Oklahoma City ranks higher than the national average in most areas when compared to other cities of the same size according to results from the City’s annual survey administered in July by surveyor, ETC Institute.
The survey results are available on okc.gov.
Services provided by the Utilities Department stood head and shoulders above other cities the same size as Oklahoma City. Residents rated OKC’s trash collection (90%), curbside recycling (83%), bulky waste pickup (82%) and wastewater services (79%). These results were anywhere from 21% to 35% above the national average.
Services provided by police (72%) ranked 17% above the national average. Ratings for fire (91%), parks (63%), customer service (62%) and communication (51%) are also among the best in the nation.
“Our high national rating is a testament to City employees’ commitment to providing excellent customer service,” said City Manager Craig Freeman. “We love our community and are committed to serving residents with integrity and professionalism.”
Two out of three residents rated Oklahoma City as being either an “excellent” or “good” place to live (81%), work (77%), raise children (70%) and as a place to visit (66%).
Although OKC is setting the standard in many areas, several of the City’s ratings declined from 2021, a trend ETC reported as consistent with most U.S. cities over the past year.
The top areas of improvement for Oklahoma City include street maintenance, traffic flow, code enforcement and public transportation.
“Results from the survey have a direct impact on our budgeting process,” Freeman added. “We depend on resident feedback to tell us if we are moving in the right direction and what services should be prioritized.”
Areas that saw the most improvement over the past year include:
Enforcement of junk and debris on private property
Enforcing mowing and the cutting of weeds on private property
Bulky pick-up removal
Athletic leagues offered
Street condition in neighborhoods
Condition of major City streets
City trash collection
Areas that saw the biggest decreases from last year include:
Enforcement of yard parking regulations in neighborhoods
Enforcing sign regulations
Quality of animal control
How well the City is planning for growth
Quality of downtown
Efforts to remove abandoned and inoperable vehicles
Enforcement of local traffic laws
Other notable findings include:
3 in 4 residents have used City parks and or recreation programs over the past year.
Nearly 4 in 10 residents reported problems with stray dogs in their neighborhoods.
90.5% of residents think they have been treated fairly by OKC police officers.
Residents who were dissatisfied with the enforcement of traffic laws through more traffic citations are needed.
The purpose of the survey is to assess resident satisfaction with City services, gather input from residents to help set priorities and track OKC’s performance against itself and with other similar-sized cities over time.
This is the 14th year the six-page survey was administered by phone, mail, text and online to a randomly selected sample of households in Oklahoma City. The sample was designed to ensure the results would be statistically valid for each of the City’s eight wards. At least 150 surveys were completed in each ward. A total of 1,343 residents responded.
Improvements to streets, traffic flow, police and parks are being made through a 10-year, $967 million bond package called Better Streets, Safer City, a permanent ¼ cent sales tax to hire more police officers and firefighters and MAPS 4.
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