St.
Charles Priorities 2007
The City of St. Charles recently completed the 2007 Priorities Survey that measured the opinions of St. Charles residents regarding the community and services provided by the City. This year, 1,700 surveys were sent to a random sample of residents that were selected from the utility billing database. Of the 1,700 surveys that were sent, 476 were returned to the city before the deadline, resulting in a 28% response rate. With a 28% response rate, the survey can be deemed statistically representative of the entire population of St. Charles with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5%.
The 2007 Priorities Survey was the first survey since 1996 to be offered in an electronic format. Since 1998, the Priorities Survey has inquired if households had Internet connections. After years of following the trend it was determined that since 82% of households had Internet service, an electronic version of the survey could be offered and still maintain a response rate equal to that of the preceding years.
The survey instrument was also made available in a paper format for individuals that were unable to use the Internet. Only 63 respondents (13%) utilized the paper version of the survey.
The respondents this year were almost evenly split between males and females (52% vs. 48%). In addition, 86% of respondents had some college eduation. Other key characteristics follow:
- 47% were between the age of 40-60;
- 52% reported household income exceeded $90,000 annually;
- 66% live in single-family homes; and
- 40% have lived in St. Charles for 5 years or less.
Overall, the demographics were very consistent with prior years.
The
summary below (also available in PDF
format) provides a brief overview of the information gained
from this year's survey. The survey results were presented to the City Council in May. This presentation is also available in PDF format.
Any questions regarding the survey and its results
should be directed to Brian Townsend at (630) 377-4422.
