Town of Normal residents again gave top marks to the community’s overall quality of life in the recent Town of Normal Community Satisfaction Survey.
Seven of 10 residents (72%) rate the Town’s quality of life good or excellent, 8% higher than regional cohorts and 9% higher than the national average. Also, 61% of respondents would recommend the Town of Normal as a place to live.
“This is the Town’s second survey round and we are again gratified with the results,” says Town of Normal City Manager Pamela Reece. “Our scores are steady, fluctuating plus or minus a point or two. More importantly, they consistently meet or exceed national averages. That is the goal. We will keep asking the community to tell us how we’re doing. And, we’ll watch our scores over time, digging in to see how we can improve.”
The findings came from the survey which ran from November through January. In addition to high marks for quality of life, respondents indicated positive satisfaction with:
- the quality of parks and recreational amenities (72%)
- the quality of waste and recycling services (71%)
- access to quality education (70%)
- the overall quality of services provided by the city (70%)
- the availability of a variety of art and cultural events (57%)
Regarding the sense of overall safety, 63% of residents again ranked this positively. Another 24% of residents gave it a neutral ranking and only 13% indicated low satisfaction. These scores match regional cohort scores and exceed the national average of 60%.
The ranking with the largest improvement relates to agreement with the statement, “The Town operates in a way that exhibits transparency and accountability.” Scores on this question improved from 42% in late summer 2024 to 50% agreement in January 2025, most likely a condition of public presentations recently provided at Council meetings and work sessions.
“During the time the survey ran, staff provided the community with a lot of information about community financial trends, the budgeting process and the Town’s five-year community investment plan,” explains Reece.
In 2024, the Town of Normal also rolled out Normal Now, a monthly informational e-newsletter designed to keep the community informed about all things Normal. A November edition reminded the community of all the ways to stay connected with the Town. The Town also regularly updates its Open Data Portal making data collected accessible through searchable tools.
The community indicates the Town of Normal performs well with waste management, safety and recreation. The Town can improve on infrastructure, maintenance and cost management, according to qualitative feedback.
The lowest ranking satisfaction scores were with the availability of affordable housing (22%) and the availability of jobs that pay a living wage (36%). The full survey report is available at: normalil.gov/Jan2025Results
Survey Questions
Questions from the survey covered a wide range of topics, including quality of life, satisfaction of a range of services from waste and recycling services to public safety and what residents value about living in Normal.
Cohort and national comparisons
The survey, developed in partnership with Zencity, compares the Town of Normal to other similar communities. Every community running a survey with Zencity receives a customized community benchmark cohort reflecting its unique characteristics. Communities are allocated into cohorts using variables such as population size, geography, density and demographics. The survey also provides a national average comparison.
Scientific Methodology
Zencity’s Community Survey sets response targets based on U.S. Census data about the municipality. No personally identifying information is collected, and Zencity ensures the security and privacy of its data and survey respondents. Responses are weighted to give a proportional voice to all demographics (e.g., by age, sex, race, education level, and income level) based on the makeup of the municipality.
About Zencity
Zencity is a technology company specializing in supporting municipalities with community engagement.
