March 1, 2022

Johnson City Community Survey returns highly favorable results

The City of Johnson City on Monday released the results of its 2021 National Community Survey, which found that 90 percent of respondents rate Johnson City as an excellent or a good place to live.

“The survey was conducted last October-November, about a year and half into the pandemic,” said City Manager Cathy Ball. “It’s remarkable that in a time when life was generally not very favorable for many people, the City received highly favorable scores in most categories. I believe it’s a reflection of the tremendous work of our staff.”

The National Research Center/Polco National Community Survey provides comparison benchmarks from 600 other communities across the country. Surveys were mailed to 3,000 randomly selected households, and an open participation survey was offered online. Johnson City has administered the survey every two to three years since 2012.

Johnson City remained similar to national benchmarks in almost every category and statistically the same to the 2018 results in all quality of life categories - except "value of services for taxes" paid, which increased 7 percent. Score differentials of 6 percent or more are considered statistically significant.

The survey identified the following as areas of priorities for citizens:

Mobility and transportation improvements: Many mobility-related survey items received slightly higher ratings in 2021 than in 2018, indicating increased satisfaction with Johnson City’s transportation and related services. About 81 percent of respondents gave positive marks to the ease of travel by car, up from 73 percent in 2018. Nearly six in 10 favorably reviewed the ease of public parking, about a 10 percent increase.

Safety: When asked about aspects of the community that Johnson City should focus on in the next two years, nine in 10 residents prioritized the overall feeling of safety in the city. In addition, nearly all residents (95 percent) felt that having a safe community was essential or very important to the overall quality of life in Johnson City.

Utilities and internet access: Three-quarters of Johnson City residents gave high marks to the overall quality of the City’s utility infrastructure. About eight in 10 residents favorably reviewed Johnson City’s garbage collection, sewer services, and power utilities. When asked to prioritize various City improvement projects for the next five years, nearly all residents (95 percent) rated it essential or very important to expand the provision of high-speed broadband internet to all properties.

Parks and Recreation: At least three-quarters of residents gave high marks to the overall quality of parks and recreation opportunities in Johnson City. A similar percentage favorably reviewed the availability of paths and walking trails and the community’s recreational opportunities. When asked to rate the City’s efforts over the past two years, nearly three-quarters (74 percent) reported being satisfied with improvements the City has made to recreational opportunities, which aligns with the positive results and upward trends seen in this facet of livability.

“This survey is an important tool in prioritizing City projects and funding,” Ball said. “The survey results support several projects that are already under way but will also be taken into account as we go through the budget process. We will constantly be asking if our future planning efforts are in line this data was well as the City’s strategic plan.”

Complete results of the 2021 National Community Survey can be found at www.johnsoncitytn.org/citizensurvey.

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