Newport News survey: residents report good quality of life but rate safety and economy below comparable benchmarks

Polco presented results of a nationally benchmarked community survey to the Newport News City Council, reporting generally positive ratings for quality of life but identifying gaps on public safety and several economic measures.

Sonia Wittingk, executive vice president of data insights at Polco, told the council that the statistically sampled survey collected 313 responses from a mailed and online random sample and an additional 698 voluntary online responses. Wittingk said the sampled responses yield a margin of error of about ±6 percent and were weighted to match the city's adult population. "About 9 in 10 residents rated the overall quality of life in Newport News as excellent, good, or fair," she said.

The survey uses a four-point scale (excellent, good, fair, poor) across 10 facets of community livability. Polco's analysis showed parks and recreation as the highest-rated facet and safety as the only facet below Polco's benchmark group of similarly sized, higher-performing cities. "Safety ranks as a top priority for residents," Wittingk said, noting that day‑time neighborhood safety was high (about 8 in 10 residents), while perceptions of safety downtown and for violent crime trailed benchmarks. Polco also identified a notable importance–quality gap for the economy, with cost of living and downtown vibrancy receiving the lowest ratings among economic items.

City staff said they will use the findings to inform the city’s strategic plan update and budget and to guide public engagement before the council’s July retreat. City Manager Alan said the survey and Polco's benchmarking will help set priorities at the upcoming retreat. Owen Miller, chief strategy officer, and partners from the Virginia Institute of Government presented the planned strategic‑planning process that will incorporate the survey data, council interviews, and additional public engagement.

Council members asked Polco about response rates and how other jurisdictions have used education and communications to change perceptions. Wittingk recommended targeted communications about actual crime statistics and cited examples of broader branding campaigns in other cities that combined messaging with investment. She also noted survey response rates are lower for younger residents nationally and that statistical sampling and weighting can still produce representative results.

Polco provided staff with a full report, including crosstabs by demographic and geographic groups and the open participation survey results; staff said the full report is included in the council packet and available online. Council members and staff said they expect to use the data to track trends over time and to align the council's strategic plan with resident priorities.

The presentation closed with staff describing next steps for the strategic plan update, including individual council interviews, a July retreat session, and additional public engagement opportunities through the summer and fall.