2014 National Citizen Survey

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Mayor Michael B. Hancock’s vision for Denver is a world class city where everyone matters. Under his leadership, Denver has marched out of the recession, eliminated the budget deficit, added tens of thousands of jobs, and increased our global footprint. Our neighborhoods are thriving too. For these reasons, the citizens of Denver have again said this city is a great place to live, work and raise a family.

Each year, Denver is one of 350 communities across the country that participates in a survey which measures the quality of life for residents. The 2014 National Citizen Survey (NCS) is snapshot in time about how Denver residents from across geographical areas, ethnicities, and ages feel about their city. The survey captured opinions within three primary pillars of a community: community characteristics, governance, and participation. Eight central facets are observed within these pillars: safety, mobility, natural environment, economy, recreation and wellness, education and enrichment, and community engagement.

The NCS methodology indicates that, for Denver citizens, public safety and parks are the two most important factors for quality of life. Denver’s benchmark for the parks system remains high at 87% approval and is comparable with other cities. Opinions on safety in Denver are also comparable with the benchmarks for similarly sized cities.

Denver’s approval ratings rose significantly higher in the following categories (percentage shown as increase):