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Between May 22 and June 20, 2018, 400 City of Rochester residents were randomly selected for telephone interviews to collect data for the City of Rochester Community Survey. The survey was conducted by The Morris Leatherman Company On average, the interviews latest approximately 27 minutes. The survey results were compiled and in July 2018, the data was presented to the Mayor, City Council, and community.
The survey results assists in identifying area of success and also areas of opportunity. In addition, it also provided data points to measure again in the future. This is a critical step is having the ability to measure gains or losses over time.
City Administrator, Steve Rymer shared, “On behalf of the City Council and Mayor, thank you to our community for making Rochester a great place, with great people. The 2018 City of Rochester Residential Survey provides all of us great insight into what we, as a community, are doing well today, and where we can focus our attention. We are proud that we have this data. I encourage residents to review the results, and continue to engage on these important matters. It takes all of us to make Rochester even greater than it is today!”
As it relates to demographic information, the median longevity of adult residents is 13.5 years. Only 8% expect to move from Rochester in the next five years. Some key metrics include:
- 96% feel accepted, valued, and welcomed
- 96% rate the quality of life in Rochester as excellent or good
- 93% rated highly rated it as a place to raise children
- 88% shared a favorable sense of community
- 87% believe Rochester is headed in the right direction
- 83% rated it as a favorable place to retire
The survey also identified that there are concerns about issues facing the community. However, no one major issue emerged. Too much growth was identified by 15% of respondents as the most serious issue in the City of Rochester. This was followed by rising crime, high taxes, and drugs. Respondents highlighted the desire for more parks/green space as a top priority, followed by better street maintenance, and more affordable housing.
It was noted in the survey conclusion that it will be vital to balance the desirability of maintaining the “small town values,” which was defined as a sense of neighborliness, peacefulness, city celebrations, and residential orientation, with retail and service opportunities, entertainment options, and cultural offerings.
The crosstab data is now available and it can be accessed via the city website. Crosstabs display the joint distribution of two or more variables and they are usually represented in the form of a contingency table in a matrix.
Survey Results Summary
Survey Presentation
Survey Results Data
Survey Results Crosstabs