Most respondents to a city of Fort Worth survey indicated they were satisfied with quality of life issues in Fort Worth.

However, respondents indicated they would like to see more emphasis placed on street maintenance, public safety and how well litter is controlled.

The details

According to a city news release, the survey, which was conducted by ETC Institute, assesses residents’ satisfaction with the delivery of major city services and helps determine priorities as part of the city’s ongoing planning process.

ETC Institute has been working with the city since 2002 to conduct a city services survey every two years, said Chris Tatham, president and CEO of ETC Institute. As part of his report to council March 5, Tatham said that their clients include 26 of the 35 largest U.S. cities.

“When you see us compare Fort Worth’s results to other communities, they’re head to head,” Tatham said. “They’re the same methodology and same questions, and that allows us to provide some interpretive context that you may not get if you do a stand-alone survey.”

A closer look

According to a news release, of the households that received a survey, 1,725 completed the survey. At least 160 households were surveyed in each of the city’s 10 council districts.

Tatham said that of the 97 areas assessed, satisfaction among residents decreased 4.4% since the last survey in 2021. He added that the national average for cities with a population greater than 250,000 residents decreased by 6.3% over the same time period.

“Overall, you’re doing better than the nation, but you are down in most areas,” Tatham said.

Tatham said that areas that have decreased the most since 2021 include:

• Traffic law enforcement
• Street lighting
• School safety
• Police visibility in neighborhoods
• Road maintenance
• Litter control

Areas that have increased the most since 2021, Tatham said, include:

• Communication with city staff/customer service
• Mowing and trimming along city streets

“Most communities have had a hard time responding to rising expectations with customer service, but Fort Worth’s ratings are going against the national trend,” Tatham said.

Other takeaways

Tatham included some more good news that the survey revealed:

• 91% of surveyed residents feel the economy in Fort Worth is the same or better than the rest of the nation.
• The majority of respondents think Fort Worth is an excellent or good place to live, work and raise children.
• 67% of people surveyed age 65 or higher said that Fort Worth was either a good or excellent place to retire.