City of Kearney Measures Resident Satisfaction with The National Community Survey

The City of Kearney recently surveyed residents to better understand the community’s needs and perspectives.

The National Community Survey (The NCS) is a scientific assessment that measures community livability according to its residents.  It captures opinions on the economy, mobility, community design, utilities, safety, natural environment, inclusivity and engagement, parks and recreation, health and wellness, and education, arts and culture.

The results give a comprehensive look at Kearney’s strengths, areas of improvement, and residents’ priorities.  The results show that residents give high ratings to safety and the natural environment in Kearney.

This information will be very helpful to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen during their upcoming priority setting workshop and for city leadership as they work to improve the delivery of city services to residents.

The Key findings from the survey include:

Residents enjoy a high quality of life in Kearney and appreciate its natural features and outdoor amenities.

Kearney residents expressed strong satisfaction with their quality of life in the city, with at least 8 in 10 giving excellent or good reviews to Kearney as a place to live and as a place to raise children and to the overall quality of life in the city. Roughly 9 in 10 planned to remain in Kearney for the next five years or would recommend living in Kearney to someone who asked. About 7 in 10 respondents were pleased with Kearney as a place to retire, the overall image or reputation of the city, and the sense of community in Kearney. Further, aspects of the natural environment contribute to quality of life in Kearney, with residents expressing high levels of satisfaction with air quality (84% excellent or good), cleanliness (83%), City parks (79%), the overall quality of the natural environment in Kearney (76%), and the availability of paths and walking trails (73%). All of these ratings were similar to the national benchmark comparisons.

Residents of Kearney value safety and emphasize its importance.

Safety is a both a priority and a strength in Kearney, with most residents rating this facet as both of high importance (92% essential or very important) and high quality (85% excellent or good). Virtually all residents reported feeling very or somewhat safe in Kearney’s downtown/commercial area during the day and in their neighborhood during the day. Further, reported rates for feelings of safety in Kearney from violent crime (88% very or somewhat safe), fire, flood, or other natural disaster (88%), and property crime (80%) were strong and similar to the national benchmarks. Residents were also asked to rate different safety-related services in Kearney. Almost all residents commended fire services (94% excellent or good) and ambulance or emergency medical services (92%) in the city. Roughly 8 in 10 respondents positively rated police/Sheriff services, fire prevention and education, and crime prevention. About 6 in 10 gave favorable marks to animal control and emergency preparedness in Kearney. All of these assessments were on par with those given in other communities across the nation.

Kearney’s economy is an area of priority for residents.

The overall economic health of Kearney was identified by residents as an area of focus for the City in the coming two years, with 9 in 10 rating the importance of economic health as essential or very important, and 7 in 10 rating its quality as excellent or good. Kearney residents gave ratings that were on par with national averages to the overall quality of business and service establishments in the city (63% excellent or good), economic development (51%) and the cost of living (34%). However, other economy-related ratings in Kearney were lower than those seen elsewhere. About 4 in 10 residents positively rated the city as a place to work and to visit, as well as the variety of business and service establishments, while about one-third gave favorable marks to the vibrancy of the downtown/commercial area and employment opportunities, and 2 in 10 favorably rated shopping opportunities in the city. These lower-than-average scores indicate the economy as an area of priority for the city in the coming years.

Residents appreciate City staff and governance, but identify inclusivity as a potential area for growth.

The overall customer service provided by City employees received positive reviews from about 8 in 10 residents, while about 7 in 10 gave favorable marks to the overall quality of services provided by the City. At least half of survey respondents praised the City for treating residents with respect, the overall direction of the City, being honest, generally acting in the best interest of the community, and treating all residents fairly. A similar proportion favorably assessed the City being open and transparent to the public, the value of services for the taxes paid, overall confidence in Kearney government, and the job Kearney government does at welcoming resident involvement. Evaluations of Kearney’s government performance were similar to those given by residents in other communities across the nation. 

Aspects of inclusivity in Kearney tended to garner reviews that were more mixed. Most respondents thought that the Kearney community did an excellent or good job of making all residents feel welcome (68% excellent or good) and taking care of vulnerable residents (60%). About 6 in 10 positively rated the sense of civic/community pride and the neighborliness of residents. These ratings were all similar to the national benchmarks. However, ratings related to diversity tended to be lower. About half of residents expressed satisfaction with the community for valuing/respecting residents from diverse backgrounds, while 4 in 10 gave favorable scores to the community attracting people from diverse background and the openness and acceptance of the community toward people of diverse backgrounds.  Ratings for these diversity-related aspects were lower than those given in other communities nation wide.

View the full survey results - https://www.kearneymo.us/community/national_community_survey.php

View the video presentation summarizing the livability in Kearney survey results - https://prezi.com/v/view/Q9gJ17CPuQpOShWiy8Zi/

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