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Survey: 91% of Thousand Oaks respondents rate quality of life 'excellent' or 'good'; satisfaction rising vs. 2023
Summary
True North Research presented the 2026 community attitude survey: 91% rated overall quality of life excellent/good, 82% satisfied with city performance, and 11 service areas showed statistically significant positive satisfaction changes since 2023.
True North Research on Tuesday presented the results of Thousand Oaks' 2026 community attitude survey, reporting high resident satisfaction across a broad set of municipal services and several statistically significant increases since the 2023 survey.
Tim McClernie, president of True North, said the study used a stratified random sample and collected more than 1,000 completed interviews, yielding a margin of error of about ±3% at the 95% confidence level. The headline findings: 91% of respondents rated the city's overall quality of life as excellent or good, and 82% said they were satisfied with the city's overall performance.
The survey probed 20 municipal service areas; most scored above 80% satisfied. High marks went to library services, fire and emergency medical services, parks maintenance and public landscape areas. Lower (but improved) satisfaction scores clustered around items such as facilitating development of affordable housing, providing shelter for the homeless, and managing traffic congestion — areas McClernie said are often constrained by factors beyond local control.
McClernie emphasized that 11 service areas showed statistically significant improvements between 2023 and 2026, all in the positive direction; he pointed to homelessness and related service satisfaction as one example tied to the city's local investments.
The survey also asked residents to prioritize downtown features: showcasing local businesses, a farmers market and community gathering places emerged as top priorities for a downtown program. On emergency preparedness, 61% said their households were well or somewhat prepared to be self-sufficient in a natural disaster; about 60% reported being signed up for VC Alert, the county emergency notification system, though roughly a quarter said they were unsure whether they were signed up.
Council members praised the overall results and discussed how survey feedback should inform the council's priorities and outreach. True North said full results and panels will be posted on the city website for public review.
