Participation in civil society measures North Carolinians' connections to groups and organizations; however, our personal connections are another important measure of social capital. Connections to peers, family, and friends have positive effects on health and well–being and may be pathways to civic and political participation.

Private connections can be measured through activities such as communicating with friends and family, eating dinner with members of one's household, talking to neighbors, and favors exchanged with neighbors. By this measure, 91.2% of Americans and 90.2% of North Carolinians are connected in some way.

Residents who have strong interpersonal connections and exchange favors with neighbors often are North Carolina's most “connected” residents. By that measure, 17% of North Carolinians are “connected” — that is, they have strong interpersonal connections and frequently exchange favors with neighbors. This rate is just slightly higher than the national average of 16%.

Measuring the “connectedness” of North Carolinians is particularly important because Americans who are less connected are far less likely to vote. Nationally, Americans who are interpersonally connected are also more likely to volunteer. However, in North Carolina, personal connection is unrelated to volunteering.

Unlike the gaps in civil society participation, gaps in connectedness do not fall along traditional socio–economic lines. For instance, nationally, unemployed Americans are slightly more likely to be connected with family and neighbors and to also exchange favors with neighbors (18.7%) than employed Americans (14.2%); this trend is mirrored in North Carolina.

North Carolinians without college experience are notably more likely to have strong personal connections to family and friends and to help their neighbors: 23% do both in North Carolina, compared with 16.2% nationwide. Rural residents have a higher level of “connectedness” than those living in metropolitan areas. More than 20% of rural residents have strong connections with family and friends and help their neighbors, compared with 15% of those living in metropolitan areas.

The various measures suggest that the informal, personal connections associated with family–based, rural traditions remain strong in the state, but they do not engender a sense of community ownership and responsibility, or “civic power,” that is evident among more urban, educated, and higher–income North Carolinians.