Vital Signs View in Vital Signs
Vital Sign Indicators
Sense of Place Index
Basics
Vibrant Human Quality of Life
Sense of Place
Indicator
Sense of Place Index
Vital Sign Indicator
Index Value (index value)
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An image representing the progress of a Vital Sign.
An image representing the status of a Vital Sign.

No targets are currently set for this indicator.

Kelly Biedenweg
Kelly.Biedenweg@oregonstate.edu
Oregon State University
Contributing Partners
Last Updated
07/31/2025 18:23:51
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Description

The Sense of Place Index measures the percent of residents who express a positive connection, a strong sense of stewardship, and a sense of pride about being from Puget Sound. This indicator will inform us about peoples’ emotional connection to Puget Sound.

Vital Sign Indicator Chart
Sense of Place Index
 

Index of Sense of Place on a seven-point scale based on how respondents agree or disagree with statements about their sense of place in Puget Sound (where 1 is strongly disagree and 7 is strongly agree).

The Sense of Place Index informs us about peoples’ emotional connection to Puget Sound. Understanding trends and variations in sense of place allows us to evaluate the human effects of restoration strategies. It also informs communication and marketing campaigns, opportunities for public engagement in restoration activities, and overall predictors of engaging in the Puget Sound natural environment.

Key Vital Sign Indicator Results
  • We measure Sense of Place by asking respondents to rate their agreement or disagreement with seven statements about sense of place.
  • Most people in Puget Sound describe an identity and/or attachment to Puget Sound as a place. 5.61 was the average survey response in 2024 (out of 7), which means respondents “somewhat agree” that they have a sense of place in the Puget Sound on a seven-point scale. This is consistent with participants’ responses since 2018.
  • About 42% of respondents do not believe they would be satisfied living outside of Puget Sound. 
Methods
Monitoring Program

Oregon State University Human Dimensions Lab

Data Source

Oregon State University Human Dimensions Lab

Human Wellbeing Vital Signs Survey 2024 Summary Report

Data are collected every two years via paper survey and online response option to a random sample of Puget Sound households. The population is a clustered random sample of Puget Sound residents across 12 counties, with an initial sample of 9,000. Due to undeliverable addresses, the total sample reached is always less than 9,000.

  • In 2024, the response rate was 23% for a total of 1,968 responses. 
  • In 2022, the response rate was 20.8%, with a total of 1,271 responses.
  • In 2020, the response rate was 25% for a total of 1,843 respondents.
  • In 2018, the first iteration of the survey, the response rate was 28% for a total of 2,323 individual responses.

The sense of place indicator is based on one question in the survey that asks respondents to rate their perceived agreement with seven statements representing different aspects of how the Puget Sound environment can contribute to their identity, pride, and attachment to place.  These responses are then combined to form an index of sense of place.

For more information on the survey, see Appendix A. Detailed Methodology and Appendix B. 2024 Survey Instrument in the 2024 Summary Report.

Critical Definitions

The Sense of Place Index is made up of seven statements addressing attachment to Puget Sound as a place, Puget Sound contributing to one’s identity, and feeling pride in being from Puget Sound. 

  1. Attachment to Puget Sound Region. Average level of agreement that residents feel attached to the Puget Sound natural environment.
  2. Pride in Puget Sound region.  Average level of agreement that residents feel pride from living in the Puget Sound.
  3. Responsibility for Puget Sound region. Average level of agreement that residents feel responsible to take care of the Puget Sound natural environment.
  4. Identity from Puget Sound region. Average level of agreement that residents feel that living in the Puget Sound says a lot about who they are.
  5. Nature-based connection. Average level of agreement that residents feel that being able to engage in outdoor activities or cultural practices is important to their Puget Sound connection.
  6. Local scale attachment. Average level of agreement that residents feel mostly attached to parts of Puget Sound nearest to them.
  7. Reverse-stated satisfaction. Average level of agreement that residents feel they could be satisfied living in place outside of the Puget Sound.
Interpretation of Results
We measure Sense of Place by asking respondents to rate their agreement or disagreement with seven statements about sense of place on a seven-point Likert scale. Chart shows 2024 survey results. *Percentages less than 3% are not labeled.

According to published analysis of the 2018 data, connection to place did not depend on length of residence in the region (Trimbach et al. 2020).  While sense of place can be measured and experienced in different ways, even newcomers can have a sense of place that contributes to their environmental stewardship.

Reference:

Trimbach, D.J., W. Fleming, K. Biedenweg. 2020. Whose Puget Sound?: Examining Place, Attachment, Residency, and Stewardship in the Puget Sound Region. Geographical Review. DOI: 10.1080/00167428.2020.1798763

There are no significant differences since 2018.  This lack of change is expected, as we don’t anticipate measuring large changes in human experiences until several years of monitoring and large ecological or social influencing events.

Bordas, A., A. Kuberski, K. Harrington, and K. Biedenweg. 2025. Human Wellbeing Vital Signs Survey 2024 Summary: A report on subjective human wellbeing indicators. prepared for the Puget Sound Partnership

Harrington, K., B. Leach, Z. Antenucci, and K. Biedenweg. 2023.  Human Wellbeing Vital Signs Survey 2022 Summary: A report on subjective human wellbeing indicators prepared for the Puget Sound Partnership.

Justiniano, I., C. Avendano, C. Lozano and K. Biedenweg. 2021. Vital Signs Latinx Survey. Report to Puget Sound Partnership.

Fleming, W., H. Kehoe-Thommen, B. Katz, J. Hart  and K. Biedenweg. 2021. Vital Signs Survey Summary 2020: A report on subjective human wellbeing. Report to the Puget Sound Partnership.

Fleming, W. and K. Biedenweg. 2019. Visualizing Human Wellbeing in the Puget Sound (Vital Signs Survey Summary 2018). Report to the Puget Sound Partnership.

Human Wellbeing Vital Signs Interactive Web-interface (2018, 2020)

Datasets

The Puget Sound Partnership believes in the transparency and accessibility of the data used to address puget sound indicators. These data are provided by contributing partners to the Partnership and are made publicly available through the Puget Sound Info site. These data are available on an "as is" basis and the Partnership is not responsible for any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies. Please acknowledge the monitoring program and data source when using these data and obtain permission from the Vital Sign Indicator Reporter to use these data in a publication.

HWB data and codebooks
Uploaded On
07/29/2025
File Type
Excel (XLSX)
Description
Raw data and codebooks for all HWB survey iterations: 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024
Reporting Guidance
Reporting Instructions
Subcategories

No Subcategories for this Puget Sound Indicator.