City of Edina Resident Quality of life survey
Excerpts from the 2023 Quality of Life Survey
The City of Edina conducted their 7th resident survey in 2023. The primary goal of the survey was to assess the attitudes and opinions of residents by:
Evaluating City programs and services.
Determining general perceptions of the quality of life in the City.
Identifying issues facing the City.
Comparing survey results to other communities across the nation.
Establishing trendlines to measure government performance over time.
The Edina Resident Survey serves as a consumer report card for Edina by providing residents the opportunity to rate the quality of life in the City, as well as the community’s amenities, service delivery and their satisfaction with local government. Residents also provide feedback on what is working well and what is not, and communicate their priorities for community planning and resource allocation. Focus on the quality of service delivery helps council, staff, and the public to set priorities for budget decisions and lays the groundwork for tracking community opinions about the core responsibilities of Edina City government, helping to assure maximum service quality over time.
Key Findings
Edina residents enjoy an exceptional quality of life.
Edina residents continue to rate the quality of life highly, with 93% of survey respondents awarding excellent or good marks in 2023. This rating was higher than national benchmark and similar to peer communities in Minnesota.
About 9 in 10 respondents indicated that they would recommend living in Edina to someone asks and would remain in the City for the next 5 years.
About two-thirds of residents rated the sense of community in Edina as excellent or good.
More than 8 in 10 respondents felt that Edina is a welcoming community for people of all ages. About two-thirds felt that the City is welcoming for people of all sexual orientations, for people of all abilities, for people of all gender identities, and for people of all religions. More than 5 in 10 respondents felt that Edina is welcoming toward people of all races and ethnicities. However, only about 3 in 10 residents felt that the community is welcoming toward people who have a lower income.
About 9 in 10 residents positively rated the quality of the overall natural environment in Edina, health and wellness opportunities, and the overall economic health of the City. More than 8 in 10 gave excellent or good ratings to the overall opportunities for education and enrichment.
At least three-quarters or residents gave high marks to the overall established “built environment” of Edina, the overall image or reputation of the City, and neighborliness of residents.
As in previous years, the highest rated aspects were cleanliness of Edina, shopping opportunities, air quality, and overall quality of business and service establishments. Each of these items were rated excellent or good by at least 9 in 10 residents. Among the lowest rated items were cost of living (41% rated excellent or good) and the availability of affordable quality housing (32%).
The top reasons residents chose for why they live in Edina were location/convenience (selected by 77% of respondents) and safe community (59%). About half of residents chose attractive community and good schools. More than 4 in 10 respondents selected amenities and good neighbors. About one-third chose family lives here/born or raised here and variety/type of housing.
Survey respondents were also given the opportunity to write in their own words what they liked most about living in Edina. Of those who chose to write in a response, 42% commented on Edina being a convenient location, accessible, and walkable. Other top mentions included quality of life and community (14%) and schools (11%).
While residents generally feel safe in Edina, the feeling of safety has declined in some areas of the city and the perception of some types of crime has increased.
About 9 in 10 residents said that the overall feeling of safety in Edina was excellent or good.
One of the top reasons residents chose for why they live in Edina was because it is safe community (selected by 59% of respondents).
In addition to considering what they like most about living in Edina, residents shared what they felt was the most serious issue facing Edina. About 10% of respondents commented on crime and safety issues.
Residents also rated how safe they felt in three different areas of the community. Almost all residents (93%) said they felt very or somewhat safe in their neighborhood, and over 8 in 10 felt safe in the 50th & France area (downtown area). About two-thirds felt safe in the Southdale area, which declined in positive ratings from 2021 to 2023.
Edina residents also rated four additional potential problems related to crime. About onethird of respondents felt vandalism and property crimes were a moderate, major or extreme problem, while slightly fewer felt that youth crimes (24%) and drugs (18%) were problematic. About 15% felt that violent crime was of concern. When compared to 2021, residents rated youth and violent crimes as being more of a concern in 2023.
City services continue to be highly rated.
About 9 in 10 highly rated the overall quality of City services.
More than 9 in 10 respondents positively rated fire services, ambulance or emergency medical services, city parks, and police services. At least 8 in 10 gave high marks to sewer services, park maintenance, fire prevention and education, recycling, condition of trails and sidewalks, snow removal, organics recycling, public health services, recreation programs or classes, animal control, yard waste pickup, emergency preparedness, and street cleaning.
Among the lowest rated services were land use, planning and zoning (rated excellent or good by 50% of residents) and street repair (48%).
Overall, Edina residents’ ratings of City services tended to be higher than or similar to the benchmark comparisons. One item, snow removal, was rated much higher than the national benchmark. Additionally, compared to other Minnesota communities, Edina ranks #1 in snow removal, ambulance or emergency medical services, fire services, fire prevention and education, and city-sponsored special events.
About 7 in 10 residents gave excellent or good reviews to the overall quality of drinking water.
The reliability, safety, and appearance of drinking water in Edina were rated as excellent or good by at least 8 in 10 respondents. Nearly three-quarters of residents provided a positive evaluation of the water’s odor, and almost two-thirds said the taste was excellent or good. One-third gave positive reviews to the water’s hardness.
Close to 9 in 10 respondents gave excellent or good ratings to the quality of garbage collection in Edina. In addition to rating the overall quality of garbage collection, residents also rated their level of support for the City changing from the current multiple hauler garbage collection system to a single hauler (chosen by the City) system. A larger proportion of residents support the City choosing one hauler for the whole community in 2023 compared to 2021. Nearly 6 in 10 respondents supported this change.
More than 9 in 10 residents support the City in continuing to operate its municipal liquor stores.
Residents identify opportunities for improvement with housing and development.
Among the lowest rated community characteristic items were availability of affordable quality housing (rated excellent or good by 32% of respondents) and variety of housing options (57%).
When asked to share what they felt was the most serious issue facing Edina, 22% of residents wrote a comment related to overdevelopment/wrong type of development or teardowns, while 13% commented on the need for more affordable housing.
About two-thirds of residents gave excellent or good reviews to the overall quality of commercial redevelopment in Edina, while about 6 in 10 gave positive reviews to the overall quality of residential redevelopment.
When asked how well, if at all, they felt the City does managing tensions in the community related to residential redevelopment in Edina, about half of residents felt the City manages tensions very or somewhat well.
Overall, a majority of respondents felt that there was somewhat too little or far too little housing for lower-income singles and families (65% and 68%, respectively); about 2 in 10 felt there was the right amount of housing available for lower-income groups. A slightly smaller proportion of residents felt that there was too little housing available for middle-income families and singles (50% each); another 4 in 10 felt there was the right amount of housing available for these two income groups. A majority of respondents felt that there was either too much or the right amount of housing available for high-income families (98%) and singles (97%).
About two-thirds of respondents said that it was essential or very important for the City to encourage preservation of small starter homes (homes with fewer rooms or other amenities that are affordable for first-time buyers). One-third of residents prioritized medium-density development (like townhouses), and about one-quarter said that the City should encourage the building of more accessory dwelling units (apartments or small homes built above garages, in backyards, etc.) About 2 in 10 felt that the City should focus on higher-density development (like apartments).