While most in the county still find quality of life good to excellent, ratings are less enthusiastic than in the past.

The exact same percentage—24%—rated life in Hall as excellent in 2007 and in 2003. There is a small increase, however, in those who rate life in the county as either fair or poor. In 2003, 17% chose this lesser rating, but in 2007 21% said either fair or poor.

Income plays a large role in evaluations of quality of life. Among those earning at the highest levels, 42% say quality of life is excellent, but only 16% of those making less than $25,000 feel this way.

Those with a high school or less level of education are almost twice as likely as the general population to say quality of life is poor (9.3% to 4.8%). Those who are single or divorced are four times more likely than married adults to view quality of life as poor (10.2% to 2.5%).

Have you personally served as a volunteer for an organization in Hall County in the past year?

The volunteer spirit seems to be declining a little. In 2003 30% of respondents said they volunteered in the community. The 2007 response was 24%.

Those who are married, have children, work, earn a higher income and participate in religious services are more likely to volunteer. Among the least likely to volunteer are those who earn less than $25,000 annually, only 10% of whom report doing any volunteer work.

The volunteer spirit is highest among residents of northern Hall County neighborhoods, where 30% report volunteering at least some time. Those who have lived in the county more than 10 years are also more volunteer oriented.

Are you an active member of any non-church related club, civic organization, hobby group or sports team in Hall County?

Similar to the volunteer response above, 25% are involved in some sort of group. Income and educational levels are reliable predictors of who will join a club or group. Upper income adults are four times more likely than low-income adults to do so (44% to 11%). College grads are 2 and a half times more likely to connect to others through groups than those with high school only or less education.

Participation in groups and in volunteer work among ethnic groups is less than among white residents of the county. For example, 30% of White respondents volunteer, compared to 14% of Black respondents and 9% of Latinos. A similar pattern exists for joining clubs and groups—30% of whites do, compared to 19% of Blacks and 11% of Latinos.

Have you donated more than $100 to a non-church related organization in the community in the past year?

Less than half of Hall Countians - 43% - said they did this last year. This is a very similar number to the 42% who said they donated more than $100 in 2003.

It is not surprising that greater percentages of upper income adults donate money than lower income adults, but the variation is large. While about four of five upper income Hall adults (79.5%) donated at least $100, only one of five (19%) lower income adults did.

The most generous age grouping appears to be 45 to 54. Those who have given at least $100 rises to 54% in this age group, and then tails off to 40% for those age 55 to 64 and 39% for those over 65.

Even though this question specifically excluded church giving, regular church members are more likely to give to community causes than those who seldom or never attend church. Half of weekly church participants (50%) give to community causes, compared to 25% of those who never participate in religious services.

On average, how often do you attend worship services at church, synagogue or other faith organization?

Almost half of all adults (45%) reported they attend worship services regularly, which is defined as about once a week. An additional 14% say they attend frequently, or two to three times a month. This is a noticeable decrease from the 2003 study, however, when 54% of respondents said they attend worship at least once a week.

Regular worship participation exceeds 40% in every age cohort but one. It is highest among those over age 65
(60%) and lowest among those a little younger (36% for those 55 to 64).

Women are more active in worship than men and parents are more active than those without children in the home. Those most likely to say they seldom or never participate in religious services are not the young as some might expect, but the baby boomers. In the 55 to 64 age bracket, 41% of adults seldom or never attend worship services.

Do you feel you have adequate transportation to get to the places you need to go?

This is an important question, especially for the elderly, physically impaired, low income and for Latino residents, groups more likely to depend on public or special transportation services. Overall, 86% in the county feel they have adequate transportation, which is virtually unchanged since the 2003 study.

Among those over 65, 91% report they have the ability to get where they need to go. This falls off to 70% among low income, and to 63% among Latinos.

Those most likely to say no, they do not have adequate transportation, are those whose health is poor. Almost half this group—49%--says they lack adequate transportation.

What is your level of agreement with the following statement: Hall County is a diverse community that is accepting of all persons regardless of race, religion or lifestyle?

Similar to 2003, 34% of all Hall County adults say they strongly agree with this statement. White respondents are more likely to strongly agree (35%) than their Black or Latino neighbors (who say they strongly agree by 28% and 22% respectively), but the variation is narrowing a bit.

In 2003 21% of Black respondents strongly disagreed with the statement. Now in 2007, only 11% strongly disagree. Among Latinos, 5% strongly disagreed in 2003, compared to 6% in 2007.

One might expect new residents to be more sensitive to attitudes toward others and issues of diversity. Results of the survey show that the percentage of those who have lived in the county less than five years who strongly agree with this statement is the same as those who have lived in Hall more than 20 years.