Community Survey

In the spring of 2024, the City of University Park worked with ETC Institute—a nationally recognized government research and survey company—to administer a community survey. The survey was conducted as part of University Park’s effort to assess resident satisfaction with the quality of services the City provides as well as the overall perception residents have of the community where they live. This is the first community survey ETC Institute has administered for University Park. 

Read the 2024 University Park Resident Satisfaction Survey Findings Report (PDF)

Key findings of the 2024 survey

Overall Perceptions

  • 98% of residents expressed satisfaction with University Park as a place to live (compared to national average of 48.5%)
  • 97% were satisfied with University Park as a place to raise children (compared to national average of 61.4%)
  • 93% were satisfied with the quality of customer service received from city employees (compared to national average of 39.4%)
  • 92.2% indicated they felt safe in University Park (compared to national average of 66%)

Quality of City Services

Satisfaction ratings for the City of University Park rated significantly above the U.S. average (5% or more) in all 50 areas that were assessed. The major categories of City services that had the highest levels of satisfaction were: 

  • The quality of city parks & recreations services & facilities (98%)
  • The quality of police, fire, & emergency medical services (95%)
  • The quality of customer services you receive from city employees (93%)

Most Important City Services

The major categories of services respondents think are most important for the City to provide are:

  1. Public safety (police, fire, and emergency medical services)
  2. Street maintenance
  3. Water utilities

Additionally, ETC Institute developed a digital DirectionFinder dashboard with the results of the survey, allowing residents to view the comprehensive survey findings and data by category. 

What is a resident satisfaction survey?

The Resident Satisfaction Survey measures and assesses resident satisfaction with the delivery of major city services and helps set community priorities for improved services and long-range planning. Core areas surveyed included public safety, public works/utilities, parks and recreation, communications, library services, quality of life, overall city services, and satisfaction with city services for dollars paid.

Survey Methodology

The seven-page survey was mailed to a random sample of households in the City of University Park. Residents could either return their survey by mail or complete the survey online. A total of 361 households completed the survey, and the results collected have a 95% level of confidence with a precision of at least +/- 5.10%.