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Tempe scores above national averages in 2025 resident and business surveys, but street conditions and customer service slip
Summary
Consultant Chris Tatham told the council Tempe ranks significantly above national and midsize-city averages on overall services and customer service, while residents flagged streets and homelessness as top priorities; 1,000+ resident responses and 449 business responses informed the findings.
Chris Tatham of ETC Institute presented Tempe's 2025 community and business survey results, telling the City Council the consultant team collected just over 1,000 resident responses and 449 business responses and that overall findings showed strong performance relative to national benchmarks.
"Overall quality of services ranked 34% above the average midsize city in The United States," Tatham said, highlighting strengths including availability of information, customer service and perceived value for tax dollars (about 26% above U.S. average). He described Tempe as "consistent year after year" in high performance on many measures.
Tatham also noted a modest downward trend: of 116 comparable resident items, 25 declined beyond the survey margin of error and nine increased. Major declines centered on customer service and information/leadership perception—trends Tatham said paralleled national patterns. Residents still listed services for people experiencing homelessness, street conditions, and police services among top priorities.
On the business side, Tatham said perceptions improved: 90% of business respondents rated Tempe as business-friendly (a 7-point increase since 2023), and businesses reported gains in communication and perceptions of safety at night. The consultant recommended continuing targeted efforts on street maintenance, traffic management and homelessness-related services given their high importance and lower satisfaction scores.
Council members praised staff for using the data and asked staff to continue making information available through the public performance dashboards. Staff said the detailed survey dashboard and follow-up with partners will be used to guide departmental responses and community engagement.
