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The purposes of intentional communities vary. They may include: sharing resources, creating family-oriented neighborhoods and living ecologically sustainable lifestyles. Some communities are secular; others have a spiritual basis. Commonly there is a focus on egalitarian values. Other themes are: voluntary simplicity, interpersonal growth and self-reliance. Some communities provide services to disadvantaged populations, for example, war refugees, the homeless or people with developmental disabilities. Some communities operate learning or health centres.
According to the Communities Directory (1995), published by the Fellowship for Intentional Community, 54% of the communities listed are rural, 28% are urban, 10% have both rural and urban sites, and 8% don't specify.
The most common form of governance in intentional communities is democratic (64%), with decisions made by some form of consensus decision-making or voting. Of the remainder, 9% have a hierarchical or authoritarian structure, 11% are a combination of democratic and hierarchical structure, and 16% don't specify. Many communities which were initially led by an individual or small group have changed in recent years to a more democratic form of governance.