2020 Community Survey

Every two years, the City of Wilsonville conducts a statistically-valid Community Survey to gauge resident opinions on a variety of topics. The 2020 National Citizen Survey™ (NCS) includes input from a representative sample of 630 residents of Wilsonville. Results may be compared to those from previous surveys, allowing the City to see trends over time. Data can also be compared against results from more than 600 communities who participate in the NCS.

Survey responses were collected in April and May 20, as residents were experiencing the pandemic, and presented at the July 20 meeting of the Wilsonville City Council. Broadly, the results illustrate that a large majority of Wilsonville residents maintain an affinity for their community and generally appreciate the quality of local services and amenities.

Among the survey’s 630 respondents, 95% rated Wilsonville as an ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ place to live; 91% indicated a positive quality of life. Among the 35% respondents who indicated their opinion of Wilsonville has changed in the last 12 months, twice as many (24% > 11%) have a more favorable opinion than they did a year ago.

In spite of the short-term constraints of COVID-19, 85% of residents rated the overall economic health of Wilsonville as ‘excellent’ or ‘good,’ exceeding the benchmark rating of 600+ communities participating in the statistically-valid National Citizen Survey™ (NCS). The margin of error of each response is 4%. The documents at the bottom of this page provide a detailed summary, technical appendicies and additional information.

Survey Background

The NCS was developed by National Research Center in Boulder, Colo., to provide a statistically-valid survey of resident opinions about community and services provided by local government. The NCS focuses on a series of community characteristics and local government services, as well as issues of public trust. Resident behaviors related to civic engagement in the community also are measured.

The NCS report for Wilsonville discusses trends over time, comparing the 2020 ratings for the City to the previous survey results in 2018, 2016, 2014 and 2012. The report also provides comparisons for Wilsonville’s ratings to national benchmark standards. The survey also covers special topics such as where residents obtain City news and information, preferred methods of communication, and healthy living priorities.

Participating households for the geographically-representative written survey were selected at random and the household member who responds was selected without bias. In addition to the 471 residents who completed the mailed survey, this year’s survey also included an online “opt in” survey completed by 149 residents. A total of 620 completed written and online “opt in” surveys were completed. The margin of error for survey results is plus or minus four percentage points.