Every three years, the city of Corvallis conducts community surveys to measure public perception of government services and general livability. This information is used for program and policy evaluation, performance measurement, resource allocation, and updates to the annual budget and strategic Plan. The most recent city surveys are available here.
The following factors largely define community livability: safety, mobility, design, inclusivity, health, economy, utilities, recreation, natural environment, and education, arts, and culture.
Data from the most recent community survey suggests that residents find Corvallis less affordable than residents in other, comparable communities, specifically with regard to housing and childcare. The data also suggests that engagement opportunities have declined; however, more residents also report streaming a local public meeting online in the year prior to the survey.
In 2021, Corvallisites’ ratings also declined slightly for overall economic health, overall feeling of safety, and overall opportunities for education, culture, and the arts. These ratings held steady between 2015 and 2018.
The majority of Corvallisites favorably reviewed both public transportation and recreational opportunities – about 80% and 90%, respectively. In the year prior to the survey. residents of Corvallis were more likely to have used public transportation, walked, or biked instead of driving compared to residents of other communities.
While ratings for snow removal, street repair, and public parking improved since 2018, only 60% of Corvallisites gave favorable ratings to the city’s street cleaning, street lighting, traffic signal timing, traffic enforcement, and sidewalk maintenance.
Residents of Corvallis rate safety, utilities, recreation, economic health, and mobility above community design, education, arts, culture, inclusivity, and engagement in terms of importance. In terms of quality, residents also rate recreation, health, green space, and mobility above economy, utilities, safety, education, arts, culture, community design, and engagement.
Of all measures of livability, Corvallisites rated the natural environment as most important and highest quality. The economy was rated as equally important, but of significantly lower quality. Safety, utilities, education, arts, culture, and safety were all rated in the middle.
Overall, 52% of residents reported a “good” overall quality of life, while 33% reported an “excellent” quality of life and 15% reported a “fair” quality of life.
The full 2021 survey is available here.
By Grace Miller
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