Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Resident Survey topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cary Town survey: residents give high marks for safety, raise housing and cost-of-living concerns
Summary
A biennial Cary Town survey of ~400 residents shows high marks for town services and safety but persistent concerns about housing choices and the cost of living; residents were divided on use of generative AI for town communications.
The town released results of its 2026 biennial resident satisfaction survey at the May quarterly meeting, showing broadly positive ratings for many services while highlighting housing affordability as a continuing concern. Dr. Kevin Baker, who led the study, said the survey completed about 400 interviews and had a margin of error of roughly ±4.89%.
Why it matters: the results guide council priorities in the FY2027 recommended budget and were cited by staff as a central input to the year’s spending plan. Officials emphasized that safety and parks scored especially well, while housing choices and cost-of-living worries rose in residents’ lists of top problems.
The findings: Baker said the town’s overall average across core service questions was roughly an A-level grade and safety in particular scored near the top: “This is the highest you've ever earned up to an 8.39,” he said, noting nearly all respondent ratings exceeded the midpoint. Parks, police and fire departments received strong favorability. By contrast, the category for available housing choices earned the weakest marks and, for the first time, low-income household housing options rated poorly.
AI and communications: the survey asked a new question about use of generative AI for town communications; the mean response indicated mixed feelings, with roughly 31% comfortable, 31% neutral and 37% uncomfortable. Staff said many open-ended comments emphasized the need to pair automated tools with a human contact point.
Next steps: staff told council the full cross-tabulations and demographics are in the appendix and can be used to inform outreach and policy choices; council members asked for follow-up on homeowner vs. renter responses and demographic trends over a 10- to 20-year span. The survey team said the data are available for deeper analysis and that cross-tabs can be considered anecdotal for small subgroups due to sample sizes.
The town said the survey will continue to be part of its biennial planning and that results were incorporated into the manager’s recommended budget presented the same day, including the emphasis on community safety.
