National Community Survey
In 2022, the City of San Marcos partnered with Polco to gather feedback from residents through the National Community Survey. The survey was open between late September and early November and covered a variety of topics including housing affordability, transportation, education, recreational opportunities, and civic engagement.
The National Community Survey was made available to residents into two phases: a scientific survey that was mailed to a randomly selected list of addresses, and an open participation survey that was accessible online via link. The surveys were identical in each phase. There were 242 responses to the scientific survey and 886 responses to the open participation survey.
Polco completed an analysis of the scientific survey data and presented the results during the City Council Work Session meeting on January 17, 2023. Key findings include that San Marcos residents are appreciative of the natural environment and local recreational opportunities, supportive of efforts to boost the economy, and interested in improvements to mobility and safety in the community. A majority of respondents indicated the City of San Marcos should actively pursue attracting more grocery stores, casual dine-in restaurants, personal services (such as salons, spas, and fitness centers), and upscale/fine dining restaurants.
Watch the full presentation in the video above, or read the results by clicking the link below.
En el 2022, la Ciudad de San Marcos colaboro con Polco para recopilar opiniones de residentes, por medio de la Encuesta Comunitaria Nacional. La encuesta estuvo abierta durante el final de septiembre y los primeros días de noviembre. La encuesta pregunto sobre varios temas, incluyendo el costo de vivienda, transportación, educación, oportunidades de recreación, y participación cívica.
Polco completo un análisis de los datos y presento los resultados al Consejo Municipal durante una Sesión de Trabajo el 17 de enero, 2023. Entre los resultados clave, se resaltó que los residentes de San Marcos aprecian los recursos naturales y oportunidades de recreación locales, los esfuerzos para mejorar la economía, y están interesados en mejorar la movilidad y seguridad de la comunidad. La mayoría de los que respondieron a la encuesta indicaron que la Ciudad de San Marcos debería hacer un esfuerzo proactivo para atraer más supermercados, restaurantes casuales, servicios personales (como salones de belleza, spas, y gimnasios), y restaurantes finos.
La presentación entera y detalles de los resultados están disponibles a continuación.
Scientific vs. Open Participation Analysis
Of the responses between the scientific survey and open participation survey for San Marcos, 32 items received ratings much higher in the scientific than the open, and 52 items were considered higher. Fifteen items received higher sores in the open, and 10 were rated much higher in the open. Seventy-one items were rated within 5% between the two surveys. Of the 25 items that were rated higher in the open participation survey, only five were within the facets of livability. Click on the links below for a comparative analysis of the scientific and open participation surveys.