50 Sample Survey Questions

Polco has assembled a list of 50 questions, sorted by topic area, that you can review and use for your engagement needs. Simply copy the question into your Polco profile and modify the language as appropriate. We highly recommend that you post questions (polls) on Polco in groups of 3 to 5 per question set. Feel free to draw your batches from the questions here, although you may need to refine them a bit to meet your local conditions. You may also want to ask at least one question about decisions being debated in your community—a hot topic question—in your first few batches to more quickly grow your respondent base.

Although we have proposed responses for unique questions in the list, appropriate responses for general multiple choice questions include: 

• Excellent/Good/Fair/Poor/No Opinion
• Very Satisfied/Satisfied/Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied/Dissatisfied/Very Dissatisfied

General

1. How satisfied are you with your community’s government?

2. Is the community moving in the right direction?

3. What area of the community needs the most attention? (Downtown, North Side, East Side, South Side, West Side)

4. What is your favorite thing about the community?

5. What areas would you would like to see the community improve in? (Transportation, Communications, Taxes, Parks, Safety, Other)

6. How would you rate the community as a place to _____?

7. How would you rate the overall performance of the community’s _______ department?

8. How would you rate the sense of community in _______?

9. How would you rate the overall image or reputation of the community? (Very Positive/Positive/Neutral/Negative/Very Negative)

10. What would you like to gain from the use of this engagement tool? (Discussion Response)

11. How would you rate the community’s openness toward and acceptance of people of diverse backgrounds?

Economy

1. Do you think that economic conditions in the community as a whole are getting better, staying the same or getting worse?

2. How would you rate the availability of employment opportunities in the community?

3. How easy or difficult is it for you to access groceries and food in the community?

4. What is one type of business that you think is missing in the community?

5. How can we make the community more inviting?

Transportation

1. How would you rate the condition of streets in your community as a whole?

   1. Excellent (No repairs needed)

   2. Good (Minor repairs such as crack-filling needed)

   3. Fair (Major repairs, such as fixing potholes, needed in a few areas)

   4. Poor (In shambles, with major repairs in multiple areas necessary)

2. How would you rate the condition of streets in your neighborhood?

   1. Excellent (No repairs needed)

   2. Good (Minor repairs such as crack-filling needed)

   3. Fair (Major repairs, such as fixing potholes, needed in a few areas)

   4. Poor (In shambles, with major repairs in multiple areas necessary)

3. How would you rate street lighting, signage and street markings in your community?

4. How would you rate public transportation in the area?

5. How would you rate the quality of the community’s maintenance of streets throughout the year?

6. How would you rate the ease of getting around the community?

Housing

1. Is there adequate supply of different housing types in the community?

2. How satisfied are you with the housing affordability in the community?

3. What specific types of homes do you think are missing in the community?

   1. Small, single-family homes

   2. Single-family homes on large lots

   3. Luxury homes

   4. Small, multi-family complexes of two stories, with fewer than 20 units

   5. Accessory dwelling units

   6. Senior/age-restricted communities

Public Safety & Justice

1. How would you rate the visibility of police patrol cars in your neighborhood?

   1. Very Visible

   2. Somewhat Visible

   3. Not Very Visible

   4. Not Visible

   5. No Opinion

2. How would you rate the enforcement of traffic regulations in the community?

3. How safe do you feel in the community?

   1. Very Safe

   2. Safe

   3. Unsafe

   4. Very Unsafe

   5. No Opinion

4. How safe do you feel in your neighborhood?

   1. Very Safe

   2.  Safe

   3.  Unsafe

   4. Very Unsafe

   5. No Opinion

Parks

1. How important is it for you to have adequate parks, bike paths, playing fields and playgrounds?

2. How would you rate the ease of walking in the community?

3. How would you rate the appearance and maintenance of the community’s public parks and open spaces?

Open Space

1. How well would you say you understand the community’s open space and trail system?

   1. I have a clear understanding of the community’s open space and trail system.

   2. I have a fair understanding about the community’s open space and trail system. 

   3. I know only a little bit about the community’s open space and trail system.

   4. I know nothing about the community’s open space and trail system.

2. How would you rate the maintenance of the community’s open spaces?

3. How would you rate the maintenance of the community’s trail system?

Recreation

1. How would you rate the community’s current recreation programs for _____  (youth, adults, seniors)?

2. How would you characterize health and wellness opportunities in the community?

3. How would you rate the availability of recreational programs in the community?

Planning/Development Services

1. How would you rate the public input process on development issues in your community?

2. How would you rate the ease of walking in the community?

3. How would you rate the building-permit process in the community?

4. How would you rate the building- and construction-inspection process in the community?

Budget

1. How much should the community prioritize funding for _______?

2. Please provide the level of value you place on the following public services by allocating 100 points among all choices. (Allocation question for which responses need to add to 100.)

Administration & Support Services

1. How would you rate the opportunities you have to participate in community matters?

2. How would you rate the information available to you about the community’s Council, Planning Commission and other official community meetings?

3. How would you rate the community’s website?

4. How would you rate the information available to you about community plans and programs?

5. How important is it to you for the community to encourage sustainability for both residential and commercial properties?

6. How would you rate the community’s communication and engagement with the public?