Walsall has been ranked as one of the least friendly places in England, coming in 291st out of 296 local authority areas in a detailed analysis of Government data from the community life survey.
The study examined how often people chat to neighbours, feelings of loneliness and belonging, local pride and levels of participation in civic life. Walsall recorded the lowest score in the West Midlands, placing it just five places from the bottom of the national table.
Residents trust neighbours less than average
Compared with the average across England's towns and cities, Walsall residents speak to and trust their neighbours less, feel less part of their community and have less pride about where they live. They are more likely to keep themselves to themselves rather than engage with others.
Only a quarter (25%) of residents said many of their neighbours could be trusted. The number of people who said different backgrounds get on well in the town was lower than average, though still fairly high at 70%.
Pride and belonging below national averages
In Walsall, only 43% said they felt proud to live in their local area, below the national average of 60%. A total of 57% said they felt they belonged to their neighbourhood, under the average of 62%.
More encouragingly, 68% chat to their neighbours at least once a month, roughly in line with the national average.
Neighbouring areas also rank low
The results chime with attitudes in a separate recent study which residents listed Walsall as one of the worst places to live in the country. Neighbouring Sandwell was just above Walsall in the list in 289th place. Wolverhampton and Birmingham were also ranked low down in 268th and 263rd respectively.
