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2025 Olmsted County resident survey: most residents rate county positively, but affordable housing and child care lag
Summary
The county’s management analyst presented results from the 2025 resident survey: roughly 8 in 10 residents rate Olmsted County as a good or excellent place to live, response rate was about 18%, and areas noted for improvement included availability of affordable housing and child care, as well as some measures of government trust and transparency.
Olmsted County staff on Aug. 7 presented results from the 2025 resident survey, reporting generally positive ratings for quality of life while highlighting persistent challenges around affordable housing and child care.
Management analyst Fermina Espinosa told commissioners the survey used the vendor Polco’s National Community Survey template, which added national benchmark comparisons. The county mailed 6,000 surveys (one per household sample) and received about an 18% response rate — slightly lower as a percentage than prior rounds but a larger absolute number of responses than 2022 (about 1,000 responses in 2025 versus ~800 in 2022).
Key findings Espinosa highlighted: 8 in 10 residents rated Olmsted County as a good or excellent place to live; 8 in 10 feel very or somewhat safe in their neighborhood during the day; public health services, availability of affordable quality health and mental‑health care scored above national benchmarks; and yard‑waste drop‑off, recycling and natural‑area preservation scored well compared with the template benchmark set.
Espinosa said overall ratings tied to the county’s strategic priorities varied: community safety and well‑being averaged a score of 60 (on the vendor’s converted 0–100 scale used in reporting), community trust and engagement averaged 54, environmental sustainability 54, and responsible growth and development 52. She noted a decline in the long‑running overall quality‑of‑life question (a drop to about 65 on the converted scale) compared with prior years but said the county still rates in the “good to excellent” range on most measures.
Espinosa acknowledged demographic limitations in the respondent pool: the survey continued to skew toward older, white homeowners, and the county’s open‑participation supplemental survey and outreach with community partners did not substantially increase participation from younger or nonwhite residents. She said detailed demographic breakdowns and district‑level results are available in the full vendor report.
Commissioners asked about how departments will use the data. County staff said they will review results with divisions, align findings with the strategic plan and use the data to inform program and outreach decisions. The county director named in the presentation as Deborah Eric Mill was noted as a follow‑up contact for commissioners with additional questions.
