The NCS Report - Charlottesville, VA 2022 - Flipbook - Page 7
Key Findings
Residents generally feel safe in Charlottesville but have some concerns about police services.
Residents ranked safety as their overall top priority for Charlottesville in the next two years, and a majority of survey
participants indicated that they felt safe in Charlottesville. About 9 in 10 residents stating that they felt very safe or somewhat
safe in their neighborhood during the day as well as from fire, flood, or other natural disaster. Residents’ feeling of safety in
Charlottesville’s downtown/commercial area during the day declined by 11 points to 79% since the 2018 iteration of The NCS but
remained on par with comparable communities in the nation. 68% of residents felt very or somewhat safe from property crime
and violent crime, but the latter rating was lower than the national average. Similarly, about half of survey participants
favorably reviewed the overall feeling of safety in Charlottesville, a 21-point decrease since 2018. Fire services and emergency
medical services were rated positively by about 9 in 10 residents, while the quality of fire prevention and education received
positive reviews by 8 in 10 participants. 71% of survey respondents favorably rated the quality of animal control, while 63%
offered the same for the quality of emergency preparedness in Charlottesville.
While most services relating to safety in Charlottesville received reviews similar to those of other communities across the
nation, residents offered below average reviews for some police-related services. 52% of residents rated the overall quality of
police/sheriff services positively, down 14 points since 2018 and 27 points since 2016. The overall quality of crime prevention
also declined since 2018, with 37% of respondents rating it excellent or good compared to 63% in 2018. Improving the quality of
police services is also important to residents. In a series of questions unique to Charlottesville, about three-quarters of residents
indicated that they wanted the City to focus on reducing crime and disorder. Additionally, 70% of residents suggested that it is
essential or very important for the City to increase service levels for police patrol and investigative services in Charlottesville.
Residents appreciate Charlottesville's natural environment and recreational opportunities.
Ratings for survey items related to Charlottesville’s natural environment tended to be positive and on par with national
averages. More than 8 in 10 of respondents gave excellent or good reviews to the overall quality of natural environment in the
city, with the highest rating going to the air quality of Charlottesville (87%). Nearly two-thirds offered positive evaluations of
Charlottesville's open space, preservation of natural areas, recycling, and water resources. Reviews for the preservation of
natural spaces increased by 14 points since the 2018 iteration of The NCS (from 52% to 66%). In a question unique to
Charlottesville, 66% of respondents also named improving environmental quality as essential or very important for the City to
address within the next two years.
A majority of residents were also pleased with Charlottesville’s parks and recreational opportunities, with three-quarters
positively rating their overall quality. Fitness opportunities and the availability of paths and walking trails received high marks
from about 8 in 10 residents, on par with the national average. There was also interest in further strengthening City parks; about
half of survey respondents stated it was essential or very important for the City to focus on providing more parks and open space
and improving park conditions within the next two years.
Charlottesville residents widely use alternative forms of transport and support increasing transportation
options.
Charlottesville residents reported more frequent use of alternative forms of transportation than other communities across the
nation, but their comparatively lower ratings of quality could suggest an area for additional focus for the city in coming years.
Nearly 8 in 10 residents reported walking or biking instead of driving, 6 in 10 carpooled with others, and 4 in 10 used bus, rail,
subway, or other public transportation instead of driving. Each of these is higher than the national average. The ease of walking
received positive reviews from 60% of respondents, remaining steady with the 2018 survey. 29% of survey participants viewed
the quality of bus or transit services as excellent or good. A quarter of residents viewed the ease of biking and the ease of travel
by public transportation favorably, lower than comparable communities. In a question unique to the City, about three-quarters of
residents stated it was essential or very important to increase transportation options (i.e. car/bike share, shuttles) in the next
two years.
While ratings for utilities are strong overall, Charlottesville residents point to affordable high-speed
internet access as an area of opportunity.
When asked which aspects of the community the City should focus on in the next two years, 81% of residents identified the
overall utility infrastructure as a priority. Sewer service quality remained strong since the previous survey, with more than 8 in
10 favorable reviews. The quality of Charlottesville drinking water saw a 12-point increase since the 2018 survey, with 83% of
survey participants rating it positively, a score similar to the national average. Positive ratings were given by about 7 in 10
residents for the City’s garbage collection, storm water management, power utility, utility billing. About two-thirds of
respondents gave high marks to the overall quality of the utility infrastructure in Charlottesville, on par with the national
average. More than half of residents positively rated affordable high-speed internet access in the city, which was also similar to
benchmark comunities.