McLean County Times

Residents of the Town of Normal have reported high levels of satisfaction with their community, according to the results of a recent Community Satisfaction Survey. The survey, conducted between May and July 2024, showed that 81% of residents are satisfied with the Town overall. This figure is eight percentage points higher than similar communities in the region and five points above the national average.

The quality of life in Normal also received positive feedback, with 74% rating it as good or excellent. This score is 11 percentage points higher than regional comparisons and 8 points above the national average. Additionally, 63% of respondents said they would recommend Normal as a place to live.

“We value this feedback and are gratified with the results,” said Town of Normal City Manager Pamela Reece. “We asked residents to tell us how we’re doing with the services we offer, and they answered. We are pleased with many of the scores, and we’ve also identified areas where we can improve.”

Survey participants gave favorable ratings for several specific services: 76% were satisfied with parks and recreational amenities; 72% rated waste and recycling services positively; access to quality education was at 70%; overall city service quality was at 67%; and art and cultural events received a satisfaction rate of 62%.

Regarding safety, 63% rated their sense of safety positively—matching regional averages and exceeding the national average by three percentage points. Another 23% gave a neutral response, while only 14% expressed low satisfaction about safety in Normal.

Of those not satisfied with safety, nearly one-third suggested that increasing police patrols would be most effective for improvement. The Normal Police Department had already identified this need before survey results were released. In September 2024, it secured a $750,000 grant from the Department of Justice's Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program to add six officers to its force.

Lower satisfaction rates were reported for affordable housing availability (17%) and opportunities for public input (36%).

Pamela Reece commented on next steps: "This isn't a one and done process,” she said. “We're using this data to determine how we can make the Town an even better place to live."

Following receipt of these results—the first from such a survey—town leaders formed a committee tasked with identifying trends, analyzing potential improvements, reviewing processes, recommending changes, and monitoring progress.

The next round of surveys will begin in November, with updated results expected in early 2025.

The survey was developed through collaboration between Zencity—a technology company focused on municipal engagement—and the Town of Normal. Zencity’s methodology uses U.S. Census data to set response targets representative across demographic groups within each municipality surveyed. No personal information is collected during participation; responses are weighted by age, sex, race, education level, and income to reflect community makeup.

The full report is available at normalil.gov/2024Results.