Richmonders like the city. They're less sold on its future.
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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Richmonders' views on the city's growth and affordability have deteriorated since 2021, according to a recent city-sponsored survey.
Why it matters: The survey suggests residents like living here but are increasingly dissatisfied with housing, development and other issues city leaders have identified as critical to Richmond's future.
Driving the news: Officials presented the National Community Survey, which is conducted every five years, to a City Council committee last week.
- It polled 268 residents between February and April and has a margin of error of 6%.
What they found: Most respondents recommend living here and expect to stay over the next five years.
Yes, but: Some of the sharpest declines since the city's last survey in 2021 include:
- Positive ratings for the quality of new development, utility infrastructure, and employment opportunities. Each fell by 20 percentage points, with utilities having the lowest (13%).
- Ratings for land use, planning and zoning fell 19 points from 36% to 17%.
- And barely a quarter of respondents gave positive marks to the city's overall economic health, economic development or cost of living — a drop of at least 14 points.
Meanwhile, just 10% of residents rated the availability of affordable quality housing positively, down from 22%.
What they're saying: "In numerous cases, such as affordability and public utilities, priority areas of concern voiced by the public in this survey match top-level priorities of both my administration and City Council," Mayor Avula wrote in response to the survey.
Between the lines: Some declines weren't limited to City Hall.
- Positive ratings of the federal government plunged by more than half between surveys, while ratings of city services slightly improved.
- Just 11% of respondents said the economy would have a positive impact on their family income in the next six months, down from 28% in 2021.
The intrigue: Ratings improved for opportunities to attend arts and cultural events, community support for the arts and preservation of the city's historic character.
What we're watching: Whether the city's investments in housing, infrastructure and economic development translate into better ratings before the next survey in 2031.