Milford survey: residents rate quality of life steady; parks and mobility flagged for improvement
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Summary
A Polco/National Community Survey presented to Milford City Council found overall quality-of-life ratings on par with national benchmarks but identified parks, trails, water resources and some mobility measures as areas needing attention. About 8 in 10 respondents plan to remain in Milford and most feel safe in daytime conditions.
Brandon Barnett, a Polco/National Research Center analyst, presented results from Milford’s 2025 National Community Survey and told City Council that overall quality-of-life ratings “remain consistent with national trends.”
The survey, based on 361 mailed probability-sample responses, found roughly 7 in 10 residents rated Milford positively as a place to live and about two-thirds gave positive ratings to overall quality of life. Barnett said “about 8 in 10 residents plan to remain in the city for the next five years and said they would recommend living there.”
The nut graf: while safety and downtown vitality scored near national norms, the survey singled out natural resources, parks and recreation, and several mobility items as relative weaknesses — providing a data basis for council and staff to prioritize investments.
Key findings Barnett highlighted: safety perceptions were strong in daytime settings (more than 8 in 10 rated neighborhood and downtown safety during the day positively), police services remained steady at about 71% positive, and fire and emergency medical services scored around 80% positive. By contrast, ratings for Milford’s open space, availability of paths and walking trails, recreation facilities and some water-resource items trended downward since 2022 and fell below national averages.
Barnett summarized resident preferences captured by custom questions: roughly nine in 10 respondents said parks/playgrounds, bike and pedestrian paths, and an indoor recreation center were “essential or very important.” About 80% were “very or somewhat supportive” of constructing a new indoor recreation facility.
Lauren Swain, the city’s economic development administrator, and Mark (city manager) thanked Polco for the report and noted staff will make the full dataset available for council and public review.
The presentation included methodological details: 3,000 randomly selected households were mailed the survey, materials and an online option were provided and results were weighted to match Milford’s adult population. Barnett said results compare to a Polco benchmark database of roughly 500 jurisdictions. Council members asked about details and were told the full report and underlying data will be posted for deeper review.
The meeting did not result in formal action; staff and council said they would use the report as input for budget and planning discussions.
