Community Survey

The City offers two ways to participate in the same survey:

• Random Sample: Households are randomly selected and invited to participate. Their responses are adjusted to better reflect Rochester's population and help estimate the opinions of the broader community.
• Open Participation: All Rochester residents have an opportunity to complete the survey online, allowing additional voices to be heard. These responses are reported separately from the random sample.

The City partners with Polco, an independent research organization, to conduct the survey using established research methods. This approach helps the City:

• Gather Reliable Feedback: Understand community-wide perspectives without surveying every household.
• Compare with Other Communities: See how Rochester compares with hundreds of communities nationwide.
• Track Changes Over Time: Identify trends using consistent survey questions and independent analysis.

Each survey report also includes a margin of error, which indicates how much random-sample results may vary from the broader population's opinions due to sampling.

Survey results help the City understand what's working well, identify opportunities for improvement, and track changes in residents' experiences over time.

The findings help inform:

• Strategic Planning: Establishing priorities for future City initiatives.
• Citywide Action Plan: Identifying actions and opportunities to improve City services.
• Budget Priorities: Helping guide decisions about City resources and investments.
• Land Use Planning: Informing decisions about Rochester's future growth and development.

The City reviews survey findings alongside other community feedback and data to support informed decisions and track progress over time.

In 2026, the City invited 4,500 randomly selected households to participate in the National Community Survey. The City received 511 random-sample responses and 1,031 additional open participation responses.

Key Findings

• Rochester remains a desirable place to live. Seventy-three percent of residents rated Rochester as an excellent or good place to live, 72% would recommend living here, and 77% are likely to remain for the next five years.
• Safety remains a strength and priority. Seventy-five percent rated their overall feeling of safety positively. Ratings for public safety services were in line with national and Minnesota benchmarks.
• Utility services received strong ratings. More than seven in 10 residents rated services such as stormwater management, power utilities, sewer services, garbage collection, and drinking water positively. All utility ratings were in line with benchmark comparisons.
• Employment and affordability ratings declined since 2024. Positive ratings for employment opportunities fell to 58%, affordable quality food to 53%, and cost of living to 19%.
• Ratings for participation opportunities declined since 2024. Opportunities for volunteering, social activities, community involvement, and cultural events received lower ratings, with most returning to 2022 levels.
• Travel and parking remain potential focus areas. Ratings for travel by car, traffic flow, traffic signal timing, and public parking were below those of other Minnesota communities. 

Resources

• Survey results were presented at the November 9, 2026, Study Session
• 2026 National Community Survey Dashboard

In 2024, the City invited 4,200 randomly selected households to participate in the National Community Survey. The City received 635 random-sample responses and 493 additional open participation responses.

Key Findings

• Sense of safety remains strong in Rochester, with residents reporting feeling safe in all aspects of the community.
• Rochester continues to be seen as a desirable place to work, with residents reporting above-average perceptions of employment opportunities.
• The City remains a desirable place to live.  However, there have been slight decreases in ratings for the overall quality of life and Rochester as a place to live since the 2022 survey; this is a trend seen nationwide.
• Perceptions of city governance have improved since the 2022 survey.  Residents reported greater satisfaction with the value of services for the taxes paid in Rochester, the overall direction Rochester is taking, and confident in Rochester government.
• Rochester compares very well with similar communities that participate in the survey nationally.
• The survey results indicate a desire for improved amenities, housing affordability and yard waste management. 

Resources

• Survey results were presented at the November 26, 2024, Study Session
• 2024 National Community Survey Dashboard
• 2024 National Community Survey Disaggregated Data Dashboard

In 2022, the City invited 5,500 randomly selected households to participate in the National Community Survey and received 828 random-sample responses.

The City also conducted a separate, optional National Business Survey, which received responses from more than 230 businesses.

Key Findings

• Residents enjoy a positive quality of life and strong sense of safety in Rochester
• Rochester's economy and employment opportunities are an asset to the community
• Although sentiments about community design are generally positive, housing availability may be a concern for residents
• Rochester's parks and recreation offerings are highly valued by residents.

Resources

• Survey results were presented at the August 1, 2022, Study Session.
• 2022 National Community Survey Dashboard
• 2022 National Business Survey Dashboard