Olmsted County 2022 Resident Survey results
High-level results from the Olmsted County 2022 Resident Survey were shared at the Olmsted County Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday, July 19, 2022.
In February 2022, Olmsted County residents were encouraged to participate in the survey. It was mailed to 4,400 households, with 842 residents responding (a 20% response rate). Residents were able to take the survey on paper or complete it online. The survey was provided in three languages: English, Spanish, or Somali.
The purpose of the 2022 Olmsted County Resident Survey was to gain a better understanding of residents’ thoughts and perceptions of life in Olmsted County, as well as their experience with Olmsted County government. Questions were related to quality of life, safety, areas of concern, satisfaction with Olmsted County government, how residents receive information from Olmsted County government, and more.
What residents enjoy about Olmsted County
Since 2008, overall quality of life has been a stable metric for Olmsted County. In 2022, on a scale of 0-100 (0 being poor and 100 being excellent), residents find Olmsted County as a good place to raise a family (73), as a place to work (72), and a place to live (71).
The 2022 survey reflected a slight increase in how important Olmsted County residents say amenities such as, trails, facilities, and events offered at Olmsted County parks and Graham Park are to them.
Resident areas of concern
The top concerns of residents have also remained similar to surveys in previous years. Residents named affordable housing and taxes as their highest concerns, although both were identified as “moderate” problems on a scale from 0-100; 0 being “not a problem” to 100 being a “major problem.”
Housing is an important priority for the Olmsted County government organization. Since the Olmsted County Housing Stability team was created in 2020, more than 150 people have been housed. Additionally, in December 2021, the Coalition for Rochester Area Housing announced an innovative multi-year plan and $15 million commitment to bridge the affordable housing gap in Olmsted County. Together, the county, Mayo Clinic, and the City of Rochester are contributing millions of dollars toward this effort. Coalition members expect the commitment to produce and preserve affordable homes in Olmsted County and create an economic impact exceeding $200 million.
Olmsted County is committed to using taxpayer resources wisely and making sound decisions about programs and services that benefit residents while keeping tax levies low. Of the 87 counties in Minnesota, Olmsted County ranks in the lower third when it comes to property tax levy per capita.
Rankings of county services
Services provided by the Olmsted County government organization continue to get good ratings, although some ratings decreased from the 2019 survey. On a 100-point scale where 0 means “poor” and 100 represents “excellent,” several Olmsted County services were rated higher than other counties who asked the same or similar question on surveys issued by the same survey firm. These include maintenance and repair of county roads (52); snow and ice removal on county roads (62); recycling and drop-off services at the Recycling Center Plus (69); land use, planning and zoning, including permitting (49); and disaster preparedness and response (61). Most other survey results were similar to other local and national benchmark counties.
Olmsted County employees continue to receive good marks for customer service with residents who had direct contact with staff. The county scored high for staff listening to what residents had to say, being willing to help, and for county services meeting the resident’s needs. This data illustrates the county’s commitment to providing high-quality service with care to the community.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion findings
Olmsted County residents rated their community at close to 50 on the 100-point scale, or midway between “good” and “fair” as a place where all residents treat each other with respect and in terms of openness and acceptance of people of diverse backgrounds. Olmsted County, through its One Olmsted initiative, is working to make more progress in this area, as we envision a workplace and community where everyone is treated equitably.
Next steps
Olmsted County’s mission is to provide the foundation of a vibrant community. Data from this survey will help the county enhance that foundation as program and process improvements are implemented to better serve residents. Data from this survey will also help set direction for the county’s priorities for the future.
“My thanks to everyone who took the time to complete our 2022 Olmsted County Resident Survey,” said County Administrator Heidi Welsch. “This survey is an important tool used to gather resident sentiments and feedback. When we have a better understanding of the topics of most importance and concern to residents, we can better serve the entire community.”