Albemarle County, VA
Albemarle County, VA Dashboard Summary of Findings 2015
2955 Valmont Road Suite 300 Boulder, Colorado 80301 n-r-c.com • 303-444-7863
777 North Capitol Street NE Suite 500 Washington, DC 20002 icma.org • 800-745-8780
Summary The National Citizen Survey™ (The NCS™) is a collaborative effort between National Research Center, Inc. (NRC) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). The survey and its administration are standardized to assure high quality research methods and directly comparable results across The NCS communities. The NCS captures residents’ opinions within the three pillars of a community (Community Characteristics, Governance and Participation) across eight central facets of community (Safety, Mobility, Natural Environment, Built Environment, Economy, Recreation and Wellness, Education and Enrichment and Community Engagement). This report summarizes Albemarle County’s performance in the eight facets of community livability with the “General” rating as a summary of results from the overarching questions not shown within any of the eight facets. The “Overall” represents the community pillar in its entirety (the eight facets and general). By summarizing resident ratings across the eight facets and three pillars of a livable community, a picture of Albemarle County’s community livability emerges. Below, the color of each community facet summarizes how residents rated each of the pillars that support it – Community Characteristics, Governance and Participation. When most ratings were higher than the benchmark, the color is the darkest shade; when most ratings were lower than the benchmark, the color is the lightest shade. A mix of ratings (higher and lower than the benchmark) results in a color between the extremes. Aspects of Education and Enrichment within the pillar of Community Characteristics saw exceptionally high ratings, as did Built Environment within the pillar of Participation. Mobility ratings within the pillars of Community Characteristics and Participation were lower than in other communities. The majority of ratings across all facets and pillars were strong and similar to other communities across the nation. This information can be helpful in identifying the areas that merit more attention. Figure 1: Dashboard Summary Overall General Safety Mobility Natural Environment Built Environment Economy Recreation and Wellness Education and Enrichment Community Engagement
Community Characteristics Higher Similar Lower 11 32 7 3 4 0 0 2 0 0 3 5 1 2 0 0 4 1 1 5 1 3 4 0 3 3 0 0 5 0
Higher 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Legend Higher Similar Lower
1
Governance Similar 37 3 7 3 5 5 1 3 2 8
Lower 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Higher 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1
Participation Similar 28 3 3 1 2 1 2 5 2 9
Lower 3 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0
The National Citizen Survey™
Community Characteristics
Trend
Benchmark
Overall appearance
↔
↔
Percent positive 87%
Overall quality of life
↔
↔
94%
Place to retire
↔
↑
81%
Place to raise children Place to live Neighborhood Overall image Overall feeling of safety Safe in neighborhood
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ * ↔
↑ ↔ ↔ ↑ ↔ ↔
94% 95% 87% 89% 89% 91%
Built Environment
Natural Environment
Mobility
Safety
General
Figure 2: Detailed Dashboard Governance
Trend
Benchmark
Customer service Services provided by Albemarle County Services provided by the Federal Government
↓
↔
Percent positive 69%
↔
↔
Trend
Benchmark
Recommend Albemarle County
↔
↔
Percent positive 95%
81%
Remain in Albemarle County
↔
↔
85%
Contacted Albemarle County employees
↓
↔
38%
↔ *
↔ ↔
92% 84%
*
↔
35%
*
↔
44%
*
↓
39%
*
↓
15%
↔ *
↓ ↔
72% 82%
*
↔
69%
↔
↔
70%
*
↑
65%
↔
↔
42%
Police Crime prevention
↓ ↔
↔ ↔
82% 72%
Fire
↔
↔
94%
Fire prevention Ambulance/EMS Emergency preparedness Animal control
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔
80% 90% 63% 65%
Traffic flow
↔
↔
36%
Traffic enforcement
↔
↔
61%
Travel by car
↔
↔
55%
Street lighting
*
↔
50%
Travel by bicycle
↓
↓
27%
Bus or transit services
↔
↔
48%
Ease of walking Travel by public transportation Overall ease travel Public parking Paths and walking trails Overall natural environment Air quality
↔ ↔ * * ↔ ↔ ↔
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↔ ↑ ↔
45% 25% 61% 38% 60% 92% 84%
Garbage collection Recycling
↔ ↔
↔ ↔
77% 69%
Cleanliness
↔
↔
83%
Drinking water
↔
↔
77%
Open space Natural areas preservation
↔ ↔
↔ ↔
70% 70%
New development in Albemarle County
↓
Affordable quality housing Housing options
↔
55%
Sewer services
↔
↔
83%
↓
↓
28%
Storm drainage
↔
↔
65%
↓
↔
49%
*
↔
61%
Overall built environment
*
↔
61%
↔
↔
46%
Public places
*
↔
74%
Utility billing Land use, planning and zoning Code enforcement
↔
↔
47%
Legend ↑↑
Participation
Much higher
↑
Higher
↔
Similar
↓
Lower
↓↓
Much lower
2
*
Not available
Was NOT the victim of a crime Did NOT report a crime Stocked supplies for an emergency
Carpooled instead of driving alone Walked or biked instead of driving Used public transportation instead of driving
Recycled at home Conserved water Made home more energy efficient
NOT experiencing housing cost stress Did NOT observe a code violation
Education and Enrichment
Recreation and Wellness
Economy
The National Citizen Survey™
Community Characteristics
Trend
Benchmark
Percent positive
Governance
Trend
Benchmark
Percent positive
Overall economic health
*
↔
78%
Economic development
↔
↔
55%
Shopping opportunities
↔
↔
68%
Employment opportunities Place to visit Cost of living Place to work Business and services Fitness opportunities
↔ * * ↔ ↔ *
↔ ↑ ↓ ↔ ↔ ↔
46% 87% 23% 73% 74% 74%
County parks
↔
↔
84%
Recreational opportunities
↔
↔
72%
Recreation centers
↔
↔
79%
Health care
↑
↑
77%
Recreation programs
↔
↔
82%
Food
↔
↔
73%
Health services
↔
↑
85%
In very good to excellent health Used Albemarle County recreation centers Visited a County park Ate 5 portions of fruits and vegetables Participated in moderate or vigorous physical activity
Benchmark
Percent positive
↔
↔
27%
*
↔
97%
*
↑↑
64%
*
↔
73%
↔
↔
55%
↔
↔
80%
*
↔
90%
*
↔
88%
↔
↔
67%
↑
↑
59%
*
↔
49%
Mental health care
*
↔
55%
* ↑
↑ ↑
89% 81%
K-12 education
↔
↔
85%
Public libraries
↔
↔
88%
Cultural/arts/music activities
↔
↑
82%
Special events
*
↔
62%
Child care/preschool
↑
↔
49%
↔
↔
84%
*
↑
79%
*
↑
90%
↔
↔
78%
Public information
↓
↔
67%
Sense of community
↓
↔
65%
↔
↔
84%
↔
↔
50%
↔
85%
↓
↔
58%
↓
↔
48%
Voted in local elections Talked to or visited with neighbors
↔
Openness and acceptance
*
↔
93%
Social events and activities
↓
↔
73%
↔
↔
49%
Attended a local public meeting
↔
↔
24%
Neighborliness
*
↔
61%
Overall direction Value of services for taxes paid Welcoming citizen involvement Confidence in County government Acting in the best interest of Albemarle County
*
↔
44%
Volunteered
↓
↑
54%
*
↔
50%
Participated in a club
↔
↔
38%
*
↔
24%
*
↔
18%
* *
↔ ↔
79% 84%
Religious or spiritual events and activities Adult education Overall education and enrichment Opportunities to participate in community matters Opportunities to volunteer
Community Engagement
Economy will have positive impact on income Purchased goods or services in Albemarle County Work in Albemarle County
Trend
Health and wellness Preventive health services
Being honest
*
↔
48%
Treating all residents fairly
*
↔
46%
Legend ↑↑
Participation
Much higher
↑
Higher
↔
Similar
↓
Lower
↓↓
Much lower
3
*
Not available
Used Albemarle County public libraries Participated in religious or spiritual activities Attended a County-sponsored event
Campaigned for an issue, cause or candidate Contacted Albemarle County elected officials Read or watched local news Done a favor for a neighbor
2955 Valmont Road Suite 300 Boulder, Colorado 80301 n-r-c.com • 303-444-7863
777 North Capitol Street NE Suite 500 Washington, DC 20002 icma.org • 800-745-8780
Summary The National Citizen Survey™ (The NCS™) is a collaborative effort between National Research Center, Inc. (NRC) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). The survey and its administration are standardized to assure high quality research methods and directly comparable results across The NCS communities. The NCS captures residents’ opinions within the three pillars of a community (Community Characteristics, Governance and Participation) across eight central facets of community (Safety, Mobility, Natural Environment, Built Environment, Economy, Recreation and Wellness, Education and Enrichment and Community Engagement). This report summarizes Albemarle County’s performance in the eight facets of community livability with the “General” rating as a summary of results from the overarching questions not shown within any of the eight facets. The “Overall” represents the community pillar in its entirety (the eight facets and general). By summarizing resident ratings across the eight facets and three pillars of a livable community, a picture of Albemarle County’s community livability emerges. Below, the color of each community facet summarizes how residents rated each of the pillars that support it – Community Characteristics, Governance and Participation. When most ratings were higher than the benchmark, the color is the darkest shade; when most ratings were lower than the benchmark, the color is the lightest shade. A mix of ratings (higher and lower than the benchmark) results in a color between the extremes. Aspects of Education and Enrichment within the pillar of Community Characteristics saw exceptionally high ratings, as did Built Environment within the pillar of Participation. Mobility ratings within the pillars of Community Characteristics and Participation were lower than in other communities. The majority of ratings across all facets and pillars were strong and similar to other communities across the nation. This information can be helpful in identifying the areas that merit more attention. Figure 1: Dashboard Summary Overall General Safety Mobility Natural Environment Built Environment Economy Recreation and Wellness Education and Enrichment Community Engagement
Community Characteristics Higher Similar Lower 11 32 7 3 4 0 0 2 0 0 3 5 1 2 0 0 4 1 1 5 1 3 4 0 3 3 0 0 5 0
Higher 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Legend Higher Similar Lower
1
Governance Similar 37 3 7 3 5 5 1 3 2 8
Lower 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Higher 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1
Participation Similar 28 3 3 1 2 1 2 5 2 9
Lower 3 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0
The National Citizen Survey™
Community Characteristics
Trend
Benchmark
Overall appearance
↔
↔
Percent positive 87%
Overall quality of life
↔
↔
94%
Place to retire
↔
↑
81%
Place to raise children Place to live Neighborhood Overall image Overall feeling of safety Safe in neighborhood
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ * ↔
↑ ↔ ↔ ↑ ↔ ↔
94% 95% 87% 89% 89% 91%
Built Environment
Natural Environment
Mobility
Safety
General
Figure 2: Detailed Dashboard Governance
Trend
Benchmark
Customer service Services provided by Albemarle County Services provided by the Federal Government
↓
↔
Percent positive 69%
↔
↔
Trend
Benchmark
Recommend Albemarle County
↔
↔
Percent positive 95%
81%
Remain in Albemarle County
↔
↔
85%
Contacted Albemarle County employees
↓
↔
38%
↔ *
↔ ↔
92% 84%
*
↔
35%
*
↔
44%
*
↓
39%
*
↓
15%
↔ *
↓ ↔
72% 82%
*
↔
69%
↔
↔
70%
*
↑
65%
↔
↔
42%
Police Crime prevention
↓ ↔
↔ ↔
82% 72%
Fire
↔
↔
94%
Fire prevention Ambulance/EMS Emergency preparedness Animal control
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔
80% 90% 63% 65%
Traffic flow
↔
↔
36%
Traffic enforcement
↔
↔
61%
Travel by car
↔
↔
55%
Street lighting
*
↔
50%
Travel by bicycle
↓
↓
27%
Bus or transit services
↔
↔
48%
Ease of walking Travel by public transportation Overall ease travel Public parking Paths and walking trails Overall natural environment Air quality
↔ ↔ * * ↔ ↔ ↔
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↔ ↑ ↔
45% 25% 61% 38% 60% 92% 84%
Garbage collection Recycling
↔ ↔
↔ ↔
77% 69%
Cleanliness
↔
↔
83%
Drinking water
↔
↔
77%
Open space Natural areas preservation
↔ ↔
↔ ↔
70% 70%
New development in Albemarle County
↓
Affordable quality housing Housing options
↔
55%
Sewer services
↔
↔
83%
↓
↓
28%
Storm drainage
↔
↔
65%
↓
↔
49%
*
↔
61%
Overall built environment
*
↔
61%
↔
↔
46%
Public places
*
↔
74%
Utility billing Land use, planning and zoning Code enforcement
↔
↔
47%
Legend ↑↑
Participation
Much higher
↑
Higher
↔
Similar
↓
Lower
↓↓
Much lower
2
*
Not available
Was NOT the victim of a crime Did NOT report a crime Stocked supplies for an emergency
Carpooled instead of driving alone Walked or biked instead of driving Used public transportation instead of driving
Recycled at home Conserved water Made home more energy efficient
NOT experiencing housing cost stress Did NOT observe a code violation
Education and Enrichment
Recreation and Wellness
Economy
The National Citizen Survey™
Community Characteristics
Trend
Benchmark
Percent positive
Governance
Trend
Benchmark
Percent positive
Overall economic health
*
↔
78%
Economic development
↔
↔
55%
Shopping opportunities
↔
↔
68%
Employment opportunities Place to visit Cost of living Place to work Business and services Fitness opportunities
↔ * * ↔ ↔ *
↔ ↑ ↓ ↔ ↔ ↔
46% 87% 23% 73% 74% 74%
County parks
↔
↔
84%
Recreational opportunities
↔
↔
72%
Recreation centers
↔
↔
79%
Health care
↑
↑
77%
Recreation programs
↔
↔
82%
Food
↔
↔
73%
Health services
↔
↑
85%
In very good to excellent health Used Albemarle County recreation centers Visited a County park Ate 5 portions of fruits and vegetables Participated in moderate or vigorous physical activity
Benchmark
Percent positive
↔
↔
27%
*
↔
97%
*
↑↑
64%
*
↔
73%
↔
↔
55%
↔
↔
80%
*
↔
90%
*
↔
88%
↔
↔
67%
↑
↑
59%
*
↔
49%
Mental health care
*
↔
55%
* ↑
↑ ↑
89% 81%
K-12 education
↔
↔
85%
Public libraries
↔
↔
88%
Cultural/arts/music activities
↔
↑
82%
Special events
*
↔
62%
Child care/preschool
↑
↔
49%
↔
↔
84%
*
↑
79%
*
↑
90%
↔
↔
78%
Public information
↓
↔
67%
Sense of community
↓
↔
65%
↔
↔
84%
↔
↔
50%
↔
85%
↓
↔
58%
↓
↔
48%
Voted in local elections Talked to or visited with neighbors
↔
Openness and acceptance
*
↔
93%
Social events and activities
↓
↔
73%
↔
↔
49%
Attended a local public meeting
↔
↔
24%
Neighborliness
*
↔
61%
Overall direction Value of services for taxes paid Welcoming citizen involvement Confidence in County government Acting in the best interest of Albemarle County
*
↔
44%
Volunteered
↓
↑
54%
*
↔
50%
Participated in a club
↔
↔
38%
*
↔
24%
*
↔
18%
* *
↔ ↔
79% 84%
Religious or spiritual events and activities Adult education Overall education and enrichment Opportunities to participate in community matters Opportunities to volunteer
Community Engagement
Economy will have positive impact on income Purchased goods or services in Albemarle County Work in Albemarle County
Trend
Health and wellness Preventive health services
Being honest
*
↔
48%
Treating all residents fairly
*
↔
46%
Legend ↑↑
Participation
Much higher
↑
Higher
↔
Similar
↓
Lower
↓↓
Much lower
3
*
Not available
Used Albemarle County public libraries Participated in religious or spiritual activities Attended a County-sponsored event
Campaigned for an issue, cause or candidate Contacted Albemarle County elected officials Read or watched local news Done a favor for a neighbor
