New survey shows Johnson County residents are pleased once again with quality of life and county services
Results of Johnson County’s annual community survey were revealed, and residents consistently gave high marks for the county’s quality of life, services and programs, and voiced their opinions on the services most important to them.
Results from the 2023 community survey were shared Thursday, March 23, with the Board of County Commissioners during a Committee of the Whole meeting. The six-page survey was conducted in January and February by ETC Institute of Olathe.
“Ratings for Johnson County as a place to live, work and raise children are among the highest in the nation,” Chris Tatham, president and chief executive officer of ETC, said.
Satisfaction with quality of life in the county
According to Tatham, overall satisfaction with county services rated 27% above the national average, public safety services rated 21% above the national average and value received for tax dollars rated 19% above the national average.
As in previous surveys, residents were asked to rate their quality of life in Johnson County.
- 95% are satisfied with Johnson County as a place to live.
- 94% are satisfied with Johnson County as a place to raise children.
- 90% of respondents have an overall feeling of safety in the county.
- 90% are satisfied with Johnson County as a place to work.
- 65% are satisfied with Johnson County as a place to retire.
“Johnson County should be very proud of these survey results,” said Mike Kelly, chair of the BOCC. “It’s great to know our residents recognize these efforts.”
Satisfaction with county services
When asked what the most important services the county provides, the top choices were emergency medical, including MED-ACT’s response to medical emergencies, Emergency Preparedness and Communication dispatch of 911 first responders and NotifyJOCO, the Park and Recreation District, Election Office, Library system, Public Health and Aging & Human Services.
“Johnson County continues to set the standard for overall service delivery in several areas,” said County Manager Penny Postoak Ferguson. “The feedback we receive from this survey is useful to us as we strive to serve our residents and continue to meet their needs daily.”
Areas of opportunities for improvement included services provided by Aging and Human Services, Johnson County Mental Health Center and the Sheriff’s Office. This is based on satisfaction with services deemed highly important. Eighty five percent of respondents found it important for the county to provide safety-net services to residents and families in need, the vulnerable population, and low-income households. A strategic priority of the BOCC is to strengthen and finance services to meet the needs of the county’s vulnerable populations helping promote community health.
Top priorities moving forward
When asked where the county should devote additional resources, mental health services topped the list, followed closely by aging services.
According to the survey results, the county’s top priorities for the next five years should be:
- Personal safety, low crime
- Public education (K-12)
- Health care access
- Well-maintained roads
- Parks trails and open space
The survey asked why residents plan to stay in Johnson County for the next 10 years. The top reason, according to 66% of respondents, was a sense of feeling safety and a low crime rate. Having family members nearby was next, followed by high standard of living and the quality of public schools.
Residents were also polled on what the county government’s most critical roles should be in the next 10 to 20 years. The top three priorities were:
- Making sure necessary health and human services are available
- Coordinating public safety and law enforcement within the county
- Maintaining high quality emergency services
ETC distributed the survey to 1,000 randomly selected households from each district. The survey was administered by mail, phone and online.
Of the households that received a survey, 1,380 respondents completed the survey, resulting in a 95% confidence level for the survey findings.
View full results of the 2023 community survey. View the slide show presentation presented during the BOCC Committee of the Whole meeting.