A representative sample of 502 Normal residents responded to an online-only survey about the town's quality of life with the majority rating it as satisfactory.
Town staff released the results of the second-annual community survey administered in partnership with local government tech company Zencity on Thursday. The survey ran from November through January.
Respondents reported being satisfied primarily with the quality of Normal's parks and recreational amenities [72%], waste and recycling services [71%], access to quality education [70%] and overall municipal services [70%].
Some categories drew an increased, negative response in this edition of the survey: 24% of respondents said they were dissatisfied with the ability of residents to provide feedback to the town's government — a 6% change from the last survey — and 28% said they were dissatisfied with the availability of jobs that pay a living wage, also a 6% increase from the prior survey.
Just 22% of respondents said they were satisfied with the availability of affordable housing; 43% said they were dissatisfied.
In a news release, a town spokesperson noted that ratings on the statement, “The Town operates in a way that exhibits transparency and accountability," increased 42% last summer to 50% in the most recent survey.
In all, 502 people responded to the survey — a slight increase from the 421 who responded to the first survey in May-July 2024.
Those who responded make up a selection of people that span Normal’s demographics in age, median income, race and other metrics, meaning the results can be applicable to the Town at-large.
Normal's overall population is 52,618, according the U.S. Census.
Normal has worked with Zencity since 2018. The cost of the two surveys each year is about $8,000.
