Community Types
Intentional communities come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, only limited by the imagination of the people who start them. Each intentional community has unique qualities and its own unique set of circumstances and people. One of the great things about intentional communities is that they can be whatever the people who start them and live in them collectively decide.
Here is a brief overview video of some of the most common types:
In the online Communities Directory, many communities have self-identified as one or more of these types. While we can’t guarantee that each community is being sorted accurately, we hope this can help you and communities to find matches for like-minded visitors and members.
You can always use our Search page to do a more detailed community search. Here is an overview of many commonly searched types of communities:
- Ecovillages – Displays communities with the words ‘ecovillage’ or ‘eco-village’ in their listing. Ecovillages are generally communities with a strong ecological focus.
- Cohousing – Displays communities with the words ‘cohousing’ or ‘co-housing’ in their listing which also indicated that they use the cohousing model. Cohousing communities generally incorporate both private homes and shared common facilities and support neighborly connections.
- Communes – Displays communities which indicated that they are 100% income sharing.
- Student Co-ops – Displays communities with the words ‘co-op’ or ‘coop’ in their listing. Co-ops are cooperative, generally expense sharing, often urban, shared housing communities. Many of those listed are focused on college students.
- Jewish Communities – Displays communities that identify as spiritual or religious in nature and have Judaism as their religion.
- Christian Communities – Displays communities with the words ‘Christian’ in their listing.
