, ensuring a private environment. Oral administration may be used for residents with reading difficulties.
Reliability and Validity
The Neighborhood Satisfaction scale has moderate psychometric properties, as reported in Dahlberg et al. (2005). Internal consistency is acceptable, with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.70, indicating reasonable item cohesion, though limited by the small number of items. Test-retest reliability is not reported, but stability is inferred to be moderate based on similar satisfaction measures (r ≈ 0.60-0.80 over weeks).
Convergent validity is supported by correlations with related constructs, such as increased community engagement (r ≈ 0.30-0.50) and reduced neighborhood problems (r ≈ -0.20 to -0.40). Discriminant validity is inferred from weaker correlations with unrelated constructs, like individual income (r < 0.30). Criterion validity is demonstrated by its ability to predict resident retention and community participation in urban studies. Factor analyses are not detailed, but the scale’s unidimensional focus on satisfaction supports construct validity. The moderate reliability suggests cautious use, ideally paired with validated measures like the Neighborhood Cohesion scale (Perkins et al., 1990).
Available Versions
04-Items
Reference
Dahlberg, L. L., Toal, S. B., Swahn, M. H., & Behrens, C. B. (2005). Measuring violence-related attitudes, behaviors, and influences among youths: A compendium of assessment tools. Centers for disease control and prevention.
Important Link
Scale File:
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Neighborhood Satisfaction scale measure?
It measures residents’ attitudes toward their neighborhood as a good place to live.
Who can use the scale?
Psychologists, sociologists, and public health researchers studying urban residents aged 18+.
How long does the scale take to complete?
It takes about 1-2 minutes.
Is the scale specific to certain groups?
It targets urban residents aged 18 and older.
Can the scale inform interventions?
Yes, but moderate reliability (α = 0.70) suggests use with validated measures.
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