NORFOLK, Va. — We’re learning more about what people in Norfolk like, don’t like, and want to see changed in the city.
A survey conducted in the fall is a deep dive into the minds of nearly 1,000 residents, covering everything from the city’s appearance to public safety, job opportunities, and quality of life.
Under "perceptions of the city," a question asks respondents what they think about the overall appearance of Norfolk.
There were strong opinions on both sides, as 35%of people are "satisfied" with the city’s look, and 31% say they’re "dissatisfied."
How about quality of life?
One of the questions asked was, "Is Norfolk a good place to raise children?"
Varying opinions again, but the highest percentage of people, 33% of them, said it’s a "below average" place to raise kids.
Another valuable dataset for the city is the ranking of the most important questions themselves.
When it comes to important issues for the city to address, crime blew everything else out of the water; 64% of respondents ranked it as their number one issue in the Mermaid City.
The benefit of the survey, however, is allowing city council members to see what’s working and what isn’t. They can then use the information when allocating money for services.
The data is broken down by ward also, which will help leaders understand different needs in different areas.
More than 20 categories are featured in the survey. You can view the data by clicking here.