The power of the place we live: What roles do home and the community play in well-being?

Abstract

The place where we live has a significant impact on the way we live, feel and assess our lives. Housing conditions, the characteristics of the neighborhood around the dwelling or of the community, and commuting conditions have a relationship with the multidimensional construct of well-being. This paper examines the roles that home and the community play in well-being. Background literature on quality of life, well-being and its domains and the role of the place where we live is interpreted in the paper. The empirical analysis aims to describe the relationships between home and well-being and the community and well-being. The quantitative method used to conduct this investigation included a representative survey in Hungary. Our results confirm previous research findings in many areas (weak or moderate significant relationships between some sociodemographic and other often-examined well-being domains and well-being) and identify weak and positive significant relationships between home and well-being and the community and well-being. The overall well-being of the Hungarian population is significantly influenced by their attachment to their community.