Tumwater survey: residents rate quality of life and public safety high but flag transportation, homelessness and growth

Kara Kornachuk, research manager at DHM Research, presented final results from two 2025 surveys of Tumwater residents to the City Council, telling members the work included a statistically valid random sample (n=300, margin of error ±5.7%) and a separate opt‑in community engagement survey (n=273) that reflects people already engaged with city processes.

"People really like living here," Kornachuk said, summarizing a key finding: about 95% of respondents rated Tumwater's quality of life as excellent or good, and roughly half rated it "very good." The presentation said residents also reported strong confidence in fire and emergency medical services (about 94% confident) and high overall feelings of safety (about 92%).

But the surveys also highlighted priorities and areas with lower satisfaction. Open-ended responses and coding showed transportation infrastructure…