Goodyear publishes survey showing favorable livability but declining development opinions

The city of Goodyear published the results of a commissioned survey Monday on residents' perceptions of various metrics of city management and concerns.

The National Research Center at Polco surveys Goodyear every two years. It includes a range of questions about city programs and services.

According to city officials, the results play a significant role in city planning. In the past, the survey has identified opportunities to allocate funds or resources to improve the future livability of the city.

Almost 9 out of 10 people surveyed recommend living in Goodyear, with 93% saying they feel safe in their respective neighborhood. Roughly 85% of respondents said Goodyear was an excellent place to live, while 74% felt it was a great place to work.

Resident perception of affordability of Goodyear declined from 2021, which includes categories like the availability of affordable quality housing, health care, mental health care and cheap quality foods.

When asked to rate Goodyear’s overall economic health, 82% of survey participants in 2023 rated this as excellent or good. This year’s reading is a 10% drop from the rating in the 2021 iteration of the survey, but it is consistent with national averages.

Other economy-related aspects that experienced a decline were the overall quality of and variety of business and service establishments, economic development and employment opportunities.

The quality rating for the overall design or layout of residential and commercial areas received a 64% positive rating from participants. Residents' opinions on the variety of housing options remained steady at 68% excellent or good, higher than the national average.

The city's overall appearance polled at 74% excellent or good, which is still considered high, according to the surveyors.

The overall quality of new development was 62%, and well-planned commercial growth was 48%, but according to the surveyors, those items are similar to national averages. Well-planned residential growth from 2021 to 2023, decreased by 11%, while commercial growth decreased by 17% from the customer’s perspective.

According to a city press release, they recognize opportunities for improvement in the following categories: air quality, paths and walking trails, public transit, traffic flow, water resources and well-planned growth.