Is the congregation's census tract predominately urban, predominately suburban, or predominately rural? (National Congregations Study 2006-2007)

Each question was asked of a key informant from the congregation, such as a minister, priest, rabbi, or other staff person or leader.

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Type of Census Tract (National Congregations Study 2006-2007)     [Results weighted by W1]

Related Topics • African-American Population • Immigration • Poverty Level • Region of the Country • See all Topics Demographic Patterns • Year Founded • Adult Members • Political Ideology • Region of the Country • Religious Tradition • Theology

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Type of Census Tract (Demographic Patterns)

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Type of Census Tract by Year Founded

	Before 1900	1900-1950	1951-1999	2000 or Later	Missing	TOTAL
Urban	32.9% 118	52.2% 203	52.3% 299	48.5% 48	32	47.1% 668
Suburban	19.8% 71	20.1% 78	21.2% 121	32.3% 32	18	21.3% 302
Rural	47.4% 170	27.8% 108	26.6% 152	19.2% 19	39	31.6% 449
TOTAL	100.0% 359	100.0% 389	100.0% 572	100.0% 99	89	1419

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Type of Census Tract by Adult Members

	25 or Less	26-50	51-100	101-200	More than 200	Missing	TOTAL
Urban	31.0% 62	34.1% 128	47.3% 177	48.6% 141	72.0% 188	1	46.4% 696
Suburban	19.0% 38	29.1% 109	19.8% 74	20.7% 60	13.0% 34	3	21.0% 315
Rural	50.0% 100	36.8% 138	32.9% 123	30.7% 89	14.9% 39	0	32.6% 489
TOTAL	100.0% 200	100.0% 375	100.0% 374	100.0% 290	100.0% 261	4	1500

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Type of Census Tract by Political Ideology

	More on the conservative side	Right in the middle	More on the liberal side	Missing	TOTAL
Urban	45.7% 375	46.4% 227	56.8% 63	33	46.8% 665
Suburban	22.0% 181	19.0% 93	18.0% 20	25	20.7% 294
Rural	32.3% 265	34.6% 169	25.2% 28	26	32.5% 462
TOTAL	100.0% 821	100.0% 489	100.0% 111	84	1421

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Type of Census Tract by Region of the Country

	New England or Mid-Atlantic	East North Central or West North Central	South Atlantic, East South Central, or West South Central	Mountain or Pacific	TOTAL
Urban	68.5% 135	47.0% 182	33.9% 243	67.3% 138	46.4% 698
Suburban	8.1% 16	13.7% 53	29.9% 214	17.6% 36	21.2% 319
Rural	23.4% 46	39.3% 152	36.2% 259	15.1% 31	32.4% 488
TOTAL	100.0% 197	100.0% 387	100.0% 716	100.0% 205	1505

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Type of Census Tract by Religious Tradition

	Roman Catholic	White conservative, evangelical, or fundamentalist	Black Protestant	White liberal or moderate	Non-Christian	TOTAL
Urban	63.3% 50	41.4% 305	45.6% 161	49.8% 142	78.4% 40	46.4% 698
Suburban	21.5% 17	19.4% 143	26.9% 95	20.4% 58	11.8% 6	21.2% 319
Rural	15.2% 12	39.2% 289	27.5% 97	29.8% 85	9.8% 5	32.4% 488
TOTAL	100.0% 79	100.0% 737	100.0% 353	100.0% 285	100.0% 51	1505

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Type of Census Tract by Theology

	More on the conservative side	Right in the middle	More on the liberal side	Missing	TOTAL
Urban	48.7% 445	42.6% 181	50.4% 61	12	47.1% 687
Suburban	22.1% 202	17.6% 75	23.1% 28	14	20.9% 305
Rural	29.1% 266	39.8% 169	26.4% 32	21	32.0% 467
TOTAL	100.0% 913	100.0% 425	100.0% 121	47	1459

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Notes

The National Congregations Study (NCS) dataset "fills a void in the sociological study of congregations by providing, for the first time, data that can be used to draw a nationally aggregate picture of congregations" (Chaves et al. 1999, p.460). Thanks to innovations in sampling techniques, the NCS data is the first nationally representative sample of American congregations. In 2006-07, a panel component was added to the NCS. In addition to the new cross-section of congregations generated in conjunction with the 2006 General Social Survey (GSS), a stratified random sample was drawn from congregations who participated in the 1998 NCS. The 2006-07 NCS sample, then, includes a subset of cases that were also interviewed in 1998. A full codebook, prepared by the primary investigator, is available for download here. The codebook contains the original questionnaire, as well as detailed information on survey methodology, weights, coding, and more.