In the 2025 City of Dallas Community Survey, more than 2,000 randomly selected Dallas households will be asked to give their opinions on the City’s quality of life.
The survey will be administered by ETC Institute, the same firm that has managed the City’s annual survey for several years. The goal is to receive at least 150 completed surveys from each of the City’s 14 districts. The anticipated 2,100 completed surveys will represent the priorities and perceptions of the City’s 1.3 million residents.
“Our goal is to expand our outreach efforts,” said Janette Weedon, the City’s budget and management services director, Candy’sDirt reported. “Our outreach efforts for this community survey will include participation at festivals, celebrations, those events that are specific to different cultures as well as sporting events and community events, at our libraries and recreation centers.”
“ETC will match the results to the census estimates based on race, ethnicity, age, and gender to ensure that we have an accurate reflection of our community,” Weedon explained.
According to Jason Morado, ETC’s vice president of community research, the firm’s methodology produces a statistically valid result with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1%.
This year, for the first time, residents who do not receive a survey directly from ETC will still be able to make their voices heard by completing an online survey. While the results from the online survey will not be included in the results tallied by ETC, the City said that it welcomes the additional data collected via the online questionnaire.
“Results of the online version will not be included in the statistical analysis,” Weedon said, per Candy’sDirt. “We hope this new approach will allow us to capture the voice of our residents who may not have an opportunity to participate.”
The survey is important because it helps City leaders recognize residents’ top priorities and concerns, pinpoint opportunities for improvement, and gauge public sentiment. This information will also be used to shape the budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.
The seven-page questionnaire asks residents to weigh in on the City’s speed of growth, various problems such as crime, drugs, and homelessness, their perceptions of safety, City services, parks and recreational facilities, streets and infrastructure, communication preferences, and other issues.
The survey will continue through May, and the results will be tabulated and presented to the Dallas City Council in June.
In addition to the survey, residents will have other opportunities this week to give feedback. The Dallas City Council will hold Spring Town Hall Listening Sessions Monday through Thursday at various times and locations so City leaders can hear the community’s concerns before beginning to work on the budget. Some of the sessions will be held in person, and others will be held online.
Click here for a complete schedule of these events.