Early findings from the Sussex Belonging Survey show strong local pride, but fault lines around housing, identity and financial security.
Ahead of Sussex Day on 16 June, an annual celebration of the county’s identity, new research from the Sussex Intelligence Unit offers a striking portrait of what belonging actually feels like across the region.
Commissioned by the Enjoolata Foundation, the Sussex Belonging Survey was conducted by the Sussex Intelligence Unit and polled residents across the county between 30 April and 14 May 2026. Analysis is currently underway but an emerging headline is that the South Downs and coastline are the most consistent source of belonging in Sussex, cutting across age, housing status and political outlook.
That connection is not passive. Respondents describe specific, repeated acts of being in the landscape as the moments they feel most attached to Sussex: walking on the Downs, being by the sea. These are not occasional experiences for most. The landscape acts as an anchor of identity shared by those who seemingly have little else in common.
When it comes to feelings of belonging, those in Brighton, Lewes and Hastings described the strongest sense of identity linked to being actively part of community life. In rural areas, those most likely to describe feeling excluded were people who identified as working-class, LGBTQ+ or from a minority ethnic group.
Key Finding: Regular, locally-focused community activity, including volunteering, neighbourhood networks and local events, consistently produces far higher feelings of connection across all demographic groups.
Housing costs are the most widely cited barrier as a whole to feelings of belonging, particularly for younger residents and private renters. For those in rental accommodation, people talked about the direct impact on belonging from having to move every few years as landlords sell or raise rents, making it harder to build the community roots that generate belonging in the first place.
Key finding: 73.7% of respondents were born outside Sussex, yet 62.7% have lived here for more than 20 years
The full analysis, including demographic breakdown and analysis by age, geography, ethnicity and economic status, will be published in July. Thank you to the Enjoolata Foundation who commissioned this research.