Resident Survey
Fiscal Year 2021-2022, 1st Quarter
The City of Kansas City, Missouri sends a survey on a quarterly basis to a random sample of its residents to help us understand residents' satisfaction with and priorities for City services.
The most recent fiscal year (FY 21-22) for the City began May 1, 2021, and the 1st quarter survey was administered in August 2021. This analysis, highlighted below, indicates potential trends in satisfaction compared with 1st quarter data from previous fiscal years as well as the 4th quarter from FY 20-21. This survey data also provides new insights based on questions that were added to the survey this year.
These data visuals are also available to review or download in a presentation format.
Economic Development
Last year, questions were added to the survey to better understand residents' satisfaction with job availability, training opportunities, and entrepreneurial/small business support. Satisfaction with all of these areas is trending up compared with the 1st quarter and 4th quarter of last year. This may be related to general economic trends in the labor force.
Health and KC Water
Among City services, satisfaction appears to be trending up with both KC Water as well as the Health Department.
Use of KCI Airport and City parks
The resident survey also tracks residents' experiences with City infrastructure and services. Self-reported use of City parks is close to its highest level in the 1st quarter, while residents flying out of KCI is beginning to rebound after the major pandemic-related downtown.
Affordable Housing
Satisfaction with availability of affordable housing appears to continue to trend downwards.
Police Services
Several questions in the police services section appear to be declining in satisfaction. The last question, "responsiveness of the police department to resident concerns" was added to the survey in the last fiscal year.
Housing Instability and Services
A new question reveals that over a quarter of residents have been worried or stressed about paying their rent/mortgage in the last year (nearly half of residents with annual incomes less than $30K). Satisfaction is low for legal protection for renters and support services for unhoused residents.
Resident participation
Only 8% of residents are familiar with the KC Spirit Playbook, the City's initiative to update its comprehensive plan; this number varies somewhat by income and Council District. A slightly higher percent, 17%, say they have attended City meetings in the last year.
