Community response to the 2018 Dayton Survey indicates several areas of improvement in residents’ opinions about City government and living in Dayton, as well as areas identified as needing improvement.The Dayton Survey measures residents’ opinions of City services, programs and performance, as well as neighborhood life and other matters.
Public safety, neighborhood satisfaction, and customer service are areas where City government and life in Dayton received improved marks by survey respondents when compared to earlier surveys. Highlights of the survey findings include:
- A majority of residents say they feel safe out in their neighborhood at night. The number of residents who say they feel safe alone in their neighborhood at night has risen five percentage points since 2016, from 48 percent to 53 percent. Additionally, those indicating they feel unsafe has also fallen, from 50 percent to 44 percent. The number of residents who report seeing drug transactions regularly has dropped seven percentage points, from 38 percent in 2016 to 31 percent today.
- Residents’ overall satisfaction with neighborhoods rose three percentage points, from 45 percent to 48 percent. Dissatisfaction has dropped five points over the same period.
- Satisfaction with park and green space maintenance increased from 41 percent to 44 percent since 2016, tracking closely to the City’s “Your Dollars, Your Neighborhood” investments in park mowing and park facility improvements.
- Among residents who had an issue that needed to be resolved by the City, 54 percent said they were satisfied with the City’s handling of the issue, compared to 49 percent two years ago. Dissatisfaction with the City’s handling of the issue dropped eight percentage points over that period, from 23 percent to 15 percent.
- The survey found residents expressed greatest satisfaction for services they ranked as being most important to them: Fire and EMS services, water and wastewater services, and police services were ranked as the most important services to residents; all had satisfaction ratings well above the average. Satisfaction with and support for waste collection and recycling services was also high among residents.
The 2018 Dayton Survey also underscores areas for improvement:
- Satisfaction with street maintenance remains low, with 60 percent of residents reporting they were dissatisfied with the condition of roads and streets.
- The percentage of residents who said police are generally respectful in their dealings with people has dropped seven points in the last two years, from 74 percent to 67 percent.
- Dissatisfaction with Dayton Public Schools has increased since 2016: 39 percent of residents say they are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with Dayton Public Schools, compared to 31 percent last year.
In addition to questions about City services, the 2018 Dayton Survey included questions about well-being for the first time:
- One in four residents are “always” or “usually” worried or stressed about having enough money to pay vital expenses such as rent, mortgage and food.
- One in three residents reported they do not have access to fresh groceries.
- One in five residents reported they do not have access to adequate health services.
The survey was conducted from May 16 through July 9, 2018, by OpinionWorks, LLC. More than 9,000 survey packets were mailed to randomly selected Dayton households, with 1,503 responses. Another 300 residents completed a public online survey.
For a report of survey results, go to daytonohio.gov/2018daytonsurvey.
