Survey shows more residents see city moving in the right direction
The 2019 Dayton Survey presents a picture of improvement in overall resident satisfaction and confidence in Dayton’s direction.
The annual survey measures residents’ opinions of city services, programs and performance, as well as neighborhood life. It also identifies areas of improvement and issues that remain challenging for residents.
Fifty percent of residents in 2019 feel that “things in Dayton are heading in the right direction,” up from 47% in 2016 and 2018, and equaling the 50% mark set in 2017.
A 51% majority are satisfied with Dayton as a place to live, up three points from 2018. Of these, 12% reported feeling “very satisfied” and 39% “satisfied.” About half as many (26%) said they are dissatisfied with Dayton as a place to live.
Nearly six in ten (58%) now say they are likely to remain living in Dayton for the next five years, up from 54% in 2018. Only 17% said they are unlikely to remain in Dayton.
The 2019 survey also found improvements in public safety.
Satisfaction with police services stands at 56% in 2019, up from 54% in the prior year. Nearly three-quarters of residents (72%) find police to be generally respectful in their dealings with people, an increase of five percentage points in the past year.
A majority (56%) of residents now say they feel safe being out alone in their neighborhood at night. This number has risen steadily since 2016. A 51% majority in 2019 say they feel safe downtown at night, a number that never topped 48% in prior years, and more than four out of five residents (82%) feel safe in downtown Dayton during the day, a four-year high.
Fire/EMS and Police services are the two most important services for residents, and both earn satisfaction ratings above 50%, with Fire registering 70% satisfaction and Police registering 56% satisfaction.
Residents did express concerns about a number of issues. Nearly two-thirds of residents (65%) said they are dissatisfied with the condition of streets, an increase of five percentage points in the past year. Confidence in Dayton’s tap water supply has declined, with 21% saying they are “very confident” and 32% saying they are “somewhat confident,” for a 53% satisfaction rating, a four-year low.
The survey was conducted from May 12 through July 30, by OpinionWorks, LLC. More than 10,000 survey packets were mailed to randomly selected Dayton households, with 1,590 responses. The full survey report is available at daytonohio.gov/2019survey.