In a recent random survey of its residents, more than 8 in 10 respondents described Gaithersburg as an “excellent” or “good” place to live, with high marks also given for their confidence in City government and positive perceptions of the City’s openness and how it welcomes residents of diverse backgrounds.
“We are encouraged to see that our ratings improved in a number of areas since the last survey, including better scores for housing options, employment opportunities and several categories related to health and wellness,” said Gaithersburg City Manager Tony Tomasello. “The positive results related to governance also seem to reinforce that our residents recognize and appreciate our efforts to ensure that Gaithersburg remains a welcoming and inclusive community.”
The survey, available in both English and Spanish, was sent by the National Research Center, Inc. (NRC) to 2,200 randomly selected households in the fall of 2017. Three hundred and sixty-three surveys (17%) were returned, with the demographics of those respondents mirroring data from the most recent Census estimates. The City has conducted similar surveys every two years starting in 2007, and the 2017 report shows comparisons to results from those surveys, as well as benchmark comparisons to nearly 500 jurisdictions across the country.
An online, non-scientific version of the survey was made available to the general public following the mail-in effort. The results from the 306 respondents to that survey are contained in a supplemental report.
The 2017 Citizen Survey results will be presented at the Mayor and City Council meeting on Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers. The full survey report is available online at the link below.
http://www.gaithersburgmd.gov/government/city-manager/biennial-citizen-survey