Measures of Community Well-Being

Abstract

A proposal is put forward for a measure of community well-being that can be adapted to numerous specific contexts. The community well-being measure extends beyond simple measures of community satisfaction that are often currently employed. The proposed measure includes items in six domains relevant to community well-being: flourishing individuals, good relationships, proficient leadership, healthy practices, satisfying community, and strong mission. Adaptation of the measure for a variety of contexts is provided so that the proposed approach can be used in nations, cities, neighborhoods, families, workplaces, schools, and religious communities. Discussion covers the complex relationships between individual and community well-being and how measures of community well-being may be useful for tracking and assessment or for reflection purposes, and how it might ultimately be used to improve community well-being.