HomeMy WebLinkAboutOshkoshCitizenSurveyFinalReport2020
2020
Citizen Survey
Report
Prepared By:
Samantha June Larson, PhD
Rattana Akey, MPA
Raabia Waheed, MPA Candidate
University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh
Department of Public Administration
1
Introduction
Since 2009, the City of Oshkosh has partnered with the Department of Public Administration at the University of Wisconsin
– Oshkosh (UWO) to conduct the Oshkosh Citizen Survey. Residents are asked questions pertaining to their overall quality
of life, feelings of safety, and city services. This report offers a detailed analysis of the results of the 2020 survey, which
was conducted between February and April. These results are meant to provide insight into issues that are of importance
to Oshkosh residents. This report is organized into the following sections.
First, the methodology section provides an overview of how the survey data was collected. It also reviews the statistical
validity of the results. Next, participant demographic characteristics is presented, including a breakdown of the proportion
of participants by: sex, age, race, ethnicity, and annual household income.
Finally, responses to questions about services provided by the City of Oshkosh are presented. The section begins by
presenting results concerning quality of life indicators. That is followed by an examination of how safe residents feel in
their homes, neighborhoods, and business/commercial areas during the day and after dark. City service results are
highlighted according to how residents rank their quality and how important they feel services are to the community
overall. Twenty-eight services are grouped by department and presented under the subheadings of: public safety, public
works, community services, economic development, parks, and transportation.
Methodology
The survey was distributed through Polco, an online polling company designed to connect local government s with their
communities. The City advertised the survey on their website and via social media. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic-related
closures, the UWO research team also recruited participants at locations throughout the City, including: Reeve Union at
UWO, State of the City at the Oshkosh Convention Center, Oshkosh Public Library, and the Oshkosh Mediterranean Food
Market. Furthermore, an invitation to the survey was sent to various UWO offices and organizations, including: UWO
Library, LGBTQ+ Resource Center, American Indian Student Services, Men of Color and Latino/Hispanic Initiatives,
Department of Social Justice, Multicultural Education Center, Women’s Center, Student Recreation and Wellness,
Department of Residence Life, The Cabinet Food Pantry, Student Organization of Latinos, College Democrats, College
Republicans, Student Environmental Action Coalition, Oshkosh Student Association, Asian Student Association, Africa
American Studies, Hmong Student Union, and the International Student Association.
A total of 294 residents participated in the survey. Of those, 201 (68%) were registered voters according to Polco. The
other 93 (32%) were not registered voters. Based on the population of Oshkosh, the 294 responses achieved statistical
validity based on a 90% confidence interval1 (5% margin of error2), which is the highest level available through Polco.
1 The confidence level is used to express the degree of certainty that the results of the sample are an accurate reflection of
the total City. It is commonly set at either 90%, 95%, or 99%.
2 The margin of error illustrates how far above or below the result could be if all residents completed the survey. For example, if 55%
of residents said “yes” to a question, a 5% margin of error means that 50-60% of the population would also answer “yes” if surveyed.
2
Participant Demographic Overview
Polco provide demographic data related to sex and age
based on its access to voter registration records. The first
two charts are calculated based on those participants that
are registered to vote.
Chart 1 includes the breakdown of respondents by sex.
There were 111 respondents (38%) that identified as female
and a slightly lower number, 87 respondents (29%), that
were identified as male. The remaining 96 respondents
(33%) could not be identified by sex based on Polco records.
Chart 2 includes the proportion of participants by age range
based on voter registration records. The greatest proportion
of survey respondents (25%) were in the 50-59 age group.
Approximately 35% were age 60 or older and 18% were
under 40 years of age. (Note: Polco records did not provide
age data for 136 (46%) of participants, and those
participants are not included in this figure.)
All participants were asked to identify the race that they
identify with. As shown in Table 1, 272 (92.5%) of
participants were White/Caucasian, .7% were Black or
African American, .3% were American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut, 3.4% were Asian or Pacific Islander, 1% were Two or More
Races, and 2% identified as Other. Therefore, a total of 7.4% participants were persons of color. Furthermore, Table 2
illustrates that 1.4% of participants were of Hispanic or Latino Origin.
Table 1. Participants by Race
Race Total Participants %
White/Caucasian 272 92.5%
Black or African American 2 0.7%
American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut 1 0.3%
Asian or Pacific Islander 10 3.4%
Two or More Races 3 1%
Other 6 2%
TOTAL 294 100%
Table 2. Participants by Hispanic or Latino Origin
Hispanic or Latino Origin Total Participants %
Yes 4 1.4%
No 288 98.6%
TOTAL 292 100%
38%
29%
33%
1. Participants by Sex
Female
Male
Unknown
4%
14%
22%
25%
23%
11%
1%
2. Participants by Age
18-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
80-89
3
Participants were also asked to identify their annual household income. According to the 2010 Census, 28% of Oshkosh
households earned less than $25,000 annually. The median household income in Oshkosh (in 2018 dollars) between 2014 -
2018 was $43,346. Reponses from all 294 participants are included, and the total number of participants is reported for
each income category in Chart 3. Those in households that made $24,999 or less made up 53 (18%) of the participants, 44
participants (15%) earned $25,000-$49,999, the largest group of 67 participants (23%) made between $50,000-$74,999
annually. Furthermore, 56 participants (19%) made between $75,000-$99,000, 47 participants (16%) made $100,000-
$149,999, and the smallest group of 27 participants (9%) made $150,000 or more.
Finally, Chart 4 illustrates the percentage of participants that identify as People of Color, Hispanic or Latino, that are less
than 40 years of age, and those that live in households that earn less than $25,000 annually. Actual proportions are
provided for the participants from the 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 surveys. Efforts have been made to expand diversity
of participants with some success. The difference from 2017 to 2020 illustrates an increase in participation from all
demographic groups. These can also be compared against the last available 2010 Census demographic information to
determine how much more participation is needed to achieve representativeness.
Table 3. Participant Demographics Over Time
Demographic Group 2017 2018 2019 2020 2010
Census
% Change
2017-2020
% Needed for
Representativeness
People of Color .8% 5.9% 5.4% 7.4% 8.9% +6.6% 1.5%
Hispanic or Latino 0% 3.6% 2.9% 1.4% 2.7% +1.4% 1.3%
Age < 40 14% 31.5% 14.8% 18% 39.3% +4.0% 21.3%
Income < $25k 0% 15.8% 16.0% 18.0% 28.0% +18% 10.0%
18%
15%
23%
19%
16%
9%
0%5%10%15%20%25%
Less than $24,999
$25,000-$49,999
$50,000-$74,999
$75,000-$99,000
$100,000-$149,999
$150,000 or more
3. Number of Participants by Annual Household income
4
Quality of Life
Overall, residents responded positively to the Overall Quality of Life question as
shown in Chart 5. When asked to rate their overall quality of life, approximately
82% reported a positive quality of life, with 19% answering Excellent and 63%
answering Good. Comparatively, 16% reported their quality of life as fair, and just
2% reported it as poor.
Chart 6 shows responses when participants were asked to rate Oshkosh on 11
different quality of life statements. The chart represents the data grouped into
one of three categories: Positive (if participants responded Excellent or Good),
Negative (if they responded Fair or Poor), and No Opinion.
Results shows that respondents expressed a positive feeling for 6 out of 11
questions, which received a majority positive response rate (50% or greater). The
top three positive statements related to Oshkosh as an affordable place to live (7 2%), as a place to recreate and play
(67%), and as a place to work (66%).
Conversely, a majority of respondents expressed a negative feeling for two statements: 56% responded negatively to
Oshkosh as a place accepting of diversity, and 52% responded negatively to Oshkosh as a welcoming, inclusive community.
Excellent
19%
Good
63%
Fair
16%
Poor
2%
4. Overall Quality of Life
72%
67%
58%
66%
29%
65%
48%
41%
46%
30%
52%
28%
33%
40%
28%
39%
24%
48%
41%
52%
56%
44%
1%
0%
1%
6%
31%
12%
3%
17%
2%
14%
3%
As an affordable place to live
As a place to recreate and play
As a place with quality entertainment
As a place to work
As a place to start a business
As a place to raise children
As an environmentally-friendly city
As a place to retire
As a welcoming, inclusive community
As a place accepting of diversity
As a place moving in the right direction
5. Quality of Life Statements: Positive, Negative, or No Opinion
Positive Negative No Opinion
5
Feelings of Safety
Next, participants were asked: “Please rate how safe or unsafe you feel” in five categories listed in Chart 7. If they
responded Very Safe or Safe, answers are documented in Chart 7 in blue. Any response other than Very Safe or Safe was
included as a Less than Safe response, represented by orange.
Overall, the majority responded that they felt safe in Oshkosh. Approximately 93% felt safe in their home, 94% felt safe in
their neighborhood during the day, and 92% felt safe in commercial/business areas during the day. On the other hand,
only 65% felt safe walking alone in their neighborhood after dark, and the lowest proportion of 53% felt safe in
commercial/business areas after dark.
To better understand who feels Unsafe or Very Unsafe in Oshkosh after dark, the demographic data on sex (male/female)
was examined. Approximately 42% of females and 19% of males felt less than safe in their neighborhoods after dark. Of
those that feel less than safe in commercial areas after dark, 49% were female and 36% identified as male.
As shown in Chart 8, the geographic location of residents that feel less than safe is worth noting. The wards in which a
majority of respondents reported feeling less than safe in their neighborhoods after dark are shown below in blue. For
comparison, the same respondents felt safe during the day in their neighborhoods in four out of five wards listed.
However, 17% of Ward 09 respondents also felt less than safe in their neighborhood during the day.
93
94
65
92
53
6
6
36
8
47
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
In your home
In your neighborhood during the day
Walking alone in your neighborhood after dark
In commercial/business areas during the day
In commercial/busines areas after dark
6. Feeling Safe vs. Less than Safe (%)
Very Safe/Safe Less than Safe
0%0%0%0.0%
17%
100%
75%80%75%
67%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Ward 03 Ward 05 Ward 06 Ward 08 Ward 09
7. Feel Less than Safe in Neighborhood By Ward (%)
During Day After Dark
6
Quality of City Services
The next set of questions focused on resident perceptions of the quality of city services. Questions relating to quality asks
respondents to identify whether the service is Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor, or No Opinion. Results are presented in Table 3.
The percentage of participants is provided, and the total number is also presented in parentheses (#).
Table 4. Quality of City Services
Area Service Excellent Good Fair Poor No
Opinion
Public Safety Police 38% (113) 36% (105) 10% (28) 8% (23) 9% (25)
Fire Department 49% (143) 31% (90) 2% (5) 0% (0) 19% (56)
Ambulance 35% (104) 30% (87) 3% (9) 0% (0) 32% (94)
Public Works Leaf and Brush Pick-up 26% (77) 40% (119) 18% (52) 2% (7) 13% (39)
Recycling Services 34% (99) 50% (147) 12% (34) 1% (2) 4% (12)
Trash Collection Services 39% (116) 50% (148) 6% (18) 0% (0) 4% (12)
Sidewalk System 15% (44) 47% (137) 27% (80) 7% (21) 4% (12)
Ice and Snow Removal 16% (47) 40% (117) 27% (79) 15% (45) 2% (6)
Traffic Signs and Signals 21% (63) 59% (172) 17% (50) 2% (7) 1% (2)
Street Lights/Maintenance 18% (54) 56% (164) 18% (53) 5% (16) 2% (7)
Storm Water Management 14% (42) 47% (138) 24% (70) 8% (24) 7% (20)
Community
Services
Neighborhood Revitalization 7% (22) 38% (112) 26% (76) 12% (36) 16% (48)
Oshkosh Public Museum 32% (93) 42% (124) 8% (23) 2% (6) 16% (48)
Oshkosh Media 17% (49) 37% (110) 21% (62) 8% (24) 27% (49)
Oshkosh Public Library 51% (151) 36% (105) 4% (13) 1% (2) 8% (23)
Senior Services 18% (54) 32% (95) 8% (24) 2% (6) 39% (115)
Economic
Development
Assistance to Businesses 7% (20) 21% (63) 13% (37) 7% (20) 52% (154)
Quality of Housing 7% (20) 38% (113) 33% (97) 13% (39) 9% (25)
Permits and Inspections 5% (14) 23% (69) 23% (68) 14% (42) 34% (101)
Property Maintenance 4% (13) 35% (102) 32% (93) 14% (40) 16% (46)
Planning and Zoning 7% (21) 26% (75) 23% (67) 16% (47) 29% (84)
Parks Children’s Amusement Area 18% (52) 36% (106) 18% (52) 6% (18) 22% (66)
Leach Amphitheater 30% (87) 41% (121) 10% (28) 2% (5) 18% (53)
Menominee Park Zoo 24% (71) 45% (131) 19% (55) 5% (14) 8% (23)
Pollock Water Park 27% (79) 31% (90) 10% (28) 2% (7) 31% (90)
Transportation Biking & Pedestrian Trails 18% (54) 41% (122) 22% (65) 7% (22) 11% (31)
City Parking Facilities 11% (32) 41% (122) 28% (83) 11% (32) 9% (25)
Go Transit System 11% (32) 32% (93) 18% (52) 7% (22) 32% (95)
7
Based on the results in Table 3, the top five highest quality ratings of Excellent are presented in Chart 8.
Chart 9 presents the services with the lowest quality rating of Poor. However, six services are included because Permits
and Inspections and Property Maintenance received the same proportion of participants (14%) that rated them as Poor.
89%
87%
84%
80%
80%
74%76%78%80%82%84%86%88%90%
Trash Collection Services
Oshkosh Public Library
Recycling Services
Fire Department
Traffic Signs and signals
8. Top 5 Services with Highest % of Excellent Quality Ratings
16%
15%
14%
14%
13%
12%
0%2%4%6%8%10%12%14%16%18%
Planning and Zoning
Snow & Ice Removal
Permits and Inspections
Property Maintenance
Quality of Housing
Neighborhood Revitalization
9. Top 5 Services with Highest % of Poor Quality Ratings
8
Importance of City Services
Finally, respondents were asked to rank how important city services are to them. The survey question asks respondents
to identify whether the service is Very Important, Somewhat Important, Somewhat Unimportant, Not Important , or No
Opinion. Results are presented in Table 5. The percentage of participants is provided, and the total number is also
presented in parentheses (#).
Table 5. Importance of City Services
Area Service Very
Important
Somewhat
Important
Somewhat
Unimportant
Unimportant No
Opinion
Public Safety Police 77% (213) 14% (39) 3% (8) 3% (9) 3% (9)
Fire Department 78% (216) 16% (44) 1% (3) 1% (3) 4% (12)
Ambulance 70% (194) 21% (58) 2% (5) 1% (2) 7% (19)
Public Works Leaf and Brush Pick-up 35% (98) 45% (124) 9% (26) 6% (18) 4% (12)
Recycling Services 61% (170) 29% (82) 5% (15) 3% (9) 1% (2)
Trash Collection Services 64% (178) 31% (86) 2% (6) 2% (5) 1% (3)
Sidewalk System 47% (130) 41% (115) 7% (20) 3% (7) 2% (6)
Ice and Snow Removal 75% (208) 22% (61) 2% (5) 1% (2) 1% (2)
Traffic Signs and Signals 45% (125) 44% (121) 6% (18) 3% (8) 2% (6)
Street Lights/Maintenance 52% (144) 40% (110) 5% (15) 2% (5) 1% (4)
Storm Water Management 58% (160) 35% (97) 5% (14) 1% (2) 2% (5)
Community
Services
Neighborhood Revitalization 44% (123) 34% (95) 10% (29) 4% (11) 7% (20)
Oshkosh Public Museum 25% (70) 38% (107) 21% (58) 8% (21) 8% (22)
Oshkosh Media 24% (68) 35% (98) 18% (50) 8% (23) 14% (39)
Oshkosh Public Library 47% (130) 35% (98) 12% (32) 3% (8) 4% (10)
Senior Services 40% (111) 35% (97) 6% (18) 6% (16) 13% (36)
Economic
Development
Assistance to Businesses 31% (86) 27% (74) 11% (30) 10% (29) 21% (59)
Quality of Housing 56% (155) 29% (82) 7% (20) 2% (5) 6% (16)
Permits and Inspections 30% (84) 37% (103) 13% (37) 6% (17) 13% (37)
Property Maintenance 45% (124) 38% (107) 9% (25) 2% (6) 6% (16)
Planning and Zoning 34% (95) 35% (97) 12% (34) 4% (12) 14% (40)
Parks Children’s Amusement Area 23% (64) 39% (108) 19% (52) 10% (27) 10% (27)
Leach Amphitheater 18% (50) 41% (113) 22% (61) 10% (29) 9% (25)
Menominee Park Zoo 28% (77) 40% (111) 21% (59) 5% (15) 6% (16)
Pollock Water Park 17% (46) 41% (114) 19% (53) 10% (27) 14% (38)
Transportation Biking & Pedestrian Trails 37% (102) 39% (109) 13% (35) 8% (22) 4% (10)
City Parking Facilities 22% (60) 48% (134) 18% (50) 6% (17) 6% (17)
Go Transit System 33% (92) 35% (96) 12% (32) 9% (26) 12% (32)
9
Chart 10 shows how services were ranked by quality and importance. The graph illustrates if services had “Positive Quality”
(rated Excellent or Good) compared to the percentage rated Very Important. By graphing these ratings, this chart shows
the gap between what Oshkosh residents expects to have (i.e. Importance) versus what they believe exists (i.e. Quality).
10. Importance vs. Quality: All City Services
Based on this gap analysis, six out of the 28 city services illustrated lower quality than their importance. Those services
are included in Table 6 in order from the largest to smallest gap. City administrators can use this information to determine
whether and to what extent benefits of the services are being effectively deli vered to the public and decide whether
program design changes will improve the quality of services provided. The information can also serve as the basis for
reprioritization of services and commitment of public funding to strengthen programming , creating greater public impact.
Table 5. Gaps in Importance versus Quality of Services
Service Very Important Positive Quality Difference
Ice and Snow Removal 72% 56% 16%
Quality of Housing 59% 45% 14%
Assistance to Businesses 35% 28% 7%
Ambulance 72% 65% 7%
Neighborhood Revitalization 48% 45% 3%
Police 76% 74% 2%
33%
65%68%
43%
72%
44%
51%
60%
72%
77%76%
38%
21%
38%
21%18%
27%
18%
35%
59%
28%
38%
32%
48%
27%24%
53%
47%
66%
84%
89%
62%
56%
80%
74%
61%
65%
80%
74%
59%
52%
43%
54%
71%69%
58%
28%
45%
28%
39%
33%
45%
74%
54%
87%
50%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
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Very Important Positive Quality
10
Notes
The information included in this report was extracted from the Oshkosh Citizen Survey
Results collected by Polco. The coordination of survey data and reporting was led by Dr.
Samantha June Larson and supported by graduate research assistants Rattana Akey and
Raabia Waheed. Any additional questions can be directed to Dr. Larson at:
larsonsj@uwosh.edu