Lacey opens civic survey to gauge city’s livability ratings 

All Lacey households are invited to take part in the 2025 National Community Survey after the city opened its public access phase on Monday, June 16. 

The survey captures resident perspectives on topics, such as the economy, inclusivity, mobility, natural environment, safety, public utilities, neighborhood design, and other elements of Lacey’s overall livability.

It was developed by the National Research Center at Polco to furnish municipalities with uniform metrics for performance measurement and peer-to-peer comparison. 

"Here in the City of Lacey, it's the people who drive our community forward. We strongly encourage all residents to take the survey. The more people who participate, the better the information we have to determine Council priorities and guide our work. Your voice helps shape your community,” said City Manager Rick Walk in a statement released on Thursday, June 12. 

Before opening the survey to the public, the City of Lacey carried out a “postcard phase” that began on May 19. During the effort, 3,000 randomly selected households within Lacey received printed instructions and household-specific links to complete the survey. The first wave was targeted to limit sampling bias and include voices from all parts of Lacey. 

The findings from both phases will be utilized by city government to evaluate resident satisfaction and track the city's performance against other municipalities nationwide. 

The National Community Survey provides local governments with vetted measures of livability and service alignment. More than 350 jurisdictions have implemented the survey to establish performance baselines, guide budget strategy, and track changes in livability over time. 

As the city transitions to community-wide access, the survey is open to all residents living within Lacey city limits. Lacey will accept responses in English, Spanish or Korean through June 30. 

To complete the survey offline, request a paper version by calling (360) 972-5434. The city announced that households are asked to complete the survey only once. 

For updates and instructions, go to the Lacey’s Community Survey page.