HomeMy WebLinkAboutStudy Session Agenda Packet 06-14-21 - SPECIALSPECIAL STUDY SESSION AGENDA
CITY COUNCIL
CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO 7500 W. 29th Ave. Wheat Ridge CO June 14, 2021
To commence at the conclusion of the Regular City Council Meeting
This meeting will be conducted as a virtual meeting and in person at 7500 West 29th Avenue, Municipal Building, if allowed to meet on that date per COVID-19 restrictions. Members of City Council and City staff will be physically present at the Municipal building for this meeting. The public may participate in these ways: 1. Provide comment in advance at www.wheatridgespeaks.org (comment by noon on June 14, 2021)
2. Virtually attend and participate in the meeting through a device or phone:
• Click here to join and provide public comment
• Or call +1-669-900-6833 with Access Code: 857 0138 8673
Passcode: 884510 3. View the meeting live or later at www.wheatridgespeaks.org, Channel 8, or YouTube
Live at https://www.ci.wheatridge.co.us/view
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to participate in all public meetings sponsored by
the City of Wheat Ridge. Contact the Public Information Officer at 303-235-2877 or
wrpio@ci.wheatridge.co.us with as much notice as possible if you are interested in
participating in a meeting and need inclusion assistance.
Citizen Comment on Agenda Item
1. 2021 Resident Survey Draft Report
2. Staff Report(s)
3. Elected Officials’ Report(s)
ADJOURNMENT
Memorandum
TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Patrick Goff, City Manager
FROM: Marianne Schilling, Assistant to the City Manager
DATE: June 14, 2021
SUBJECT: 2021 Resident Survey Draft Report
ISSUE: Laurie Urban, National Research Center’s Director of Client Success, will be presenting the
2021 Resident Survey Draft Report to City Council. The purpose of this presentation is to
highlight data and findings from the most recent survey.
The survey serves as the City’s “consumer report card” and is an information tool for the City to measure its performance. The survey encompasses best practices and is a statistically valid
sampling of 4,500 households in the City. The Wheat Ridge Resident Survey was last
administered in 2018, and is typically a bi-annual survey, but it was postponed in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic and was instead completed in 2021.
Following this presentation, the survey results will be finalized and posted on the City website.
Additionally, the City will include the results of the survey in the upcoming edition of the
Connections newsletter.
ATTACHMENTS: 1. 2021 Resident Survey Draft Report
Item No. 1
2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
May 2021
Prepared by:
2955 Valmont Road, Suite 300 Boulder, CO 80531 | n-r-c.com | 303-444-7863
ATTACHMENT 1
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Contents
Executive Summary ............................................................................................................... 1
Survey Background ................................................................................................................ 5
Survey Results ........................................................................................................................ 8
Quality of Life and Community..................................................................................................8
City Services and Government Performance ....................................................................... 21
Policy and Special Topics ....................................................................................................... 31
Communication with Residents............................................................................................. 37
Appendix A: Complete Set of Survey Responses ............................................................... 39
Appendix B: Comparisons of Selected Survey Responses ................................................ 74
Appendix C: Comparisons of Survey Results over Time ................................................. 140
Appendix D: Benchmark Comparisons ............................................................................. 161
Appendix E: Survey Methodology ...................................................................................... 177
Appendix F: Survey Instrument ......................................................................................... 182
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 1
Executive Summary
Survey Background and Methods
The Wheat Ridge Resident Survey is an important source of context for decision making by the City. It
brings the voice of people from across the community to City staff and elected officials. Now in its
seventh iteration, it provides a trend line of data on how quality of City services is perceived and how
residents view their community in general. It also provides a way to assess broad community support
or opposition to potential changes in programs or policies.
The 2021 mail survey was administered using scientifically sound, rigorous methods to ensure
unbiased, statistically valid, representative results for the City of Wheat Ridge. The best survey
research practices were used for the resources spent to reduce possible sources of error (e.g., sampling
error and non-response error). These practices included selecting households at random to
participate, using an unbiased sampling procedure to select a respondent within the household,
contacting potential respondents multiple times and weighting the resultant data to reflect the
demographics of Wheat Ridge.
The 2021 survey was mailed to a representative sample of 4,500 residential addresses within the City
boundaries in March of 2021. Of the 4,500 surveys mailed, about 5% were returned because the housing
unit was vacant or the postal service was unable to deliver the survey as addressed. Of the 4,290
households that received a survey, 1,068 completed the mail survey providing a response rate of 25%.
It is customary to describe the precision of estimates made from surveys by a “level of confidence”
and accompanying “confidence interval” (or margin of error). A traditional level of confidence, and the
one used here, is 95%. The 95% confidence interval quantifies the sampling error or imprecision of the
survey results because some residents’ opinions are relied on to estimate all residents’ opinions. The
margin of error is no greater than plus or minus three percentage points around any given percent for
the entire sample (1,068 surveys).
Key Findings
Wheat Ridge residents continue to give high scores to the quality of life in the city.
Most survey respondents (82%) gave excellent or good ratings to the quality of life in the city,
These ratings were on par with those given in 2018 have remained stable since 2012, which is
notable given the global pandemic. Evaluations of the overall quality of life in the city were
compared to ratings given by residents in other communities across the country and in
Colorado’s Front Range. Overall quality of life in Wheat Ridge was similar to other
communities across the nation and in the Front Range.
Eight in 10 respondents felt Wheat Ridge was an excellent or good place to live and raise
children, and rated their neighborhood as an excellent or good place to live. About two-thirds
felt the city an excellent or good place to retire and to work. About 6 in 10 respondents rated
the physical attractiveness of Wheat Ridge as a whole as excellent or good, an increase from
2018. Ratings for the other aspects of quality of life tended to be similar from 2018 to 2021.
Evaluations of Wheat Ridge as a place to retire exceeded the Front Range benchmark.
Most respondents were likely to recommend living in Wheat Ridge to someone who asked
(87%) and to remain in the city for the next five years (83%), although these ratings were
slightly lower than in 2018. However, when compared to other Front Range communities,
respondents were more likely to recommend living in Wheat Ridge.
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 2
Survey respondents value the City of Wheat Ridge’s outdoor amenities and offerings.
Residents evaluated a list of 25 characteristics of the community. The highest ratings were
given to the availability of parks (86% excellent or good), paths and walking trails (82%), and
bike trails (78%). Recreational opportunities (72%) and the quality of the overall natural
environment (70%) also received positive marks from a majority of respondent. The availability
of paths and walking trails was rated higher in Wheat Ridge compared to other communities
nationally and in the Front Range.
Respondents reported that ease of bicycle travel and walking was better in 2021 compared to
2018 (66% excellent or good in 2021 vs 61% in 2018, and 62% vs 56%, respectively). Ease of bicycle
travel received ratings that were higher than the national averages.
When assessing the quality of city services, about 8 in 10 respondents gave positive reviews to
the quality of recreation facilities (84% excellent or good), maintenance of existing city parks
(80%), recreation programs (79%), and maintenance of open space and trails (79%). Recreation
facilities received higher ratings in 2021 compared to 2018 and was rated higher than the
national benchmark. Maintenance of existing city parks also saw rating increases from 2018 to
2021. The importance of many of these services also increased from 2018 to 2021.
Overall, about three-quarters of respondents gave excellent or good scores to the quality of
services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge. This rating has remained stable and was similar
to other communities across the nation and in the Front Range.
A majority of residents believe the community is welcoming of all people from different
backgrounds but not all residents feel the same.
A new question was added to the 2021 survey asking about inclusivity and equality in Wheat
Ridge. About 7 in 10 residents felt the community does an excellent or good job making all
residents feel welcoming in business establishments, while 6 in 10 gave positive ratings to the
community making all residents feel welcome overall, respecting individual cultural beliefs
and values, and welcoming residents from all backgrounds in to participate in government
and community decision-making. Fewer respondents gave positive scores to the community
valuing residents from diverse backgrounds (46% excellent or good) and attracting people from
diverse backgrounds (41%).
Only three of the 12 items could be compared to the national benchmark. Making all residents
feel welcome and treating all residents fairly were on par with the nation, while attracting
people from diverse backgrounds was lower. Only treating all residents fairly could be
compared to the Front Range, and this rating was similar.
When comparing ratings of diversity and inclusion in the community by respondent
subgroups, residents in living in District 4, females, residents with household incomes of
$25,000-$49,999, and residents age 35 and older were less likely to give positive ratings to these
aspects compared to their counterparts. There were little to no differences observed in these
ratings by respondent race/ethnicity, tenure (rent vs own), and housing unit type (attached vs
detached).
Generally, residents feel safe in and around the community and prioritize city resources for crime-
related mental health issues, and community-police relationships.
Overall, most residents felt safe in Wheat Ridge recreation centers (93% very or somewhat safe)
and in their home (90%). At least 8 in 10 felt safe in city parks and playgrounds, retail and
commercial areas and in their neighborhood. About 7 in 10 felt very or somewhat safe on
roadways and on the trail system. In general, 13% or less reported feeling unsafe in any of these
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 3
areas in Wheat Ridge. From 2018 to 2021, feelings of safety decreased slightly for residents in
their home and in their neighborhood. Safety in parks and playgrounds was similar to the
national and Front Range averages, and safety in neighborhoods was lower than the nation.
When asked how important it was for the Wheat Ridge Police Department to prioritize
resources to different areas over the next 12 month period, nearly all (98%) indicated that
solving violent crimes was essential or very important, with 77% saying it was essential, which
was an increase from 2018. The next most important area of focus residents identified for the
Police Department reducing illegal drug activity (45% essential) and solving property crimes
(41%). The rank order of these priorities was mostly similar in 2021 compared to 2018.
Residents indicated what priority they would place on various activities or strategies for the
police department in the next two years. Additional City resources directed towards crime-
related mental health issues in the community, received the highest priority with 9 in 10
saying it was a high or medium priority (58% said it was a high priority). About 8 in 10 residents
prioritized greater accessibility to police and police-related information, more community
policing officers, and a better connection with the community over the next two years.
Fewer residents felt that adding police officers in public schools should be a top priority for the
Wheat Ridge Police Department, with 57% saying this was a high or medium priority (lower in
2021 than in 2018). Additionally, fewer residents in 2021 compared to 2018 prioritized adding
surveillance cameras in high crime areas and increasing the visibility of police.
Homelessness is a greater concern for residents in 2021 than in 2018.
About three-quarters of respondents (77%) considered homelessness a major or minor problem
in Wheat Ridge. This was a significant increase from 2018 (61%).
Respondents indicated how important they felt it was for the City of Wheat Ridge to contribute
funding to community-based organizations providing various services to people who are
homeless. Over 6 in 10 respondents felt it was essential or very important to provide all the
types of services. Residents voiced the highest levels of support for mental health programs
and substance abuse programs, with over 8 in 10 feeling it was very important or essential to
do so; 52% felt it was essential for the city to contribute funding to mental health programs.
More residents in 2021 than in 2018 placed high importance on the city’s involvement in
providing substance abuse programs, shelters for severe weather, and housing/rental
assistance programs for the homeless.
Many residents support the City of Wheat Ridge allowing and regulating accessory dwelling units
(ADUs) but about one-quarter of respondents are not interested in adding one.
When asked their level of support for allowing and regulating existing and new ADUs, about
two-thirds of respondents strongly or somewhat supported the city allowing and regulating
both types. Only about one in five residents opposed the city taking these actions with ADUs.
If ADUs were allowed, about 7 in 10 respondents felt it would be essential or very important to
limit the number of people allowed to live in the ADU and to ensure the ADU is architecturally
compatible with the existing home. About 6 in 10 considered it essential or very important to
require the property owner to live on the property, in either the main house or the ADU, require
off-street parking, and to restrict the size of the ADU. Most ratings were similar to 2018;
however, more residents in 2021 felt the city should require the property owner to live in either
the main house or the ADU.
When asked how likely they would be to consider adding an ADU for various reasons, about 7
in 10 respondents would be very or somewhat likely to consider adding an ADU for an elderly
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 4
family member or a family member with disabilities, which were lower proportions than in
2018. Just over half might consider adding an ADU for their own personal use, for the rental
income, for an adult child or for visitors. Between 23% and 31% of respondents answered “don’t
know” or “not applicable” to each of these items.
Environmental sustainability efforts in 2021 are less important than in 2018.
Survey respondents assessed the importance of city involvement in environmental
sustainability efforts, which might or might not increase taxpayer costs. Most of the activities
were considered essential or very important by more than half of respondents. About three-
quarters of residents said that creating walkable communities were essential or very
important, while about two-thirds felt it was at least very important for the city to focus on
ensuring the availability of and access to public transit and to expand access to residential
recycling and composting services.
Less than half thought it was essential or very important to encourage biking or walking
instead of automobile use and to establish a permanent fee paid by residential and commercial
properties for storm water management and water quality for needed capital improvements
and to improve the City's storm water drainage system.
Where differences in importance ratings from 2018 to 2021 were observed, residents tended to
give lower ratings in 2021 including to ensuring the availability of and access to public transit,
promoting renewable energy (wind and solar) in the community and in the home, and
encouraging biking or walking in lieu of automobile use.
Overall, survey respondents give positive reviews to the City of Wheat Ridge government
performance.
The overall performance of the Wheat Ridge city government received excellent or good
ratings from about two-thirds of respondents (66%). These ratings were similar to ratings given
in 2018 but continue to rise from 2015.
Survey respondents rated six aspects of the City government performance. About three-
quarters of respondents said that the quality of work performed by City of Wheat Ridge
employees was excellent or good. About 6 in 10 felt the extent to which elected officials act in
the best interest of the community was excellent or good. Just over half gave positive marks to
the overall direction that Wheat Ridge is taking and the value of services for the city taxes
paid. About 50% of residents said that the City government does an excellent or good job at
welcoming citizen involvement and informing residents about major issues.
Overall, most evaluations of government performance were similar in 2021 and 2018. However,
more respondents in 2021 gave positive reviews to city elected officials acting in the best
interest of the community at large, ratings that have been steadily increasing since 2015.
Where comparisons were available to the benchmarks, Wheat Ridge residents generally gave
similar ratings.
Of those who had contact with a City employee (37%), about three-quarters rated their overall
impression of the City employee in their most recent interaction as excellent or good; this
rating was similar to both benchmark comparison groups.
Ratings of the interactions with city employees generally were positive, and while similar to
2018, all were higher than those given in 2015. Residents were most pleased with the
employee’s courtesy and knowledge (82% and 81% excellent or good, respectively).
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 5
Survey Background
What the Survey Was About
The Wheat Ridge Resident Survey serves as a consumer report card for the City by providing residents
the opportunity to rate City services, local government, community amenities, and the quality of life
in the City. The survey also gives residents a chance to provide feedback to government on what is
working well and what is not, and to communicate their priorities for community planning and
resource allocation.
The focus on the quality of service delivery and the importance of services helps council, staff, and
the public to set priorities for budget decisions and lays the groundwork for tracking community
opinions about the core responsibilities of the Wheat Ridge City government, helping to assure
maximum service quality over time.
This type of survey addresses the key services that local governments provide to create a quality
community. It is akin to private sector customer surveys that are used regularly by many corporations to
monitor where there are weaknesses in product or service delivery before customers defect to
competition or before other problems from dissatisfied customers arise. Because a survey such as this
generally measures resident perceptions of services and the community, it is a different window into
performance than customary tracking of service delivery response times or other observable conditions.
How the Survey Was Conducted
The 2021 Wheat Ridge Resident Survey was mailed to residents in March of 2021. Residents first
received a pre-notification postcard that introduced the survey and explained its importance. One
week after the postcard mailed, residents were sent a survey packet. This packet included the seven-
page 2021 survey, a letter from the mayor explaining the study and a postage-paid pre-addressed
envelope in which to return their completed survey. Completed surveys were collected over a six
week period. The survey was sent to 4,500 randomly selected addresses within the City boundaries. Of
these households, about 5% of the surveys were returned because the housing unit was vacant or the
postal service was unable to deliver the survey as addressed and 1,068 submitted a completed survey
for a response rate of 25% (similar to 2018, which was 26%).
The survey results were weighted by respondent gender, age, tenure (rent versus own), housing unit
type (attached or detached), and ethnicity to ensure that the results are representative of the entire
adult population in Wheat Ridge. For more information on the methodology see Appendix E: Survey
Methodology and for a copy of the survey, see Appendix F: Survey Instrument.
How the Results are Reported
For the most part, the full set of frequencies or the “percent positive” are presented in the body and
narrative of the report. The percent positive is the combination of the top two most positive response
options (i.e., “excellent” and “good,” “strongly agree” and “somewhat agree,” “essential” and “very
important”).
On many of the questions in the survey, respondents could give an answer of “don’t know.” The
proportion of respondents giving this reply is shown in the full set of responses included in Appendix
A: Complete Set of Survey Responses. However, these responses have been removed from the
analyses presented in the body of the report, unless otherwise indicated. In other words, the majority
of the tables and graphs in the body of the report display the responses from respondents who had an
opinion about a specific item.
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 6
For some questions, respondents were permitted to select multiple responses. When the total exceeds
100% in a table for a multiple response question, it is because some respondents are counted in
multiple categories. When a table for a question that only permitted a single response does not total to
exactly 100%, it is due to the customary practice of percentages rounding to the nearest whole
number.
Precision of Estimates
It is customary to describe the precision of estimates made from surveys by a “level of confidence”
and accompanying “confidence interval” (or margin of error). The 95 percent confidence interval for
this survey is generally no greater than plus or minus three percentage points around any given
percent reported for all survey respondents (1,068). For comparisons among subgroups, the margin of
error rises to plus or minus 5% for subgroups of 400 to plus or minus 10% for subgroups of 100.
Comparing Survey Results by Respondent Subgroups
Selected survey results were compared to certain demographic characteristics of survey respondents
as well as by Council District. These cross tabulations are presented in tabular form in Appendix B:
Comparisons of Selected Survey Responses. Where differences between subgroups are statistically
significant, the results in the tables are marked.
Comparing Survey Results over Time
This survey was the seventh in a series of resident surveys for the City of Wheat Ridge. Tables
comparing the 2021 results with previous years where similar questions were asked can be found in
Appendix C: Comparisons of Survey Results over Time. Statistically significant differences between
the 2021 and 2018 results are marked. Trend data for the City of Wheat Ridge represent important
comparisons and should be examined for improvements or declines. Deviations from stable trends
over time especially represent opportunities for understanding how local policies, programs, or public
information may have affected residents’ opinions.
It is also important to note that changes in ratings from 2018 to 2021 could be a results of the COVID-19
pandemic, particularly related to transportation and in-person events or activities.
Comparing Survey Results to Other Communities
NRC’s database of comparative resident opinion is comprised of resident perspectives gathered in
resident surveys from approximately 600 jurisdictions whose residents evaluated local government
services. Conducted with typically no fewer than 300 residents in each jurisdiction, opinions are
intended to represent over 30 million Americans.
National and Front Range benchmark comparisons have been included in the report when available.
Benchmark comparisons have been provided when similar questions on the Wheat Ridge survey are
included in NRC’s database and there are at least five jurisdictions in which the question was asked,
though most questions are compared to more than five other cities across the country or in the Front
Range. Additional information on NRC’s benchmarking database can be found in Appendix D:
Benchmark Comparisons.
Where comparisons for quality ratings were available, Wheat Ridge’s results were generally noted as
being “higher” the benchmark, “lower” the benchmark, or “similar” to the benchmark. In instances
where ratings are considerably higher or lower than the benchmark, these ratings have been further
demarcated by the attribute of “much,” (for example, “much lower” or “much higher”). These labels
come from a statistical comparison of Wheat Ridge’s rating to the benchmark where a rating is
considered “similar” if it is within the margin of error (five points or less on the 100-point scale);
“higher” or “lower” if the difference between Wheat Ridge’s rating and the benchmark is greater than
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 7
the margin of error (between five and 10 points); and “much higher” or “much lower” if the difference
between Wheat Ridge’s rating and the benchmark is more than twice the margin of error (10 points or
more).
The survey was administered during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time of challenge for many local
governments. While we provide comparisons to community benchmarks, it is important to note that
much of the benchmark data was collected prior to the pandemic. This may impact how your City’s
2020 ratings compare to other communities’ ratings from the past three to four years.
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 8
Survey Results
Quality of Life and Community
The 2021 Resident Survey measured residents’ perspectives about aspects of the quality of life in the
city, reasons for living in Wheat Ridge and perceptions about their future in the city. The quality of
various characteristics that make up the community also were assessed, including diversity and
inclusivity, safety, transportation, and participation in activities.
Living in Wheat Ridge
Overall, Wheat Ridge residents gave favorable ratings to the quality of life in the city, with 22% saying
it was excellent and 60% saying it was good (see Figure 1). Seventeen percent of respondents felt the
overall quality of life in the city was fair and only 2% said it was poor. These ratings were on par with
those given in 2018 have remained stable since 2012 (see Figure 2).
Evaluations of the overall quality of life in the city were compared to ratings given by residents in
other communities across the country and in Colorado’s Front Range (see Appendix D: Benchmark
Comparisons for more information on the comparisons). The Wheat Ridge rating of overall quality of
life was similar those given by residents across the nation and in the Front Range.
Figure 1: Overall Quality of Life, 2021
How do you rate the overall quality of life in Wheat Ridge?
Figure 2: Overall Quality of Life, 2004-2021
How do you rate the overall quality of life in Wheat Ridge?
Percent excellent or good
Excellent
22%
Good
60%
Fair
17%
Poor
2%
77%75%74%79%78%81%81%
2004 2006 2008 2012 2015 2018 2021
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 9
Various aspects of quality of life also were assessed on the survey. Eight in 10 respondents felt Wheat
Ridge was an excellent or good place to live and raise children, and rated their neighborhood as an
excellent or good place to live (see Figure 3 below). About two-thirds felt the city an excellent or good
place to retire and to work. About 6 in 10 respondents rated the physical attractiveness of Wheat Ridge
as a whole as excellent or good, an increase from 2018. Compared to 2018, ratings given in 2021 for the
other aspects of quality of life tended to be similar (see Appendix C: Comparisons of Survey Results
over Time.)
Comparisons could be made to the benchmark database for five of the six aspects of quality of life.
Overall, Wheat Ridge residents gave ratings that were similar to those given by residents in other
communities across the nation and in the Front Range, except for ratings of Wheat Ridge as a place to
retire, which was higher than Front Range benchmarks (see Appendix D: Benchmark Comparisons).
Figure 3: Ratings of Aspects of Quality of Life, 2004-2021
Please rate each of the following aspects of quality of life in
Wheat Ridge: (Percent excellent or good) 2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
Wheat Ridge as a place to live 88% 90% 84% 87% 86% 82% 86%
Your neighborhood as a place to live 80% 79% 78% 77% 77% 73% 75%
Wheat Ridge as a place to raise children 80% 77% 74% 76% 74% 74% 77%
Wheat Ridge as a place to retire 69% 73% 67% 71% 68% 68% 68%
Wheat Ridge as a place to work 64% 61% 51% 58% 55%
The physical attractiveness of Wheat Ridge as a whole 59% 52% 52% 53% 48% 52% 52%
Note: About 25% of respondents answered “don’t know’ when asked to rate Wheat Ridge as a place to raise children or as a place to retire.
Nearly 40% answered don’t know when asked to rate Wheat Ridge as a place to work. For the other items, nearly no respondents answered
don’t know. Responses above are among those who did not respond don’t know.
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 10
Overall, when selecting all the reasons for living in Wheat Ridge, the relative order remained similar
in 2018 and 2021. As in past years, the top reason for living in the city in 2021 was the location in
general, selected by about three-quarters of respondents. About half indicated that they liked their
neighborhood, and 4 in 10 said that they feel safe in Wheat Ridge. About one-quarter of respondents
cited affordable housing and rental rates, having friends and family in the area, access to dining and
entertainment, and the small town feel as a reason for living in the city. Overall, most reasons were
noted by similar proportions of respondents across survey years. However, the proportion of
respondents selecting the affordable cost of living as a reason for living in Wheat Ridge has been
steadily declining since 2015.
Figure 4: Reasons for Living in Wheat Ridge, 2015-2021
What are your reasons for living in Wheat Ridge? (Please select all that apply.)
Percent of respondents*
*Total may exceed 100% as respondents could select more than one answer.
8%
14%
15%
14%
15%
34%
26%
28%
36%
46%
54%
72%
4%
8%
12%
13%
14%
16%
26%
27%
29%
26%
29%
44%
49%
76%
5%
8%
12%
12%
13%
14%
19%
26%
27%
28%
29%
44%
55%
75%
None of these
I like the school my children attend
My job is here
I've always lived here
The growing and diverse community
I like that the community is forward-thinking
Cost of living is affordable
Small town feel
I like the access to dining and entertainment
I have friends and family in the area
Housing and rental rates are affordable
I feel safe here
I like my neighborhood
I like the location in general
2021
2018
2015
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 11
Community Inclusivity and Equality in Wheat Ridge
A new question was added to the 2021 survey asking about inclusivity and equality in Wheat Ridge.
About 7 in 10 residents felt the community does an excellent or good job making all residents feel
welcoming in business establishments, while 6 in 10 gave positive ratings to the community making
all residents feel welcome overall, respecting individual cultural beliefs and values, and welcoming
residents from all backgrounds in to participate in government and community decision-making.
Fewer respondents gave positive scores to the community valuing residents from diverse
backgrounds (46% excellent or good) and attracting people from diverse backgrounds (41%).
Only three of the 12 items could be compared to the national benchmark. Making all residents feel
welcome and treating all residents fairly were on par with the nation, while attracting people from
diverse backgrounds was lower (see Appendix D: Benchmark Comparisons). Only treating all
residents fairly could be compared to the Front Range, and this rating was similar.
Figure 5: Community Inclusivity and Equality, 2021
Please rate your community on each of the following.
Percent of respondents
Note: When evaluating most items related to equity and inclusion in Wheat Ridge, between 20% and 60% of respondents answered “don’t
know”. Responses above are among those who did not respond don’t know.
8%
11%
10%
9%
10%
10%
12%
10%
17%
14%
18%
21%
33%
35%
39%
44%
45%
47%
46%
48%
42%
46%
47%
49%
40%
37%
37%
33%
35%
33%
29%
33%
28%
32%
27%
25%
20%
16%
14%
13%
10%
10%
13%
8%
13%
8%
8%
5%
Attracting people from diverse backgrounds
Valuing residents from diverse backgrounds
Helping new residents feel connected and integrated
Demonstrating respect for residents of different cultures
and belief systems
Providing equal employment opportunities to residents of
all backgrounds
Providing a safe and secure environment for residents of
all backgrounds
Providing equal access to housing for residents of all
backgrounds
Treating all residents fairly
Welcoming residents from all backgrounds to participate
in local government and community decision-making
Respecting individual cultural beliefs and values
Making all residents feel welcome
Making all residents feel welcome in business
establishments
Excellent Good Fair Poor
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 12
Future Outlook for Wheat Ridge
Many Wheat Ridge residents (58%) believed that the quality of life in the city would improve a lot or
slightly over the next five years and about one-quarter thought it would decline slightly or a lot. The
proportion feeling quality of life would slightly improve decreased from 2018 to 2021 while the
proportion who thought it would decline a lot increased (see Table 161 in Appendix C: Comparisons of
Survey Results over Time).
Figure 6: Quality of Life in Wheat Ridge over Next Five 2004-2021
Do you think the quality of life in Wheat Ridge is likely to improve, stay the same, or decline over
the next 5 years?
Percent of respondents
36%
46%
50%
53%
61%
62%
58%
38%
29%
28%
31%
22%
19%
18%
26%
25%
22%
16%
17%
19%
23%
2004
2006
2008
2012
2015
2018
2021
Improve a lot/slightly Stay the same Decline a lot/slightly
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 13
Most respondents were likely to recommend living in Wheat Ridge to someone who asked and to
remain in the city for the next five years. Compared to 2018, respondents in 2021 tended to be slightly
less likely to recommend living in and say they would remain in the city.
Wheat Ridge residents were equally as likely as respondents from other communities across the
nation to recommend living in their community and to remain in their community for the next five
years (see Appendix D: Benchmark Comparisons). When compared to other Front Range communities,
residents were more likely to recommend living in Wheat Ridge and equally likely to remain in the
city.
Figure 7: Likelihood of Remaining in and Recommending Wheat Ridge 2012-2021
Please indicate how likely or unlikely you are to do each of the following:
Percent very or somewhat likely
*These items were significantly different in 2021 compared to 2018.
88%
90%
87%
90%
86%
90%
83%
87%
Remain in Wheat Ridge for the next five
years*
Recommend living in Wheat Ridge to
someone who asks*2021
2018
2015
2012
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 14
Quality of Aspects of the Community
The survey included a list of 25 characteristics of the community and respondents evaluated the
quality of each (see Figure 9 on page 15). Residents gave the highest ratings to the availability of parks
(86% excellent or good), paths and walking trails (82%), and bike trails (78%). Recreational opportunities
(72%) and the quality of the overall natural environment (70%) also received positive marks from a
majority of respondent.
Less than 40% gave excellent or good scores to employment opportunities, availability of affordable
quality housing, availability of affordable quality child care, and opportunities to attend cultural
activities.
Ratings for most community characteristics remained stable from 2018 to 2021. However, four
characteristics saw rating increases: overall image or reputation of Wheat Ridge, the quality of
business and service establishments, variety of housing options, and shopping opportunities. Quality
assessments for six characteristics saw declines from 2018 to 2020, many of which are likely a result
of the COVID-19 pandemic:
Recreational opportunities
Air quality
Opportunities to volunteer
Opportunities to participate in civic matters
Opportunities to participate in social events and activities
Opportunities to attend cultural activities
Twenty-two of the 25 characteristics could be compared to the benchmarks (see Appendix D:
Benchmark Comparisons). When compared to the national benchmarks, one characteristic was above
the benchmark, 13 were similar and nine were below. Compared to the Front Range benchmarks, six
characteristics were above the benchmark, while 10 were similar and seven were below.
Figure 8: Community Characteristics Benchmark Comparisons
National Benchmark Comparisons Front Range Benchmark Comparisons
Higher than the benchmark
Availability of paths and walking trails
Higher than the benchmark
Variety of housing options
Availability of paths and walking trails
Availability of affordable quality housing
Availability of affordable quality health care
Availability of affordable quality food
Availability of preventive health services
Lower than the benchmark
Educational opportunities
Opportunities to participate in social events and activities
Opportunities to volunteer
Opportunities to participate in civic matters
Quality of overall natural environment in Wheat Ridge
Cleanliness of Wheat Ridge
Opportunities to attend cultural activities
Availability of affordable quality child care
Air quality
Lower than the benchmark
Opportunities to participate in social events and
activities
Opportunities to volunteer
Opportunities to participate in civic matters
Air quality
Quality of overall natural environment in Wheat Ridge
Cleanliness of Wheat Ridge
Opportunities to attend cultural activities
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 15
Figure 9: Community Characteristics, 2012-2021
Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Wheat Ridge as a
whole: (Percent excellent or good) 2021 2018 2015 2012
Availability of parks 86%
Availability of paths and walking trails 82% 79% 74% 70%
Availability of bike trails 78% 77% 71%
Recreational opportunities 72% 77% 66% 70%
Quality of overall natural environment in Wheat Ridge 70% 70% 68% 71%
Overall image or reputation of Wheat Ridge 67% 61% 60% 61%
Availability of affordable quality food 67% 69% 61% 57%
Sense of community 63% 63% 53% 59%
Availability of preventive health services 63% 64% 61% 63%
Overall quality of business and service establishments in Wheat Ridge 62% 57% 48% 51%
Availability of affordable quality health care 62% 62% 61% 62%
Air quality 58% 64% 67% 66%
Openness and acceptance of the community toward people of diverse backgrounds 58% 59% 56% 63%
Cleanliness of Wheat Ridge 57% 60% 60% 66%
Opportunities to volunteer 56% 69% 60% 65%
Opportunities to participate in civic matters 56% 63% 56% 59%
Variety of housing options 54% 49% 50% 55%
Overall quality of new development in Wheat Ridge 52% 54% 52% 49%
Opportunities to participate in social events and activities 51% 59% 48% 46%
Educational opportunities 48% 45% 36% 42%
Shopping opportunities 48% 37% 36% 37%
Employment opportunities 39% 38% 25% 25%
Availability of affordable quality housing 37% 35% 43% 51%
Availability of affordable quality child care 34% 33% 33% 44%
Opportunities to attend cultural activities 32% 41% 31% 34%
Note: Between 26% and 40% of respondents answered “don’t know” when asked to rate educational opportunities, opportunities to volunteer,
opportunities to participate in civic matters, availability of affordable quality health care and availability of preventive health services. When
asked about employment opportunities, 48% responded don’t know, and when asked about availability of affordable quality child care, 73% said
don’t know. Responses above are among those who did not respond don’t know.
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 16
Survey respondents evaluated eight aspects of transportation within the city. Most aspects were rated
as excellent or good by about 5 in 10 respondents. Traffic flow received relatively lower ratings (42%
excellent or good).
Compared to 2018, four aspects of transportation increased in 2021: ease of car travel, ease of bicycle
travel, ease of walking, and traffic flow on major streets. For the condition of city streets and ease of
car travel, these represented increases to the levels observed before 2018, while the rating of ease of
bus travel represented an increase compared to all previous years.
Ease of bus travel and bicycle travel received ratings that were higher than the national averages,
while condition of city streets was lower. Compared to the Front Range, ease of car and bus travel
were higher than the benchmark, and ease of walking was lower (see Figure 11 below and Appendix D:
Benchmark Comparisons).
Figure 10: Aspects of Transportation, 2004-2021
Please rate the following aspects of transportation within the
City of Wheat Ridge: (Percent excellent or good) 2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
Ease of car travel in Wheat Ridge 73% 66% 58% 68% 65% 65% 64%
Access to mass transit 67% 67%
Ease of bicycle travel in Wheat Ridge 66% 61% 58% 50%
Ease of bus travel in Wheat Ridge 62% 69% 61% 58% 60% 61% 57%
Ease of walking in Wheat Ridge 62% 56% 58% 50% 56% 58%
Ease of commuter rail use in Wheat Ridge 53%
Condition of city streets 49% 64% 54% 64% 61% 68% 70%
Traffic flow on major streets 42% 31% 33% 46%
Note: Between 25% and 48% of respondents answered “don’t know” when rating the ease of bus travel, commuter rail use, and bike travel. The
responses above are among those who did not answer don’t know.
Figure 11: Transportation Benchmark Comparisons
National Benchmark Comparisons Front Range Benchmark Comparisons
Higher than the benchmark
Ease of bus travel in Wheat Ridge
Ease of bicycle travel in Wheat Ridge
Higher than the benchmark
Ease of car travel in Wheat Ridge
Ease of bus travel in Wheat Ridge
Lower than the benchmark
Condition of city streets
Lower than the benchmark
Ease of walking in Wheat Ridge
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 17
Community Participation
Residents were asked how often they or another household member had participated in a number of
activities in Wheat Ridge in the 12 months prior to the survey, with the acknowledgement of the
limitations of facilities and services due to COVID. Respondents were most likely to have dined at a
Wheat Ridge restaurant (87%), use a parker or trail (86%) and used a city bike or pedestrian path (79%).
About two-thirds of respondents had used the Clear Creek Trail in the 12 months prior to the survey.
About one in five reported attending a public meeting of some kind or having watched a public
meeting of local city officials.
Generally, where changes from 2018 to 2021 were observed, usage or attendance rates decreased,
which has been seen nationally due to the pandemic.
Among the activities that could be compared to the benchmarks, usage of city parks or trails and
attendance of (virtual) meeting of local city officials or other local public meeting were similar in
Wheat Ridge when compared to the national and Front Range benchmarks (see Appendix D:
Benchmark Comparisons). Attendance of a (virtual) meeting of local city officials or other local public
meeting was similar to the national average but lower than the Front Range. Usage of the recreation
center and the library, and attendance of city festivals or special events was lower in Wheat Ridge
compared to the nation and Front Range. Participation in recreation programs or activities was lower
than the national benchmark (and not available for Front Range communities).
Figure 12: Participation in Activities, 2004-2021
Despite the limitation of some of these facilities and services
due to COVID, in the last 12 months, about how many times, if
ever, have you or other household members participated in the
following activities in Wheat Ridge? (Percent at least once in
the last year) 2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
Dined at a Wheat Ridge restaurant (other than fast food) 87% 93% 89% 89% 92% 90% 90%
Used a Wheat Ridge park or trail 86% 86% 85% 85% 85% 84% 82%
Used a Wheat Ridge bike/pedestrian path 79% 78% 76% 75% 76% 75% 71%
Used Clear Creek Trail 67% 68%
Attended a Wheat Ridge festival or special event 42% 68% 61%
Used Wheat Ridge Recreation Center 39% 59% 58% 61% 64% 63% 63%
Used the Wheat Ridge Library 38% 48% 52% 52% 54% 49% 50%
Participated in a recreation program or activity 30% 42% 39% 44% 44% 44% 42%
Ridden an RTD bus 25% 37% 38% 40% 44% 36% 40%
Watched a meeting of local city officials (on cable television,
YouTube, etc.) 21% 21% 25% 32% 44% 41% 42%
Ridden the G-Line from the Wheat Ridge-Ward station 21%
Attended a (virtual) meeting of local city officials or other local
public meeting 18% 23% 26% 24% 27% 21% 23%
Visited the Anderson Building for a reason not related to the
outdoor pool 18%
Participated in a senior program 12% 15% 16% 18% 20% 17% 15%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 18
Safety in Wheat Ridge
Survey respondents provided their perceptions about feelings of safety in and around the city, if they
or their household members had been a victim of a crime and if they had reported a crime. Resident
priorities for the Police Department also were assessed through the survey.
Overall, most residents felt safe in Wheat Ridge recreation centers (93% very or somewhat safe) and in
their home (90%). At least 8 in 10 felt safe in city parks and playgrounds, retail and commercial areas
and in their neighborhood. About 7 in 10 felt very or somewhat safe on roadways and on the trail
system. Overall, 13% or less reported feeling unsafe in any of these areas in Wheat Ridge (see
Appendix A: Complete Set of Survey Responses). From 2018 to 2021, feelings of safety decreased
slightly for residents in their home and in their neighborhood.
Two of the seven safety items could be compared to the national benchmark; safety in parks and
playgrounds was similar and safety in neighborhoods was lower (see Appendix D: Benchmark
Comparisons). Only safety in parks and playgrounds could be compared to the Front Range and
ratings in Wheat Ridge were similar.
Figure 13: Safety in Public Areas, 2004-2021
Please rate how safe you feel in the following areas in Wheat
Ridge: (Percent very or somewhat safe) 2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
Recreation centers 93% 94% 93% 92% 92% 92% 92%
In your home 90% 93% 93% 93% 88%
Parks and playgrounds 84% 87% 85% 88% 82% 86% 82%
Retail/commercial areas 82% 82% 84% 83% 83% 83%
In your neighborhood 80% 86% 81% 85% 83% 78% 85%
On the trail system 76% 73% 72% 75% 70% 67% 67%
On roadways 72% 70% 74%
Note: In 2021, 31% of respondents answered “don’t know” when rating safety at recreation centers; all other items were answered as don’t know
by 0% to 15% of respondents. Results above are among those who did not answer don’t know.
As in 2018, 13% of all respondents reported that they or another household member was a victim of a
crime in Wheat Ridge, and about one-quarter of residents said that they had reported a crime to the
police in Wheat Ridge. Benchmark comparisons were not available for these ratings.
Figure 14: Crime Victimization and Reporting, 2015-2021
Please indicate whether or not you have done each of the following in the last 12 months.
Percent yes
24%
14%
24%
13%
22%
13%
Reported a crime to the police in
Wheat Ridge
Household member was a victim of
a crime in Wheat Ridge 2021
2018
2015
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 19
When asked how important it was for the Wheat Ridge Police Department to prioritize resources to
different areas over the next 12 month period, nearly all (98%) indicated that solving violent crimes
was essential or very important, with 77% saying it was essential, which was an increase from 2018.
The next most important area of focus residents identified for the Police Department reducing illegal
drug activity (45% essential) and solving property crimes (41%). Crime prevention and reducing illegal
activities committed by youth were considered essential by about one-third of respondents. The rank
order of these priorities was mostly similar in 2021 compared to 2018.
Figure 15: Importance of Police Department Resource Prioritization, 2015-2021
How important, if at all, is it for the Wheat Ridge Police Department to prioritize resources in each
of the following areas in the next 12 months?
Percent essential
*These items were significantly different in 2021 compared to 2018.
19%
25%
42%
39%
43%
48%
76%
17%
25%
33%
42%
36%
41%
69%
18%
22%
34%
37%
41%
45%
77%
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control,
trash, etc.)
Enforcement of traffic laws
Reducing illegal activities committed by youth
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers,
neighborhood watch, citizen police academy)*
Solving property crimes*
Reducing illegal drug activity
Solving violent crimes*
2021
2018
2015
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 20
Residents indicated what priority they would place on various activities or strategies for the police
department in the next two years. A new item on the 2021 survey, additional City resources directed
towards crime-related mental health issues in the community, received the highest priority with 9 in
10 saying it was a high or medium priority (58% said it was a high priority). About 8 in 10 residents
prioritized for the police department greater accessibility to police and police-related information,
more community policing officers, and a better connection with the community over the next two
years.
Fewer residents felt that adding police officers in public schools should be a top priority for the Wheat
Ridge Police Department, with 57% saying this was a high or medium priority. This rating that was
lower in 2021 than in 2018. Additionally, fewer residents in 2021 compared to 2018 prioritized adding
surveillance cameras in high crime areas and increasing the visibility of police.
Figure 16: Police Department Priorities, 2018-2021
How much of a priority, if at all, should the City of Wheat Ridge Police Department
place on each of the following in the next two years?
Percent high or medium priority
*These items were significantly different in 2021 compared to 2018.
68%
79%
82%
76%
78%
83%
57%
74%
77%
79%
80%
84%
92%
Adding officers in public schools*
Increased visibility of police*
Adding surveillance cameras in high crime areas*
Greater accessibility to police and police-related
information
More community policing officers (problem solving
at a community level such as neighborhood
problems)
Better connection with the community (i.e.,
community forums, events)
Additional City resources directed towards crime-
related mental health issues in the community
2021
2018
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 21
City Services and Government Performance
Opinions about the quality and importance of City services as well as the performance of local
government and city employees was assessed on the survey.
Evaluations of City Services
The overall quality of City services was rated positively by a majority of residents, with 11% giving an
excellent rating and 62% giving a good rating. About one in five felt the overall quality of services was
fair and only 4% said it was poor. This was similar to ratings given by respondents in previous years
(see Figure 18) and similar to the national and Front Range benchmark comparisons (see Appendix D:
Benchmark Comparisons).
Figure 17: Overall Quality of City Services, 2021
Overall, how would you rate the quality of the services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge?
Figure 18: Overall Quality of City Services, 2008-2021
Overall, how would you rate the quality of the services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge?
Percent excellent or good
Excellent
11%
Good
62%
Fair
22%
Poor
4%
75%75%72%74%73%
2008 2012 2015 2018 2021
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 22
In addition to rating the quality of overall city services, respondents were asked to evaluate the quality
and importance of 24 specific city services.
Overall, 55% or more respondents gave excellent or good evaluations to 17 of the 24 services, with the
highest evaluations going to services related to parks, recreation, open space and trails and police
services (see Figure 20 on page 23). Four services were given favorable evaluations by 43% or fewer
respondents, including code enforcement, community/public art and land use, planning and zoning.
Compared to 2018, about half of all service ratings remained stable. Five services saw significant
increases in 2021, most of which represented increases back to levels observed prior to 2018:
Recreation facilities
Maintenance of existing city parks
Police response time to emergency police calls (not code enforcement)
Animal control, and
Municipal court.
Five services saw a significant decline in 2021 from 2018: traffic enforcement, street cleaning, street
repair, community and public art, and code enforcement.
Of the 18 services that could be compared to national benchmark, one was higher, nine were similar,
and eight were below (see Appendix D: Benchmark Comparisons). Of the 18 services that could be
compared to Front Range benchmarks, one was higher, 11 were similar and six were below.
Figure 19: City Services Benchmark Comparisons
National Benchmark Comparisons Front Range Benchmark Comparisons
Higher than the benchmark
Recreation facilities
Higher than the benchmark
Snow removal
Lower than the benchmark
Street cleaning
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control, trash,
outside storage)
Building permits
Public information services
Policing services
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers, neighborhood
watch, citizen police academy)
Building inspections
Services/programs for youth
Lower than the benchmark
Street cleaning
Building inspections
Services/programs for youth
Public information services
Policing services
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers,
neighborhood watch, citizen police academy)
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 23
Figure 20: Quality of City Services, 2004-2021
The following are services provided by the City of Wheat
Ridge. For each service, please rate the quality of each service:
(Percent excellent or good) 2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
Recreation facilities 84% 77% 83% 85% 85% 87% 85%
Maintenance of existing city parks 80% 74% 77% 80% 77% 79% 76%
Police response time to emergency police calls (not code
enforcement) 80% 74% 79% 83% 79% 79% 79%
Recreation programs 79% 78% 79% 82% 81% 81% 81%
Maintenance of open space and trails 79% 77% 78% 77% 75% 80% 74%
Police response time to non-emergency police calls (not code
enforcement) 69% 68% 72% 77% 69% 64% 71%
Policing services 69% 68% 69% 76% 73% 72% 76%
Animal control 68% 60% 68% 71%
Services/programs for seniors 66% 68% 76% 77% 72% 74% 75%
Snow removal 65% 64% 67% 67% 58% 69% 64%
Municipal court 62% 54% 60% 67% 66% 68% 66%
Traffic enforcement 60% 64% 66% 69% 69% 69% 66%
Services/programs for youth 58% 61% 64% 64% 65% 54% 64%
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers, neighborhood
watch, citizen police academy) 56% 70% 59% 67%
Street cleaning 56% 64% 57% 62% 58% 63% 62%
Community-oriented policing 55%
Public information services 55% 56% 48%
Community engagement by City staff 49%
Building inspections 49% 49% 52% 59% 57% 52% 54%
Building permits 48% 52% 48% 51% 56% 54% 56%
Street repair and maintenance 45% 52% 42% 56% 51% 58% 55%
Land use, planning and zoning 43% 42% 43% 46% 41%
Community/public art 41% 47% 40% 41% 45% 43%
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control, trash, outside
storage) 41% 49% 48% 49% 45% 42% 42%
Note: When rating the quality of most services, between 29% and 76% of respondents answered don’t know. See Table 15I n Appendix A:
Complete Set of Survey Responses for the results with “don’t know” responses; the table above displays the percent rating as excellent or
good among those who did not respond “don’t know.”
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 24
Residents also identified the importance of the same 24 services for which they had evaluated quality.
Five services were considered essential or very important by about 9 in 10 respondents; these
included police response time to emergency police calls, street repair and maintenance, maintenance
of existing city parks, maintenance of open space and trails, and snow removal.
When compared to 2018, the importance of 10 services in 2021 was higher, including services and
programs for seniors, recreation facilities, and public information services. Five other services saw
decreases in the proportion rating them as essential or very important in 2021 compared to 2018:
policing services, police response time to non-emergency police calls, traffic enforcement, recreation
programs, and community/public art. Some differences in ratings were likely influenced by the
circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the nationwide police-related events.
Figure 21: Importance of City Services, 2004-2021
The following are services provided by the City of Wheat
Ridge. For each service, please rate the importance of each
service: (Percent essential or very important) 2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
Police response time to emergency police calls (not code
enforcement) 96% 93% 97% 97% 97% 97% 97%
Street repair and maintenance 91% 88% 95% 89% 86% 87% 86%
Maintenance of existing city parks 88% 83% 86% 85% 85% 83% 77%
Maintenance of open space and trails 87% 86% 84% 80% 82% 77% 74%
Snow removal 87% 83% 90% 83% 83% 77% 82%
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers, neighborhood
watch, citizen police academy) 86% 89% 86% 94%
Policing services 84% 87% 87% 91% 91% 94% 94%
Police response time to non-emergency police calls (not code
enforcement) 82% 88% 87% 89% 88% 89% 87%
Services/programs for youth 80% 80% 76% 79% 81% 83% 81%
Services/programs for seniors 77% 68% 70% 75% 77% 79% 76%
Land use, planning and zoning 76% 74% 77% 79% 76%
Municipal court 76% 69% 75% 76% 78% 79% 78%
Building inspections 76% 73% 71% 72% 71% 77% 70%
Community-oriented policing 74%
Building permits 73% 66% 63% 68% 64% 68% 65%
Recreation facilities 72% 66% 73% 74% 76% 75% 74%
Public information services 71% 63% 68%
Traffic enforcement 68% 73% 76% 72% 77% 78% 82%
Recreation programs 63% 75% 66% 72% 72% 71% 69%
Animal control 63% 56% 59% 60%
Community engagement by City staff 62%
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control, trash, outside
storage) 62% 66% 59% 66% 69% 72% 67%
Street cleaning 59% 68% 61% 53% 55% 53% 55%
Community/public art 44% 53% 37% 44% 46% 38%
Note: About 25% of respondents answered “don’t know” when rating the importance of building permits, services for youth, and the municipal
court. The table above displays the percent rating as essential or very important among those who did not respond “don’t know.”
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 25
Balancing Quality and Importance
Ratings of importance were compared to ratings of quality to help guide City staff and officials with
decisions on future resource allocation. Most government services are considered to be important, but
when competition for limited resources demands that efficiencies or cutbacks be instituted, it is wise
not only to know what services are deemed most important to residents’ quality of life, but which
services among the most important are perceived to be delivered with the lowest quality. It is these
services – more important services delivered with lower quality – to which attention needs to be paid
first.
To identify the services perceived by residents to have relatively lower quality at the same time as
relatively higher importance, the quality and importance ratings were plotted for each service.
Services were classified as “more important” if they were rated as essential or very important by 76%
or more of respondents (the median importance rating across all services) and as “less important” if
less than 76% of respondents considered them essential or important. Services receiving quality
ratings of excellent or good by 59% or more of respondents (the median across all services) were
considered of “higher quality” and those considered excellent or good by less than 59% were
considered to be of “lower quality.”
Figure 23 on the next page displays the plot of these services. They are displayed in a matrix in
Figure 22 below. In both figures, the upper left-hand quadrant contains those services of higher
importance but lower quality. Figure 22 also shows in bolded red font those services that received
ratings lower than the national benchmark comparison. Services/programs for youth, crime
prevention, and building inspections are three services of higher importance, but with ratings below
their benchmark comparisons.
Figure 22: City Services by Quality and Importance, 2021
Lower Quality Higher Quality
Hi
g
h
e
r
I
m
p
o
r
t
a
n
c
e
Street repair and maintenance
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers,
neighborhood watch, citizen police academy)
Services/programs for youth
Land use, planning and zoning
Building inspections
Police response time to emergency police calls
(not code enforcement)
Maintenance of existing city parks
Maintenance of open space and trails
Snow removal
Policing services
Police response time to non-emergency police
calls (not code enforcement)
Services/programs for seniors
Municipal court
Lo
w
e
r
I
m
p
o
r
t
a
n
c
e
Community-oriented policing
Building permits
Public information services
Community engagement by City staff
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control,
trash, outside storage)
Street cleaning
Community/public art
Recreation facilities
Traffic enforcement
Recreation programs
Animal control
Note: Bolded items with red font are those that were below the national benchmark comparisons.
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 26
Figure 23: Comparison of Performance and Importance Ratings, 2021
Snow removal
Community-oriented policingBuilding permits
Public information services
Code enforcement
Street cleaning
Community/public art
Street repair and maintenance
Crime prevention
Services/programs for youth
Land use, planning
and zoning Building inspections
Recreation facilities
Traffic enforcement
Recreation programsAnimal control
Police response time to
emergency calls
Maintenance of existing
city parksMaintenance of open space and trails
Snow removal
Policing services
Community engagement
by City staff
Municipal court Services/programs for seniors
Police response time to non-emergency calls
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
40%50%60%70%80%
Im
p
o
r
t
a
n
c
e
Pe
r
c
e
n
t
e
s
s
e
n
t
i
a
l
o
r
v
e
r
y
i
m
p
o
r
t
a
n
t
Quality
Percent excellent or good
Higher importance/lower quality Higher importance/higher quality
Lower importance/lower quality Lower importance/higher quality
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 27
City Government and Employee Performance
The overall performance of the Wheat Ridge city government received excellent or good ratings from
about two-thirds of respondents. These ratings were similar to ratings given in 2018 but continue to
rise from 2015.
Figure 24: Overall City Government Performance, 2021
How would you rate the overall performance of the Wheat Ridge city government?
Note: Thirty-one percent of respondents answered “don’t know.” The figure shows responses among those who did not answer don’t know.
Figure 25: Overall City Government Performance, 2004-2021
How would you rate the overall performance of the Wheat Ridge city government?
Percent excellent or good
Note: About 23% of respondents answered “don’t know’ when rating the overall performance of the City government. Responses above are
among those who did not respond don’t know.
Excellent
9%
Good
58%
Fair
25%
Poor
8%
60%62%65%64%
51%
64%66%
2004 2006 2008 2012 2015 2018 2021
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 28
Survey respondents rated six aspects of the City government performance. About three-quarters of
respondents said that the quality of work performed by City of Wheat Ridge employees was excellent
or good. About 6 in 10 felt the extent to which elected officials act in the best interest of the
community was excellent or good. Just over half gave positive marks to the overall direction that
Wheat Ridge is taking and the value of services for the city taxes paid. About 50% of residents said
that the City government does an excellent or good job at welcoming citizen involvement and
informing residents about major issues.
Overall, most evaluations of government performance were similar in 2021 and 2018. However, more
respondents in 2021 gave positive reviews to city elected officials acting in the best interest of the
community at large, ratings that have been steadily increasing since 2015.
Where comparisons were available to the benchmarks, Wheat Ridge residents generally gave similar
ratings (see Appendix D: Benchmark Comparisons).
Figure 26: Aspects of City Government Performance, 2004-2021
Please rate the following aspects of Wheat Ridge city
government performance. (Percent excellent or good) 2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
The quality of work performed by City of Wheat Ridge
employees 76% 72% 67% 72% 69% 70% 70%
The extent to which Wheat Ridge elected officials act in the
best interest of the community at large 62% 57% 42% 59% 71% 69% 64%
The overall direction that Wheat Ridge is taking 57% 60% 51% 56% 61% 60% 51%
The value of services for the taxes paid to Wheat Ridge 57% 52% 48% 53% 55% 58% 62%
The job Wheat Ridge government does at welcoming citizen
involvement 50% 55% 43% 50% 61% 64% 59%
The job Wheat Ridge does at informing residents on major
issues within the community 49% 52% 36% 48% 40% 46% 46%
The question wording changed in 2012. Before 2012, respondents were asked how strongly they agreed or disagreed with positively-worded
statements about public trust. (See the 2008 report for the exact wording for each item.)
Between 23% and 35% of respondents in 2021 answered “don’t know” to four out of the six aspects of government performance (see Table 23
in Appendix A). The responses above are among those who did not answer don’t know.
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City Employees
Just over one-third of respondents said that they had contact with a City employee in the 12 months
prior to the survey. This rate of contact was on par with 2018 but was lower than 2015. Contact with
Wheat Ridge employees was lower than rates observed across the nation and in the Front Range (see
Appendix D: Benchmark Comparisons).
Figure 27: Contact with City Employee, 2004-2021
In the last 12 months, have you had any in-person, phone or email contact with a City of Wheat
Ridge employee(s)?
Percent who had contact in the last 12 months
44%44%40%35%42%40%37%
2004 2006 2008 2012 2015 2018 2021
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Those who had contact with a City employee were asked to evaluate their interaction with the
employee in their most recent contact. As in 2018, about three-quarters rated their overall impression
of the City employee in their most recent interaction as excellent or good; this rating was similar to
both benchmark comparison groups.
Figure 28: Rating of Overall Impression of City Employees, 2004-2021
Percent who had contact in the last 12 months rating as excellent or good
Ratings of the interactions with city employees generally were positive, and while similar to 2018, all
were higher than those given in 2015. Residents were most pleased with the employee’s courtesy and
knowledge (82% and 81% excellent or good, respectively). When compared to the benchmarks,
employee knowledge was rated lower than the nation but similar to the Front Range (see Appendix D:
Benchmark Comparisons). Making residents feel valued was similar to the nation (no Front Range
comparison was available). The employee’s responsiveness and courtesy fell short of both the
national and Front Range averages.
Figure 29: City Employee Characteristics, 2004-2021
What was your impression of the City of Wheat Ridge
employee in your most recent contact? (Rate each
characteristic below.)* (Percent excellent or good) 2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
Courtesy 82% 84% 75% 86% 85% 82% 81%
Knowledge 81% 77% 72% 86% 82% 78% 78%
Responsiveness 77% 72% 71% 81% 76% 76% 76%
Making you feel valued 73% 70% 60% 76% 69% 69% 69%
*Asked only of those who had contact with a City employee in the last 12 months.
73%75%72%79%
65%
76%77%
2004 2006 2008 2012 2015 2018 2021
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Policy and Special Topics
Shopping in Wheat Ridge
Since 2004, Wheat Ridge residents have reported the frequency with which they make purchases in
Wheat Ridge for various types of items. Residents most frequently bought groceries in Wheat Ridge;
84% reported doing this somewhat or very frequently in 2021 which was a smaller proportion than in
2018. About 6 in 10 have made meals and entertainment purchases in Wheat Ridge in all survey years.
In 2021, about half of respondents somewhat or very frequently purchased household items in Wheat
Ridge. Respondents are less likely to purchase general retail items or computers and electronics in
Wheat Ridge. However, more residents in 2021 reported purchasing general retail items in the city
compared to 2018.
Figure 30: Frequency of Shopping in Wheat Ridge, 2004-2021
For each type of shopping, please estimate how frequently you
make purchases in Wheat Ridge: (Percent very or somewhat
frequently) 2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
Grocery shopping 84% 89% 87% 82% 87% 91% 88%
Meals and entertainment 63% 64% 63% 62% 68% 68% 68%
Household items 56% 57% 58% 59% 63% 65% 63%
Health services 44% 45% 44% 47% 52% 55% 54%
General retail (shoes, drug stores, clothing, etc.) 39% 32% 31% 41% 41% 43% 44%
Computers and electronics 11% 9% 13% 16% 14% 12% 12%
*These items were significantly different in 2021 compared to 2018.
Respondents who shop outside of Wheat Ridge could identify all the reasons why. The most common
reason for shopping outside of Wheat Ridge was that they shop online, with about half saying that did
this in 2021. In 2021, about one in five cited visiting malls or other major retailers or convenience as
reasons why they shop outside of Wheat Ridge. Fifteen percent or less selected any of the other
reasons. About 6% of respondents said that they do not shop outside of Wheat Ridge.
Figure 31: Reasons for Shopping Outside of Wheat Ridge, 2004-2021
When you shop outside of Wheat Ridge, why do you shop
outside of Wheat Ridge? (Check all that apply.) 2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
I shop online 49% 51%
Visit a mall or other major retailers 18% 21% 18% 20% 23%
It is convenient; on my way to or from work or near my home 17% 16% 11% 13% 14% 14% 15%
I like the range of quality goods and services 15% 16% 12% 13% 14% 14% 16%
Desired item is not available in Wheat Ridge 14% 15% 13% 13% 14% 14% 17%
It is more affordable 11% 16% 13% 15% 15% 16% 14%
Other 13% 9% 18% 21% 25% 8% 6%
*Total may exceed 100% as respondents could select more than one answer. Respondents who do not shop outside of Wheat Ridge were
removed from the table above since they should not have answered the question.
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Economic Development
Survey respondents indicated the extent to which they agreed with several statements regarding the
City’s economic development efforts. Sentiments in 2021 generally were similar to those in 2018 and
previous years, with at least three-quarters of respondents agreeing with each effort. However, the
level of agreement with promoting efforts to attract and recruit new types of retail businesses to
Wheat Ridge increased from 2018 to 2021, while agreement with promoting efforts to revitalize Wheat
Ridge's housing areas declined.
Figure 32: Economic Development, 2004-2021
Please rate the following statements by circling the
number which best represents your opinion. Wheat
Ridge should... (Percent strongly or somewhat agree) 2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
Promote efforts to revitalize Wheat Ridge's business
areas
85% 85% 84% 85% 83% 83% 78%
Promote efforts to revitalize business corridors such
as 38th Avenue, 44th Avenue, Wadsworth Boulevard
and Kipling St
84% 82% 77% 87% 85% 83% 79%
Promote efforts to attract and recruit new types of
retail businesses to Wheat Ridge
84% 79% 81% 87% 82% 78% 71%
Promote efforts to attract new jobs 81% 78%
Promote efforts to revitalize Wheat Ridge's housing
areas
75% 80% 78% 78% 79% 79% 77%
Strengthen Wheat Ridge's community image and
identity
75% 76% 80% 78% 81% 78% 72%
Homelessness
About one-third of respondents considered homelessness a major problem in Wheat Ridge, and
another 4 in 10 considered it a moderate problem. This was a significant increase from 2018 when the
question was first asked.
Figure 33: Extent to Which Homelessness is Viewed as a Problem in Wheat Ridge Compared by Year
Percent major or moderate problem
*These items were significantly different in 2021 compared to 2018.
61%
77%
To what degree, if at all, is homelessness a
problem in the City of Wheat Ridge?*2021
2018
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Respondents indicated how important they felt it was for the City of Wheat Ridge to contribute
funding to community-based organizations providing various services to people who are homeless.
Over 6 in 10 respondents felt it was essential or very important to provide all the types of services.
Residents voiced the highest levels of support for mental health programs and substance abuse
programs, with over 8 in 10 feeling it was very important or essential to do so; 52% felt it was essential
for the city to contribute funding to mental health programs. More residents in 2021 than in 2018
placed high importance on the city’s involvement in providing substance abuse programs, shelters for
severe weather, and housing/rental assistance programs for the homeless.
Figure 34: Importance of City Involvement in Providing Homeless Services Compared by Year
How important to you, if at all, is it for the City to contribute funding to community-based
organizations that provide each of the following services to the homeless populations?
Percent essential or very important
*These items were significantly different in 2021 compared to 2018.
60%
61%
69%
69%
78%
81%
63%
67%
75%
76%
81%
84%
Job training programs
Housing/rental assistance programs*
Shelters for severe weather*
Supportive housing, which combines housing
with services such as job training and
substance abuse treatment*
Substance abuse programs*
Mental health programs
2021
2018
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Accessory Dwelling Units
Those participating in the Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey were provided a definition of an
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) and were asked several questions about their use in Wheat Ridge.
When asked their level of support for allowing and regulating existing and new ADUs, about two-
thirds of respondents strongly or somewhat supported the city allowing and regulating both types.
Only about one in five residents opposed the city taking these actions with ADUs.
Figure 35: Support for Allowing and Regulating Accessory Dwelling Units, 2021
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are secondary, independent housing units with a separate
entrance, kitchen, bath, and bed created within a single family home or on its lot. Currently the City
does not allow ADUs, which means any existing ADU may or may not be legal. To what extent do
you support or oppose the City doing each of the following?
Percent of respondents
If ADUs were allowed, about 7 in 10 respondents felt it would be essential or very important to limit the
number of people allowed to live in the ADU and to ensure the ADU is architecturally compatible with
the existing home. About 6 in 10 considered it essential or very important to require the property
owner to live on the property, in either the main house or the ADU, require off-street parking, and to
restrict the size of the ADU. Most ratings were similar to 2018 however more residents in 2021 felt the
city should require the property owner to live in either the main house or the ADU.
Figure 36: Importance of Accessory Dwelling Units Regulations Compared by Year
If ADUs were allowed, how important to you, if at all, would each of the following regulations be?
Percent essential or very important
*These items were significantly different in 2021 compared to 2018.
39%
43%
25%
25%
14%
15%
5%
5%
16%
12%
Allowing and regulating new ADUs
Allowing and regulating existing ADUs
Strongly support Somewhat support Neither support nor oppose Somewhat oppose Strongly oppose
53%
61%
54%
71%
69%
58%
59%
61%
68%
71%
Restrict the size of the ADU
Require off-street parking
Require the property owner to live in either the
main house or ADU*
Ensure the ADU is architecturally compatible
with the existing home
Limit the number of people allowed to live in
the ADU
2021
2018
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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When asked how likely they would be to consider adding an ADU for various reasons, about 7 in 10
respondents would be very or somewhat likely to consider adding an ADU for an elderly family
member or a family member with disabilities, which were lower proportions than in 2018. Just over
half might consider adding an ADU for their own personal use, for the rental income, for an adult child
or for visitors.
Figure 37: Likelihood of Considering Adding an ADU Compared by Year
How likely, if at all, would you be to consider adding an ADU for each of the following reasons?
Percent very or somewhat likely
Note: 23% to 31% of respondents answered “don’t know” or “not applicable” to each of these items.
*These items were significantly different in 2021 compared to 2018.
51%
55%
56%
54%
79%
82%
49%
52%
52%
52%
72%
74%
For visitors
For rental income
For my own personal use
For an adult child
For a disabled family member*
For an elderly family member*
2021
2018
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Environmental Sustainability
Survey respondents assessed the importance of city involvement in environmental sustainability
efforts, which might or might not increase taxpayer costs. Most of the activities were considered
essential or very important by more than half of respondents. About three-quarters of residents said
that creating walkable communities were essential or very important, while about two-thirds felt it
was at least very important for the city to focus on ensuring the availability of and access to public
transit and to expand access to residential recycling and composting services.
Less than half thought it was essential or very important to encourage biking or walking instead of
automobile use and to establish a permanent fee paid by residential and commercial properties for
storm water management and water quality for needed capital improvements and to improve the
City's storm water drainage system.
Where differences in importance ratings from 2018 to 2021 were observed, residents tended to give
lower ratings in 2021.
Figure 38: Importance of City Focus on Environmental Sustainability Compared by Year
How important to you, if at all, is it that the City focus on each of the following areas of
environmental sustainability, which may or may not increase costs for taxpayers?
Percent essential or very important
*These items were significantly different in 2021 compared to 2018.
53%
68%
69%
72%
75%
45%
47%
58%
59%
59%
62%
62%
63%
64%
64%
75%
Establishing a permanent fee paid by residential and
commercial properties for storm water/drainage management
and water quality for needed capital improvements
Encouraging biking or walking, instead of automobile use*
Promoting use of drought-tolerant and native landscaping
Implementing organized trash hauling in neighborhoods
Promoting renewable energy (wind or solar) in the home*
Requiring green building practices for new commercial and
residential construction
Implementing energy efficiency improvements for city
facilities
Promoting renewable energy (wind or solar) in the community*
Expanding access to residential recycling and composting
services
Ensuring availability of and access to public transit*
Creating walkable communities (providing sidewalk
connections, bike lanes, retail/shopping/grocery closer to
homes, etc.)
2021
2018
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Communication with Residents
Wheat Ridge residents shared whether they used various sources of information for news about
Wheat Ridge. Word of mouth, the City Quarterly “Connections”, and the Neighborhood Gazette topped
the list as the most used sources of information, with at least 7 in 10 residents saying they used these
sources at least once in the 12 months prior to the survey. About 6 in 10 relied on television news and
about half had used the Parks and Recreation Activity Guide and the City’s website. About 4 in 10 used
neighborhood websites like NextDoor, radio news, and the Denver Post to get city information.
Respondents were less likely to use Denver Post YourHub and Wheat Ridge Speaks to get information.
Four information sources saw an increase in usage from 2018 to 2021: the Neighborhood Gazette,
neighborhood websites, Wheat Ridge Police Department social media sites and city live/on-demand
video streaming. In 2021, residents were less likely to seek city information by word of mouth, the
Parks and Recreation Activity Guide, Denver Post, WRTV8, and Denver Post YourHub.
Figure 39: Information Sources, 2004-2021
In the last 12 months, about how many times, if ever, have you
or other household members used the following sources of
information for news about Wheat Ridge? (Percent at least
once in the last 12 months) 2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
Word of mouth 74% 82% 83% 78% 79% 76% 76%
City Quarterly "Connections” Newsletter 72% 73% 72% 67% 70% 68% 64%
Neighborhood Gazette 72% 68% 68% 60% NA NA NA
Television news 60% 62% 62% 57% 76% 71% 75%
Parks and Recreation Activity Guide 57% 71% NA NA NA NA NA
City's website: www.ci.wheatridge.co.us 52% 50% 46% 40% 34% 27% 23%
Neighborhood websites (e.g., NextDoor, etc.) 45% 36% 18% NA NA NA NA
Radio news 44% 45% 42% 33% 52% 48% 52%
Denver Post 40% 44% 49% 60% 69% 71% 74%
Jeffco Transcript 28% NA NA NA NA NA NA
City of Wheat Ridge social media sites (Facebook, Twitter) 26% 24% NA NA NA NA NA
City website automatic notifications (e.g., community events,
calendar listing) 24% 25% 23% NA NA NA NA
Wheat Ridge Police Department social media sites (Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram) 24% 20% 16% NA NA NA NA
Community-created Facebook groups/pages about Wheat
Ridge 22% 20% 17% NA NA NA NA
City live/on-demand video streaming, including City Council
meetings 18% 10% 11% 11% NA NA NA
What's Up Wheat Ridge 18% NA NA NA NA NA NA
WRTV8 (Government Access Channel) 16% 21% 20% 30% 48% 45% 50%
Wheat Ridge Recreation Center's Facebook page 16% 13% 14% NA NA NA NA
Denver Gazette 16% NA NA NA NA NA NA
Denver Post YourHub 15% 24% 32% 28% NA NA NA
Wheat Ridge Speaks 12% NA NA NA NA NA NA
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Respondents shared their use of various social networking sites in a typical month. YouTube and
Facebook were the most frequently used in a typical month (71% and 59% had used these at least once
in the last month, respectively). NextDoor was used at least once in a typical month by 42% of
respondents, and Instagram and LinkedIn were each used by about one-third of respondents. Only
about one-quarter of respondents reported using Twitter at least once in a typical month.
Use of NextDoor and Instagram significantly increased from 2018 to 2021, while use of Facebook
decreased.
Figure 40: Use of Social Media Sites Compared, 2018-2021
In a typical month, about how many times, if ever, do you use each of the following social media
sites?
Percent at least once
*These items were significantly different in 2021 compared to 2018.
20%
38%
33%
31%
66%
72%
23%
36%
38%
42%
59%
71%
Twitter
LinkedIn
Instagram*
NextDoor*
Facebook*
YouTube
2021
2018
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Appendix A: Complete Set of Survey Responses
The following pages contain a complete set of responses to each question on the survey. For questions that included a “don’t know” or “not
applicable” response option, two tables for that question are provided: the first that excludes the don’t know or not applicable responses,
the second that includes those response options.
Table 1: Question 1 without "don't know" responses
Please rate each of the following aspects of quality of life in Wheat Ridge. Excellent Good Fair Poor Total
Wheat Ridge as a place to live 32% N=334 56% N=593 11% N=112 1% N=13 100% N=1052
Your neighborhood as a place to live 33% N=343 47% N=492 17% N=181 3% N=30 100% N=1047
Wheat Ridge as a place to raise children 27% N=202 53% N=396 18% N=133 3% N=21 100% N=752
Wheat Ridge as a place to work 18% N=116 45% N=285 30% N=190 6% N=38 100% N=630
Wheat Ridge as a place to retire 28% N=221 41% N=323 22% N=174 9% N=68 100% N=785
The physical attractiveness of Wheat Ridge as a whole 14% N=147 45% N=464 33% N=340 9% N=89 100% N=1041
Overall quality of life in Wheat Ridge 22% N=225 60% N=622 17% N=179 2% N=18 100% N=1045
Table 2: Question 1 with "don't know" responses
Please rate each of the following aspects of quality of life in
Wheat Ridge. Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't know Total
Wheat Ridge as a place to live 32% N=334 56% N=593 11% N=112 1% N=13 0% N=2 100% N=1054
Your neighborhood as a place to live 33% N=343 47% N=492 17% N=181 3% N=30 0% N=4 100% N=1051
Wheat Ridge as a place to raise children 19% N=202 38% N=396 13% N=133 2% N=21 28% N=289 100% N=1042
Wheat Ridge as a place to work 11% N=116 27% N=285 18% N=190 4% N=38 40% N=413 100% N=1043
Wheat Ridge as a place to retire 21% N=221 31% N=323 17% N=174 6% N=68 25% N=260 100% N=1045
The physical attractiveness of Wheat Ridge as a whole 14% N=147 44% N=464 33% N=340 9% N=89 0% N=4 100% N=1045
Overall quality of life in Wheat Ridge 21% N=225 59% N=622 17% N=179 2% N=18 0% N=5 100% N=1049
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Table 3: Question 2
Do you think the quality of life in Wheat Ridge is likely to improve, stay the same or decline over the next 5 years? Percent Number
Improve a lot 16% N=164
Improve slightly 43% N=450
Stay the same 18% N=194
Decline slightly 18% N=188
Decline a lot 6% N=59
Total 100% N=1056
Table 4: Question 3
What are your reasons for living in Wheat Ridge? (Please select all that apply.) Percent of respondents*
I feel safe here 44%
I like the school my children attend 8%
My job is here 12%
I like my neighborhood 55%
I like the location in general 75%
I like the access to dining and entertainment 27%
Housing and rental rates are affordable 29%
I've always lived here 12%
I have friends and family in the area 28%
Small town feel 26%
Cost of living is affordable 19%
I like that the community is forward-thinking 14%
The growing and diverse community 13%
None of these 5%
*Total may exceed 100% as respondents could select more than one answer.
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Table 5: Question 4 without "don't know" responses
Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Wheat
Ridge as a whole. Excellent Good Fair Poor Total
Sense of community 11% N=103 53% N=500 29% N=279 7% N=69 100% N=950
Openness and acceptance of the community toward people of diverse
backgrounds 11% N=97 46% N=402 33% N=283 10% N=86 100% N=868
Cleanliness of Wheat Ridge 10% N=103 48% N=495 33% N=345 10% N=99 100% N=1043
Overall quality of new development in Wheat Ridge 8% N=76 43% N=405 33% N=306 16% N=146 100% N=933
Variety of housing options 10% N=88 45% N=412 34% N=313 11% N=105 100% N=919
Overall quality of business and service establishments in Wheat Ridge 10% N=100 52% N=534 29% N=299 9% N=88 100% N=1021
Shopping opportunities 9% N=94 39% N=406 40% N=416 13% N=133 100% N=1048
Opportunities to attend cultural activities 4% N=36 28% N=237 43% N=364 25% N=217 100% N=855
Recreational opportunities 21% N=204 51% N=501 24% N=232 5% N=48 100% N=985
Employment opportunities 4% N=23 34% N=185 42% N=228 19% N=104 100% N=540
Educational opportunities 8% N=53 39% N=248 36% N=227 16% N=102 100% N=629
Opportunities to participate in social events and activities 8% N=71 43% N=364 37% N=316 12% N=101 100% N=852
Opportunities to volunteer 11% N=73 45% N=311 37% N=252 8% N=52 100% N=688
Opportunities to participate in civic matters 13% N=94 43% N=315 32% N=236 12% N=92 100% N=737
Availability of parks 41% N=431 44% N=464 11% N=118 3% N=33 100% N=1046
Availability of paths and walking trails 40% N=407 42% N=425 13% N=134 5% N=47 100% N=1013
Availability of bike trails 35% N=311 43% N=379 16% N=143 6% N=53 100% N=885
Availability of affordable quality housing 6% N=54 30% N=256 37% N=306 27% N=224 100% N=840
Availability of affordable quality child care 3% N=8 31% N=84 40% N=110 26% N=70 100% N=273
Availability of affordable quality health care 18% N=135 44% N=336 27% N=205 11% N=86 100% N=763
Availability of affordable quality food 19% N=201 47% N=487 26% N=268 7% N=74 100% N=1029
Availability of preventive health services 17% N=119 46% N=323 29% N=203 9% N=60 100% N=704
Air quality 9% N=85 49% N=484 34% N=329 9% N=84 100% N=982
Quality of overall natural environment in Wheat Ridge 17% N=171 53% N=545 25% N=256 5% N=50 100% N=1021
Overall image or reputation of Wheat Ridge 13% N=129 55% N=552 26% N=261 7% N=69 100% N=1012
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Table 6: Question 4 with "don't know" responses
Please rate each of the following characteristics as they
relate to Wheat Ridge as a whole. Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't know Total
Sense of community 10% N=103 49% N=500 27% N=279 7% N=69 7% N=68 100% N=1018
Openness and acceptance of the community toward
people of diverse backgrounds 9% N=97 39% N=402 28% N=283 8% N=86 15% N=157 100% N=1025
Cleanliness of Wheat Ridge 10% N=103 47% N=495 33% N=345 9% N=99 0% N=4 100% N=1047
Overall quality of new development in Wheat Ridge 7% N=76 39% N=405 29% N=306 14% N=146 10% N=107 100% N=1040
Variety of housing options 8% N=88 39% N=412 30% N=313 10% N=105 12% N=126 100% N=1046
Overall quality of business and service establishments in
Wheat Ridge 10% N=100 51% N=534 28% N=299 8% N=88 3% N=28 100% N=1050
Shopping opportunities 9% N=94 38% N=406 39% N=416 13% N=133 1% N=6 100% N=1054
Opportunities to attend cultural activities 3% N=36 23% N=237 35% N=364 21% N=217 18% N=193 100% N=1048
Recreational opportunities 19% N=204 48% N=501 22% N=232 5% N=48 6% N=65 100% N=1050
Employment opportunities 2% N=23 18% N=185 22% N=228 10% N=104 48% N=507 100% N=1047
Educational opportunities 5% N=53 24% N=248 22% N=227 10% N=102 40% N=411 100% N=1040
Opportunities to participate in social events and activities 7% N=71 35% N=364 30% N=316 10% N=101 18% N=189 100% N=1041
Opportunities to volunteer 7% N=73 30% N=311 24% N=252 5% N=52 34% N=355 100% N=1043
Opportunities to participate in civic matters 9% N=94 30% N=315 23% N=236 9% N=92 29% N=303 100% N=1040
Availability of parks 41% N=431 44% N=464 11% N=118 3% N=33 1% N=8 100% N=1054
Availability of paths and walking trails 39% N=407 41% N=425 13% N=134 5% N=47 3% N=34 100% N=1047
Availability of bike trails 30% N=311 36% N=379 14% N=143 5% N=53 15% N=160 100% N=1045
Availability of affordable quality housing 5% N=54 25% N=256 30% N=306 22% N=224 19% N=197 100% N=1037
Availability of affordable quality child care 1% N=8 8% N=84 11% N=110 7% N=70 73% N=740 100% N=1013
Availability of affordable quality health care 13% N=135 33% N=336 20% N=205 8% N=86 26% N=269 100% N=1032
Availability of affordable quality food 19% N=201 46% N=487 25% N=268 7% N=74 2% N=23 100% N=1052
Availability of preventive health services 11% N=119 31% N=323 19% N=203 6% N=60 33% N=347 100% N=1051
Air quality 8% N=85 46% N=484 31% N=329 8% N=84 7% N=69 100% N=1051
Quality of overall natural environment in Wheat Ridge 16% N=171 52% N=545 24% N=256 5% N=50 3% N=28 100% N=1049
Overall image or reputation of Wheat Ridge 12% N=129 52% N=552 25% N=261 6% N=69 4% N=44 100% N=1056
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Table 7: Question 5 without "don't know" responses
Please rate your community on each of the following. Excellent Good Fair Poor Total
Making all residents feel welcome 18% N=158 47% N=426 27% N=246 8% N=68 100% N=898
Helping new residents feel connected and integrated 10% N=79 39% N=309 37% N=295 14% N=109 100% N=792
Attracting people from diverse backgrounds 8% N=53 33% N=227 40% N=273 20% N=134 100% N=687
Valuing residents from diverse backgrounds 11% N=78 35% N=240 37% N=253 16% N=113 100% N=684
Demonstrating respect for residents of different cultures and belief systems 9% N=69 44% N=324 33% N=243 13% N=93 100% N=729
Treating all residents fairly 10% N=79 48% N=367 33% N=253 8% N=62 100% N=759
Providing a safe and secure environment for residents of all backgrounds 10% N=82 47% N=383 33% N=269 10% N=85 100% N=818
Respecting individual cultural beliefs and values 14% N=100 46% N=326 32% N=231 8% N=58 100% N=715
Providing equal employment opportunities to residents of all backgrounds 10% N=43 45% N=190 35% N=149 10% N=42 100% N=424
Providing equal access to housing for residents of all backgrounds 12% N=62 46% N=241 29% N=154 13% N=70 100% N=528
Making all residents feel welcome in business establishments 21% N=161 49% N=375 25% N=195 5% N=37 100% N=767
Welcoming residents from all backgrounds to participate in local government
and community decision-making 17% N=93 42% N=239 28% N=158 13% N=73 100% N=563
Table 8: Question 5 with "don't know" responses
Please rate your community on each of the following. Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't know Total
Making all residents feel welcome 15% N=158 41% N=426 24% N=246 7% N=68 14% N=146 100% N=1044
Helping new residents feel connected and integrated 8% N=79 30% N=309 28% N=295 10% N=109 24% N=246 100% N=1037
Attracting people from diverse backgrounds 5% N=53 22% N=227 26% N=273 13% N=134 34% N=353 100% N=1039
Valuing residents from diverse backgrounds 8% N=78 23% N=240 24% N=253 11% N=113 34% N=351 100% N=1035
Demonstrating respect for residents of different cultures
and belief systems 7% N=69 31% N=324 23% N=243 9% N=93 30% N=316 100% N=1045
Treating all residents fairly 8% N=79 35% N=367 24% N=253 6% N=62 27% N=283 100% N=1042
Providing a safe and secure environment for residents of all
backgrounds 8% N=82 37% N=383 26% N=269 8% N=85 22% N=224 100% N=1043
Respecting individual cultural beliefs and values 10% N=100 31% N=326 22% N=231 6% N=58 32% N=330 100% N=1045
Providing equal employment opportunities to residents of
all backgrounds 4% N=43 18% N=190 14% N=149 4% N=42 59% N=618 100% N=1042
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Please rate your community on each of the following. Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't know Total
Providing equal access to housing for residents of all
backgrounds 6% N=62 23% N=241 15% N=154 7% N=70 49% N=501 100% N=1029
Making all residents feel welcome in business
establishments 15% N=161 36% N=375 19% N=195 4% N=37 26% N=273 100% N=1040
Welcoming residents from all backgrounds to participate in
local government and community decision-making 9% N=93 23% N=239 15% N=158 7% N=73 46% N=475 100% N=1038
Table 9: Question 6 without "don't know" responses
Please indicate how likely or unlikely you are to do each of the
following. Very likely
Somewhat
likely
Somewhat
unlikely
Very
unlikely Total
Recommend living in Wheat Ridge to someone who asks 46% N=473 41% N=416 9% N=88 5% N=49 100% N=1027
Remain in Wheat Ridge for the next five years 54% N=546 29% N=288 8% N=84 9% N=86 100% N=1003
Table 10: Question 6 with "don't know" responses
Please indicate how likely or unlikely you are to do each of
the following. Very likely
Somewhat
likely
Somewhat
unlikely
Very
unlikely Don't know Total
Recommend living in Wheat Ridge to someone who asks 45% N=473 40% N=416 8% N=88 5% N=49 2% N=16 100% N=1043
Remain in Wheat Ridge for the next five years 52% N=546 27% N=288 8% N=84 8% N=86 5% N=48 100% N=1051
Table 11: Question 7
Despite the limitation of some of these facilities and
services due to COVID, in the last 12 months, about how
many times, if ever, have you or other household
members participated in the following activities in Wheat
Ridge? Never 1-2 times 3-12 times 13-26 times
More than 26
times Total
Used Wheat Ridge Recreation Center 61% N=638 14% N=143 10% N=107 5% N=55 10% N=105 100% N=1048
Participated in a recreation program or activity 70% N=732 13% N=138 7% N=78 3% N=33 6% N=59 100% N=1040
Used a Wheat Ridge park or trail 14% N=141 13% N=140 21% N=215 16% N=169 36% N=376 100% N=1042
Visited the Anderson Building for a reason not related to
the outdoor pool 82% N=864 9% N=92 5% N=48 2% N=21 2% N=22 100% N=1048
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 45
Despite the limitation of some of these facilities and
services due to COVID, in the last 12 months, about how
many times, if ever, have you or other household
members participated in the following activities in Wheat
Ridge? Never 1-2 times 3-12 times 13-26 times
More than 26
times Total
Used a Wheat Ridge bike/pedestrian path 21% N=226 14% N=146 19% N=203 15% N=161 30% N=315 100% N=1050
Used Clear Creek Trail 33% N=343 13% N=140 18% N=192 11% N=117 24% N=253 100% N=1044
Attended a (virtual) meeting of local city officials or other
local public meeting 82% N=864 11% N=111 5% N=50 1% N=16 1% N=8 100% N=1048
Watched a meeting of local city officials (on cable
television, YouTube, etc.) 79% N=823 14% N=151 5% N=53 1% N=11 1% N=9 100% N=1046
Participated in a senior program 88% N=916 5% N=49 3% N=34 2% N=19 2% N=21 100% N=1039
Dined at a Wheat Ridge restaurant (other than fast food) 13% N=138 17% N=183 35% N=366 16% N=167 19% N=198 100% N=1052
Used the Wheat Ridge Library 62% N=641 14% N=142 13% N=133 5% N=50 7% N=73 100% N=1040
Attended a Wheat Ridge festival or special event 58% N=602 26% N=269 11% N=117 3% N=30 3% N=28 100% N=1046
Ridden an RTD bus 75% N=784 10% N=106 7% N=75 2% N=23 6% N=61 100% N=1049
Ridden the G-Line from the Wheat Ridge-Ward station 79% N=832 12% N=131 5% N=52 1% N=10 2% N=23 100% N=1048
Table 12: Question 8 without "don't know" responses
Please rate the following aspects of transportation within the City of Wheat
Ridge. Excellent Good Fair Poor Total
Condition of city streets 6% N=62 43% N=454 35% N=365 16% N=167 100% N=1048
Access to mass transit 17% N=157 50% N=453 27% N=244 6% N=58 100% N=912
Ease of car travel in Wheat Ridge 20% N=202 53% N=545 20% N=207 7% N=67 100% N=1020
Ease of bus travel in Wheat Ridge 15% N=81 47% N=257 29% N=156 9% N=51 100% N=545
Ease of commuter rail use in Wheat Ridge 16% N=90 37% N=207 27% N=150 20% N=115 100% N=561
Ease of walking in Wheat Ridge 16% N=165 45% N=453 27% N=273 11% N=113 100% N=1005
Ease of bicycle travel in Wheat Ridge 18% N=144 48% N=375 25% N=196 9% N=67 100% N=783
Traffic flow on major streets 6% N=62 36% N=371 39% N=407 19% N=194 100% N=1034
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 46
Table 13: Question 8 with "don't know" responses
Please rate the following aspects of transportation within
the City of Wheat Ridge. Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't know Total
Condition of city streets 6% N=62 43% N=454 35% N=365 16% N=167 1% N=7 100% N=1054
Access to mass transit 15% N=157 43% N=453 23% N=244 5% N=58 13% N=138 100% N=1049
Ease of car travel in Wheat Ridge 19% N=202 52% N=545 20% N=207 6% N=67 3% N=31 100% N=1051
Ease of bus travel in Wheat Ridge 8% N=81 25% N=257 15% N=156 5% N=51 48% N=499 100% N=1045
Ease of commuter rail use in Wheat Ridge 9% N=90 20% N=207 14% N=150 11% N=115 46% N=482 100% N=1043
Ease of walking in Wheat Ridge 16% N=165 43% N=453 26% N=273 11% N=113 4% N=44 100% N=1049
Ease of bicycle travel in Wheat Ridge 14% N=144 36% N=375 19% N=196 6% N=67 25% N=264 100% N=1046
Traffic flow on major streets 6% N=62 35% N=371 39% N=407 18% N=194 2% N=17 100% N=1051
Table 14: Question 9 Quality without "don't know" responses
The following are services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge. For each
service, please rate the quality of each service. Excellent Good Fair Poor Total
Snow removal 18% N=180 47% N=482 25% N=251 11% N=108 100% N=1021
Street repair and maintenance 5% N=52 40% N=411 37% N=373 18% N=187 100% N=1022
Street cleaning 7% N=69 48% N=460 33% N=315 11% N=106 100% N=950
Traffic enforcement 9% N=79 51% N=434 27% N=235 13% N=111 100% N=859
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control, trash, outside storage) 7% N=64 33% N=294 35% N=305 25% N=220 100% N=883
Animal control 13% N=90 55% N=372 24% N=162 8% N=52 100% N=676
Land use, planning and zoning 6% N=43 36% N=246 38% N=260 19% N=130 100% N=679
Building permits 9% N=36 38% N=147 36% N=137 17% N=64 100% N=384
Building inspections 9% N=36 39% N=147 34% N=127 18% N=67 100% N=377
Maintenance of existing city parks 26% N=245 55% N=520 17% N=159 3% N=28 100% N=952
Maintenance of open space and trails 28% N=254 51% N=474 19% N=171 2% N=23 100% N=922
Recreation programs 18% N=107 61% N=354 18% N=104 3% N=17 100% N=582
Recreation facilities 27% N=195 57% N=414 14% N=101 2% N=18 100% N=728
Community/public art 6% N=37 35% N=213 41% N=249 18% N=108 100% N=607
Services/programs for youth 8% N=23 50% N=144 31% N=89 11% N=33 100% N=289
Services/programs for seniors 12% N=44 54% N=195 27% N=97 7% N=24 100% N=360
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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The following are services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge. For each
service, please rate the quality of each service. Excellent Good Fair Poor Total
Municipal court 10% N=24 52% N=126 31% N=76 7% N=17 100% N=242
Public information services 8% N=43 47% N=264 36% N=200 10% N=55 100% N=562
Community engagement by City staff 9% N=40 40% N=175 33% N=146 18% N=77 100% N=439
Policing services 16% N=133 52% N=421 24% N=196 7% N=58 100% N=808
Police response time to emergency police calls (not code enforcement) 34% N=181 46% N=245 14% N=76 5% N=29 100% N=531
Police response time to non-emergency police calls (not code enforcement) 23% N=135 46% N=268 23% N=131 8% N=46 100% N=580
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers, neighborhood watch, citizen
police academy) 13% N=63 43% N=204 28% N=132 16% N=75 100% N=474
Community-oriented policing 13% N=60 42% N=186 32% N=143 13% N=58 100% N=447
Table 15: Question 9 Quality with "don't know" responses
The following are services provided by the City of Wheat
Ridge. For each service, please rate the quality of each
service. Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't know Total
Snow removal 17% N=180 46% N=482 24% N=251 10% N=108 2% N=21 100% N=1042
Street repair and maintenance 5% N=52 39% N=411 36% N=373 18% N=187 2% N=21 100% N=1043
Street cleaning 7% N=69 44% N=460 30% N=315 10% N=106 8% N=86 100% N=1035
Traffic enforcement 8% N=79 42% N=434 23% N=235 11% N=111 17% N=175 100% N=1035
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control, trash,
outside storage) 6% N=64 28% N=294 29% N=305 21% N=220 15% N=162 100% N=1044
Animal control 9% N=90 36% N=372 16% N=162 5% N=52 35% N=362 100% N=1038
Land use, planning and zoning 4% N=43 24% N=246 25% N=260 13% N=130 34% N=352 100% N=1031
Building permits 4% N=36 14% N=147 13% N=137 6% N=64 63% N=646 100% N=1030
Building inspections 4% N=36 14% N=147 12% N=127 7% N=67 63% N=645 100% N=1022
Maintenance of existing city parks 24% N=245 50% N=520 15% N=159 3% N=28 8% N=83 100% N=1034
Maintenance of open space and trails 25% N=254 46% N=474 17% N=171 2% N=23 11% N=112 100% N=1034
Recreation programs 10% N=107 34% N=354 10% N=104 2% N=17 43% N=447 100% N=1029
Recreation facilities 19% N=195 40% N=414 10% N=101 2% N=18 29% N=300 100% N=1028
Community/public art 4% N=37 21% N=213 24% N=249 11% N=108 41% N=424 100% N=1032
Services/programs for youth 2% N=23 14% N=144 9% N=89 3% N=33 72% N=732 100% N=1021
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Page 48
The following are services provided by the City of Wheat
Ridge. For each service, please rate the quality of each
service. Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't know Total
Services/programs for seniors 4% N=44 19% N=195 9% N=97 2% N=24 65% N=669 100% N=1029
Municipal court 2% N=24 12% N=126 7% N=76 2% N=17 76% N=780 100% N=1021
Public information services 4% N=43 26% N=264 20% N=200 5% N=55 45% N=462 100% N=1024
Community engagement by City staff 4% N=40 17% N=175 14% N=146 8% N=77 57% N=586 100% N=1025
Policing services 13% N=133 41% N=421 19% N=196 6% N=58 21% N=220 100% N=1028
Police response time to emergency police calls (not code
enforcement) 18% N=181 24% N=245 7% N=76 3% N=29 48% N=498 100% N=1029
Police response time to non-emergency police calls (not
code enforcement) 13% N=135 26% N=268 13% N=131 5% N=46 44% N=453 100% N=1033
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers, neighborhood
watch, citizen police academy) 6% N=63 20% N=204 13% N=132 7% N=75 54% N=550 100% N=1024
Community-oriented policing 6% N=60 18% N=186 14% N=143 6% N=58 56% N=576 100% N=1023
Table 16: Question 9 Importance without "don't know" responses
The following are services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge. For
each service, please rate the importance of each service Essential
Very
important
Somewhat
important
Not at all
important Total
Snow removal 48% N=431 39% N=354 13% N=117 0% N=4 100% N=906
Street repair and maintenance 46% N=421 45% N=414 9% N=78 0% N=0 100% N=912
Street cleaning 16% N=144 43% N=377 39% N=347 2% N=15 100% N=883
Traffic enforcement 28% N=241 41% N=356 29% N=253 3% N=23 100% N=873
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control, trash, outside storage) 18% N=164 44% N=389 35% N=310 3% N=27 100% N=890
Animal control 18% N=155 45% N=381 35% N=295 2% N=19 100% N=850
Land use, planning and zoning 32% N=254 44% N=345 22% N=176 1% N=10 100% N=785
Building permits 22% N=147 51% N=339 26% N=171 2% N=12 100% N=668
Building inspections 24% N=159 52% N=348 23% N=154 1% N=7 100% N=669
Maintenance of existing city parks 36% N=313 52% N=457 12% N=102 0% N=2 100% N=875
Maintenance of open space and trails 38% N=324 50% N=426 12% N=106 0% N=2 100% N=858
Recreation programs 19% N=149 44% N=351 33% N=258 4% N=34 100% N=791
Recreation facilities 25% N=203 48% N=393 23% N=194 4% N=37 100% N=827
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 49
The following are services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge. For
each service, please rate the importance of each service Essential
Very
important
Somewhat
important
Not at all
important Total
Community/public art 13% N=101 31% N=238 44% N=338 12% N=92 100% N=768
Services/programs for youth 29% N=198 52% N=358 17% N=119 2% N=16 100% N=692
Services/programs for seniors 27% N=199 51% N=381 20% N=151 2% N=17 100% N=749
Municipal court 30% N=200 46% N=310 22% N=145 2% N=14 100% N=668
Public information services 27% N=204 44% N=329 27% N=207 2% N=12 100% N=752
Community engagement by City staff 20% N=144 42% N=301 35% N=251 2% N=18 100% N=714
Policing services 49% N=416 36% N=303 13% N=108 3% N=26 100% N=854
Police response time to emergency police calls (not code
enforcement) 71% N=604 25% N=213 3% N=29 1% N=7 100% N=852
Police response time to non-emergency police calls (not code
enforcement) 39% N=333 42% N=361 18% N=151 1% N=6 100% N=851
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers, neighborhood watch,
citizen police academy) 45% N=363 41% N=327 12% N=96 2% N=19 100% N=804
Community-oriented policing 36% N=272 38% N=283 23% N=174 3% N=21 100% N=749
Table 17: Question 9 Importance with "don't know" responses
The following are services provided by the City of Wheat
Ridge. For each service, please rate the importance of
each service Essential
Very
important
Somewhat
important
Not at all
important Don't know Total
Snow removal 47% N=431 39% N=354 13% N=117 0% N=4 0% N=3 100% N=909
Street repair and maintenance 46% N=421 45% N=414 8% N=78 0% N=0 0% N=4 100% N=917
Street cleaning 16% N=144 42% N=377 39% N=347 2% N=15 2% N=18 100% N=901
Traffic enforcement 27% N=241 39% N=356 28% N=253 3% N=23 3% N=29 100% N=903
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control, trash,
outside storage) 18% N=164 43% N=389 34% N=310 3% N=27 2% N=18 100% N=908
Animal control 17% N=155 42% N=381 33% N=295 2% N=19 6% N=53 100% N=903
Land use, planning and zoning 28% N=254 39% N=345 20% N=176 1% N=10 12% N=110 100% N=895
Building permits 16% N=147 38% N=339 19% N=171 1% N=12 25% N=223 100% N=891
Building inspections 18% N=159 40% N=348 18% N=154 1% N=7 24% N=212 100% N=881
Maintenance of existing city parks 35% N=313 51% N=457 11% N=102 0% N=2 3% N=28 100% N=903
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 50
The following are services provided by the City of Wheat
Ridge. For each service, please rate the importance of
each service Essential
Very
important
Somewhat
important
Not at all
important Don't know Total
Maintenance of open space and trails 36% N=324 48% N=426 12% N=106 0% N=2 4% N=34 100% N=892
Recreation programs 17% N=149 39% N=351 29% N=258 4% N=34 12% N=107 100% N=898
Recreation facilities 23% N=203 44% N=393 22% N=194 4% N=37 8% N=69 100% N=897
Community/public art 11% N=101 27% N=238 38% N=338 10% N=92 14% N=128 100% N=896
Services/programs for youth 22% N=198 40% N=358 13% N=119 2% N=16 22% N=199 100% N=891
Services/programs for seniors 22% N=199 43% N=381 17% N=151 2% N=17 16% N=144 100% N=892
Municipal court 23% N=200 35% N=310 16% N=145 2% N=14 24% N=217 100% N=885
Public information services 23% N=204 37% N=329 23% N=207 1% N=12 15% N=134 100% N=886
Community engagement by City staff 16% N=144 34% N=301 28% N=251 2% N=18 19% N=171 100% N=884
Policing services 47% N=416 34% N=303 12% N=108 3% N=26 5% N=41 100% N=894
Police response time to emergency police calls (not
code enforcement) 67% N=604 24% N=213 3% N=29 1% N=7 5% N=47 100% N=899
Police response time to non-emergency police calls (not
code enforcement) 37% N=333 40% N=361 17% N=151 1% N=6 6% N=51 100% N=901
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers,
neighborhood watch, citizen police academy) 41% N=363 37% N=327 11% N=96 2% N=19 10% N=90 100% N=894
Community-oriented policing 30% N=272 32% N=283 19% N=174 2% N=21 16% N=142 100% N=891
Table 18: Question 10 without "don't know" responses
Overall, how would you rate the quality of the services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge? Percent Number
Excellent 11% N=116
Good 62% N=623
Fair 22% N=225
Poor 4% N=45
Total 100% N=1009
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
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Table 19: Question 10 with "don't know" responses
Overall, how would you rate the quality of the services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge? Percent Number
Excellent 11% N=116
Good 59% N=623
Fair 21% N=225
Poor 4% N=45
Don't know 4% N=39
Total 100% N=1048
Table 20: Question 11 without "don't know" responses
How would you rate the overall performance of the Wheat Ridge city government? Percent Number
Excellent 9% N=69
Good 58% N=466
Fair 25% N=204
Poor 8% N=66
Total 100% N=805
Table 21: Question 11 with "don't know" responses
How would you rate the overall performance of the Wheat Ridge city government? Percent Number
Excellent 7% N=69
Good 44% N=466
Fair 19% N=204
Poor 6% N=66
Don't know 23% N=244
Total 100% N=1049
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
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Table 22: Question 12 without "don't know" responses
Please rate the following aspects of Wheat Ridge city government
performance. Excellent Good Fair Poor Total
The extent to which Wheat Ridge elected officials act in the best interest of
the community at large 13% N=84 50% N=333 26% N=176 11% N=75 100% N=667
The quality of work performed by City of Wheat Ridge employees 15% N=110 61% N=432 20% N=140 4% N=29 100% N=712
The value of services for the taxes paid to Wheat Ridge 11% N=83 46% N=366 32% N=251 11% N=89 100% N=789
The overall direction that Wheat Ridge is taking 13% N=113 44% N=393 29% N=261 14% N=120 100% N=887
The job Wheat Ridge does at informing residents on major issues within the
community 11% N=101 38% N=340 33% N=296 18% N=163 100% N=899
The job Wheat Ridge government does at welcoming resident involvement 13% N=87 38% N=257 34% N=229 16% N=108 100% N=681
Table 23: Question 12 with "don't know" responses
Please rate the following aspects of Wheat Ridge city
government performance. Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't know Total
The extent to which Wheat Ridge elected officials act in the
best interest of the community at large 8% N=84 32% N=333 17% N=176 7% N=75 35% N=363 100% N=1030
The quality of work performed by City of Wheat Ridge
employees 11% N=110 42% N=432 14% N=140 3% N=29 31% N=318 100% N=1030
The value of services for the taxes paid to Wheat Ridge 8% N=83 36% N=366 24% N=251 9% N=89 23% N=237 100% N=1026
The overall direction that Wheat Ridge is taking 11% N=113 38% N=393 25% N=261 12% N=120 14% N=142 100% N=1029
The job Wheat Ridge does at informing residents on major
issues within the community 10% N=101 33% N=340 29% N=296 16% N=163 13% N=131 100% N=1030
The job Wheat Ridge government does at welcoming
resident involvement 9% N=87 25% N=257 23% N=229 11% N=108 33% N=336 100% N=1018
Table 24: Question 13
In the last 12 months, have you had any in-person, phone or email contact with a City of Wheat Ridge employee(s)? Percent Number
Yes 37% N=390
No 63% N=657
Total 100% N=1047
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 53
Table 25: Question 14 without "don't know" responses
What was your impression of the City of Wheat Ridge employee(s) overall? Excellent Good Fair Poor Total
Knowledge 35% N=132 46% N=173 14% N=52 5% N=19 100% N=376
Responsiveness 39% N=149 39% N=149 12% N=44 11% N=42 100% N=384
Courtesy 47% N=179 35% N=134 11% N=43 7% N=28 100% N=384
Making you feel valued 37% N=137 36% N=135 14% N=54 13% N=48 100% N=374
Overall impression 36% N=138 41% N=160 13% N=49 10% N=38 100% N=387
Table 26: Question 14 with "don't know" responses
What was your impression of the City of Wheat Ridge employee(s)
overall? Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't know Total
Knowledge 34% N=132 45% N=173 13% N=52 5% N=19 3% N=13 100% N=388
Responsiveness 38% N=149 38% N=149 11% N=44 11% N=42 1% N=5 100% N=389
Courtesy 46% N=179 35% N=134 11% N=43 7% N=28 1% N=4 100% N=388
Making you feel valued 35% N=137 35% N=135 14% N=54 12% N=48 4% N=14 100% N=388
Overall impression 36% N=138 41% N=160 13% N=49 10% N=38 1% N=3 100% N=389
Table 27: Question 15 without "don't know" responses
Please rate how safe you feel in the following
areas in Wheat Ridge. Very safe
Somewhat
safe
Neither safe nor
unsafe
Somewhat
unsafe
Very
unsafe Total
Parks and playgrounds 46% N=449 38% N=375 8% N=83 5% N=48 2% N=24 100% N=978
Recreation centers 67% N=481 26% N=187 6% N=40 1% N=6 0% N=3 100% N=716
In your neighborhood 42% N=439 38% N=397 8% N=84 10% N=109 1% N=13 100% N=1043
In your home 63% N=660 27% N=282 5% N=53 5% N=50 0% N=3 100% N=1047
On the trail system 31% N=276 45% N=399 11% N=100 10% N=89 3% N=24 100% N=888
On roadways 25% N=250 48% N=484 16% N=163 9% N=93 2% N=23 100% N=1013
Retail/commercial areas 40% N=406 43% N=437 11% N=113 5% N=49 2% N=19 100% N=1024
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Table 28: Question 15 with "don't know" responses
Please rate how safe you feel in the
following areas in Wheat Ridge. Very safe
Somewhat
safe
Neither safe nor
unsafe
Somewhat
unsafe
Very
unsafe Don't know Total
Parks and playgrounds 43% N=449 36% N=375 8% N=83 5% N=48 2% N=24 6% N=63 100% N=1041
Recreation centers 46% N=481 18% N=187 4% N=40 1% N=6 0% N=3 31% N=327 100% N=1043
In your neighborhood 42% N=439 38% N=397 8% N=84 10% N=109 1% N=13 0% N=2 100% N=1044
In your home 63% N=660 27% N=282 5% N=53 5% N=50 0% N=3 0% N=1 100% N=1049
On the trail system 27% N=276 38% N=399 10% N=100 9% N=89 2% N=24 15% N=153 100% N=1040
On roadways 24% N=250 47% N=484 16% N=163 9% N=93 2% N=23 3% N=28 100% N=1041
Retail/commercial areas 39% N=406 42% N=437 11% N=113 5% N=49 2% N=19 2% N=22 100% N=1045
Table 29: Question 16
Please indicate whether or not each of the following has applied to you in the last 12 months. No Yes Total
Household member was a victim of a crime in Wheat Ridge 87% N=901 13% N=133 100% N=1034
Reported a crime to the police in Wheat Ridge 78% N=797 22% N=230 100% N=1027
Table 30: Question 17 without "don't know" responses
How important, if at all, is it for the City of Wheat Ridge Police
Department to prioritize resources in each of the following areas in the
next 12 months? Essential
Very
important
Somewhat
important
Not at all
important Total
Solving violent crimes 77% N=746 21% N=203 2% N=23 0% N=3 100% N=975
Solving property crimes 41% N=405 47% N=460 10% N=100 2% N=17 100% N=982
Reducing illegal activities committed by youth 34% N=326 42% N=406 21% N=201 4% N=38 100% N=971
Reducing illegal drug activity 45% N=443 26% N=260 20% N=200 8% N=78 100% N=982
Enforcement of traffic laws 22% N=217 39% N=392 34% N=338 5% N=50 100% N=997
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control, trash, etc.) 18% N=184 33% N=327 41% N=409 8% N=80 100% N=999
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers, neighborhood watch,
citizen police academy) 37% N=356 39% N=374 22% N=208 3% N=28 100% N=967
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Table 31: Question 17 with "don't know" responses
How important, if at all, is it for the City of Wheat Ridge
Police Department to prioritize resources in each of the
following areas in the next 12 months? Essential
Very
important
Somewhat
important
Not at all
important Don't know Total
Solving violent crimes 72% N=746 20% N=203 2% N=23 0% N=3 5% N=56 100% N=1031
Solving property crimes 39% N=405 45% N=460 10% N=100 2% N=17 5% N=50 100% N=1033
Reducing illegal activities committed by youth 32% N=326 39% N=406 20% N=201 4% N=38 6% N=57 100% N=1028
Reducing illegal drug activity 43% N=443 25% N=260 19% N=200 8% N=78 4% N=46 100% N=1028
Enforcement of traffic laws 21% N=217 38% N=392 33% N=338 5% N=50 4% N=37 100% N=1034
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control, trash, etc.) 18% N=184 32% N=327 39% N=409 8% N=80 3% N=36 100% N=1036
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers, neighborhood
watch, citizen police academy) 34% N=356 36% N=374 20% N=208 3% N=28 6% N=66 100% N=1033
Table 32: Question 18 without "don't know" responses
How much of a priority, if at all, should the City of Wheat Ridge Police
Department place on each of the following in the next two years? High priority
Medium
priority Low priority Not a priority Total
Better connection with the community (i.e., community forums, events) 34% N=335 50% N=492 14% N=136 2% N=19 100% N=983
Increased visibility of police 35% N=346 40% N=397 20% N=199 6% N=57 100% N=999
Additional City resources directed towards crime-related mental health
issues in the community 61% N=607 31% N=312 7% N=67 1% N=14 100% N=1000
Greater accessibility to police and police-related information 28% N=281 50% N=503 18% N=180 3% N=32 100% N=996
More community policing officers (problem solving at a community level
such as neighborhood problems) 37% N=367 43% N=424 16% N=162 4% N=38 100% N=990
Adding officers in public schools 25% N=208 32% N=268 23% N=192 21% N=174 100% N=842
Adding surveillance cameras in high crime areas 48% N=482 29% N=296 15% N=149 8% N=82 100% N=1010
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Table 33: Question 18 with "don't know" responses
How much of a priority, if at all, should the City of Wheat
Ridge Police Department place on each of the following in
the next two years? High priority
Medium
priority Low priority Not a priority Don't know Total
Better connection with the community (i.e., community
forums, events) 32% N=335 48% N=492 13% N=136 2% N=19 5% N=49 100% N=1033
Increased visibility of police 34% N=346 38% N=397 19% N=199 6% N=57 3% N=33 100% N=1032
Additional City resources directed towards crime-related
mental health issues in the community 58% N=607 30% N=312 6% N=67 1% N=14 4% N=43 100% N=1043
Greater accessibility to police and police-related
information 27% N=281 48% N=503 17% N=180 3% N=32 4% N=47 100% N=1043
More community policing officers (problem solving at a
community level such as neighborhood problems) 35% N=367 41% N=424 16% N=162 4% N=38 4% N=44 100% N=1034
Adding officers in public schools 20% N=208 26% N=268 18% N=192 17% N=174 19% N=201 100% N=1043
Adding surveillance cameras in high crime areas 46% N=482 28% N=296 14% N=149 8% N=82 3% N=33 100% N=1043
Table 34: Question 19
When you shop outside of Wheat Ridge, why do you shop outside of Wheat Ridge? (Check all that apply.) Percent of respondents*
It is convenient; on my way to or from work or near my home 49%
I like the range of quality goods and services 48%
Desired item is not available in Wheat Ridge 69%
It is more affordable 14%
Visit a mall or other major retailers 46%
I shop online 58%
Other 10%
Total 100%
*Total may exceed 100% as respondents could select more than one answer.
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Table 35: Question 20 without "don't know" responses
For each type of shopping, please estimate how
frequently you make purchases in Wheat Ridge: Never
Very
infrequently
Somewhat
infrequently
Somewhat
frequently
Very
frequently Total
Grocery shopping 1% N=6 9% N=95 6% N=64 13% N=133 72% N=753 100% N=1051
Health services 14% N=147 23% N=233 19% N=192 21% N=212 23% N=234 100% N=1018
Meals and entertainment 2% N=21 14% N=146 21% N=215 38% N=390 25% N=262 100% N=1034
Household items 5% N=48 19% N=197 20% N=210 25% N=264 31% N=320 100% N=1039
Computers and electronics 46% N=460 31% N=308 12% N=121 6% N=64 5% N=48 100% N=1000
General retail (shoes, drug stores, clothing, etc.) 10% N=103 26% N=276 25% N=260 23% N=245 15% N=161 100% N=1045
Table 36: Question 20 with "don't know" responses
For each type of shopping, please
estimate how frequently you make
purchases in Wheat Ridge: Never
Very
infrequently
Somewhat
infrequently
Somewhat
frequently
Very
frequently Don't know Total
Grocery shopping 1% N=6 9% N=95 6% N=64 13% N=133 72% N=753 0% N=0 100% N=1051
Health services 14% N=147 22% N=233 18% N=192 20% N=212 22% N=234 3% N=26 100% N=1044
Meals and entertainment 2% N=21 14% N=146 21% N=215 37% N=390 25% N=262 1% N=10 100% N=1043
Household items 5% N=48 19% N=197 20% N=210 25% N=264 31% N=320 0% N=3 100% N=1043
Computers and electronics 44% N=460 30% N=308 12% N=121 6% N=64 5% N=48 4% N=38 100% N=1038
General retail (shoes, drug stores,
clothing, etc.) 10% N=103 26% N=276 25% N=260 23% N=245 15% N=161 0% N=5 100% N=1050
Table 37: Question 21 without "don't know" responses
How much do you agree or disagree that the City of
Wheat Ridge should do each of the following?
Strongly
agree
Somewhat
agree
Neither agree nor
disagree
Somewhat
disagree
Strongly
disagree Total
Promote efforts to revitalize Wheat Ridge's housing
areas 36% N=350 39% N=382 17% N=164 4% N=43 3% N=31 100% N=970
Promote efforts to revitalize Wheat Ridge's business
areas 51% N=501 34% N=331 11% N=112 3% N=26 1% N=12 100% N=982
Strengthen Wheat Ridge's community image and
identity 38% N=367 37% N=364 20% N=193 4% N=35 2% N=16 100% N=974
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How much do you agree or disagree that the City of
Wheat Ridge should do each of the following?
Strongly
agree
Somewhat
agree
Neither agree nor
disagree
Somewhat
disagree
Strongly
disagree Total
Promote efforts to attract and recruit new types of
retail businesses to Wheat Ridge 52% N=522 31% N=312 11% N=111 3% N=31 2% N=20 100% N=997
Promote efforts to revitalize business corridors such
as 38th Avenue, 44th Avenue, Wadsworth Boulevard
and Kipling St 56% N=561 28% N=277 9% N=86 4% N=39 3% N=32 100% N=996
Promote efforts to attract new jobs 44% N=419 38% N=360 16% N=150 2% N=17 1% N=13 100% N=959
Table 38: Question 21 with "don't know" responses
How much do you agree or disagree that
the City of Wheat Ridge should do each
of the following?
Strongly
agree
Somewhat
agree
Neither agree
nor disagree
Somewhat
disagree
Strongly
disagree Don't know Total
Promote efforts to revitalize Wheat
Ridge's housing areas 34% N=350 37% N=382 16% N=164 4% N=43 3% N=31 7% N=71 100% N=1041
Promote efforts to revitalize Wheat
Ridge's business areas 48% N=501 32% N=331 11% N=112 3% N=26 1% N=12 6% N=60 100% N=1042
Strengthen Wheat Ridge's community
image and identity 35% N=367 35% N=364 19% N=193 3% N=35 2% N=16 6% N=60 100% N=1034
Promote efforts to attract and recruit new
types of retail businesses to Wheat Ridge 50% N=522 30% N=312 11% N=111 3% N=31 2% N=20 5% N=50 100% N=1047
Promote efforts to revitalize business
corridors such as 38th Avenue, 44th
Avenue, Wadsworth Boulevard and
Kipling St 54% N=561 26% N=277 8% N=86 4% N=39 3% N=32 5% N=50 100% N=1046
Promote efforts to attract new jobs 40% N=419 34% N=360 14% N=150 2% N=17 1% N=13 8% N=84 100% N=1043
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Table 39: Question 22 without "don't know" responses
To what degree, if at all, is homelessness a problem in the City of Wheat Ridge? Percent Number
Major problem 34% N=330
Moderate problem 42% N=402
Minor problem 21% N=197
Not a problem 3% N=28
Total 100% N=958
Table 40: Question 22 with "don't know" responses
To what degree, if at all, is homelessness a problem in the City of Wheat Ridge? Percent Number
Major problem 31% N=330
Moderate problem 38% N=402
Minor problem 19% N=197
Not a problem 3% N=28
Don't know 9% N=94
Total 100% N=1052
Table 41: Question 23 without "don't know" responses
How important to you, if at all, is it for the City to contribute funding to
community-based organizations that provide each of the following
services to the homeless populations? Essential
Very
important
Somewhat
important
Not at all
important Total
Job training programs 24% N=228 39% N=379 29% N=282 8% N=73 100% N=961
Mental health programs 52% N=513 32% N=308 12% N=113 4% N=44 100% N=978
Substance abuse programs 44% N=426 38% N=370 13% N=131 5% N=51 100% N=979
Shelters for severe weather 44% N=430 31% N=306 17% N=164 8% N=76 100% N=976
Housing/rental assistance programs 33% N=320 34% N=324 24% N=229 9% N=91 100% N=964
Supportive housing, which combines housing with services such as job
training and substance abuse treatment 42% N=405 34% N=328 16% N=158 8% N=75 100% N=966
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Table 42: Question 23 with "don't know" responses
How important to you, if at all, is it for the City to contribute
funding to community-based organizations that provide
each of the following services to the homeless populations? Essential
Very
important
Somewhat
important
Not at all
important Don't know Total
Job training programs 22% N=228 36% N=379 27% N=282 7% N=73 8% N=81 100% N=1042
Mental health programs 49% N=513 29% N=308 11% N=113 4% N=44 7% N=69 100% N=1048
Substance abuse programs 41% N=426 35% N=370 12% N=131 5% N=51 7% N=70 100% N=1049
Shelters for severe weather 41% N=430 29% N=306 16% N=164 7% N=76 7% N=70 100% N=1046
Housing/rental assistance programs 31% N=320 31% N=324 22% N=229 9% N=91 7% N=76 100% N=1040
Supportive housing, which combines housing with services
such as job training and substance abuse treatment 39% N=405 32% N=328 15% N=158 7% N=75 7% N=73 100% N=1039
Table 43: Question 24 without "don't know" responses
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are secondary,
independent housing units with a separate entrance,
kitchen, bath, and bed created within a single family home
or on its lot. Currently the City does not allow ADUs, which
means any existing ADU may or may not be legal. To what
extent do you support or oppose the City doing each of the
following?
Strongly
support
Somewhat
support
Neither
support nor
oppose
Somewhat
oppose
Strongly
oppose Total
Allowing and regulating existing ADUs 43% N=396 25% N=236 15% N=139 5% N=49 12% N=112 100% N=933
Allowing and regulating new ADUs 39% N=366 25% N=231 14% N=134 5% N=46 16% N=152 100% N=929
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Table 44: Question 24 with "don't know" responses
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are
secondary, independent housing units with
a separate entrance, kitchen, bath, and bed
created within a single family home or on
its lot. Currently the City does not allow
ADUs, which means any existing ADU may
or may not be legal. To what extent do you
support or oppose the City doing each of
the following?
Strongly
support
Somewhat
support
Neither
support nor
oppose
Somewhat
oppose
Strongly
oppose Don't know Total
Allowing and regulating existing ADUs 38% N=396 23% N=236 13% N=139 5% N=49 11% N=112 11% N=110 100% N=1042
Allowing and regulating new ADUs 35% N=366 22% N=231 13% N=134 4% N=46 15% N=152 11% N=110 100% N=1039
Table 45: Question 25 without "don't know" responses
If ADUs were allowed, how important to you, if at all, would each of
the following regulations be? Essential
Very
important
Somewhat
important
Not at all
important Total
Ensure the ADU is architecturally compatible with the existing home 33% N=302 35% N=327 22% N=204 10% N=92 100% N=924
Restrict the size of the ADU 28% N=253 30% N=273 25% N=232 17% N=155 100% N=913
Limit the number of people allowed to live in the ADU 43% N=397 28% N=261 19% N=175 11% N=98 100% N=931
Require the property owner to live in either the main house or ADU 37% N=345 24% N=224 17% N=156 22% N=202 100% N=927
Require off-street parking 31% N=274 29% N=256 23% N=207 18% N=158 100% N=894
Table 46: Question 25 with "don't know" responses
If ADUs were allowed, how important to you, if at all,
would each of the following regulations be? Essential
Very
important
Somewhat
important
Not at all
important Don't know Total
Ensure the ADU is architecturally compatible with
the existing home 29% N=302 31% N=327 20% N=204 9% N=92 11% N=117 100% N=1041
Restrict the size of the ADU 24% N=253 26% N=273 22% N=232 15% N=155 13% N=132 100% N=1045
Limit the number of people allowed to live in the ADU 38% N=397 25% N=261 17% N=175 9% N=98 10% N=103 100% N=1034
Require the property owner to live in either the main
house or ADU 33% N=345 21% N=224 15% N=156 19% N=202 11% N=117 100% N=1045
Require off-street parking 26% N=274 25% N=256 20% N=207 15% N=158 14% N=148 100% N=1042
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Table 47: Question 26 without "don't know" responses
How likely, if at all, would you be to consider adding an
ADU for each of the following reasons? Very likely
Somewhat
likely
Somewhat
unlikely Very unlikely Don't know Total
For an elderly family member 47% N=390 22% N=185 6% N=53 17% N=144 7% N=57 100% N=829
For a disabled family member 45% N=359 21% N=171 8% N=63 18% N=142 8% N=61 100% N=797
For an adult child 24% N=186 24% N=186 16% N=122 28% N=218 8% N=59 100% N=772
For visitors 18% N=151 28% N=236 14% N=120 34% N=288 7% N=59 100% N=852
For my own personal use 22% N=186 26% N=217 13% N=107 32% N=265 7% N=59 100% N=833
For rental income 23% N=185 26% N=211 13% N=109 31% N=258 7% N=59 100% N=822
Table 48: Question 26 with "don't know" responses
How likely, if at all, would you be to
consider adding an ADU for each of the
following reasons? Very likely
Somewhat
likely
Somewhat
unlikely Very unlikely Don't know
Not
applicable Total
For an elderly family member 38% N=390 18% N=185 5% N=53 14% N=144 6% N=57 20% N=202 100% N=1031
For a disabled family member 35% N=359 17% N=171 6% N=63 14% N=142 6% N=61 23% N=235 100% N=1032
For an adult child 18% N=186 18% N=186 12% N=122 21% N=218 6% N=59 25% N=253 100% N=1025
For visitors 15% N=151 23% N=236 12% N=120 28% N=288 6% N=59 17% N=173 100% N=1026
For my own personal use 18% N=186 21% N=217 10% N=107 26% N=265 6% N=59 19% N=191 100% N=1024
For rental income 18% N=185 21% N=211 11% N=109 26% N=258 6% N=59 19% N=188 100% N=1010
Other reasons to consider adding an ADU
Absolutely against ADU's for any purpose!
ADU's HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE & MY FAMILY'S LIFE.
Am moving to senior living in June.
Any other reason than personal use.
Bad question. Existing house only. Dont add new buildings!
Because of the lot size in WR - ADUs are going to be a part of life. AirBrBs.
Because.
Condo HOA does not allow ADU.
Don't know what ADU means.
Don't own property but if i did....
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Don't want an ADU.
Extra storage space
For a butler, or to take in a homeless person.
For a home office
for relative housing
great place for quarantine if ever needed
Home Business!
HOME OFFICE SPACE - VERY LIKELY.
House struggling friends for short time.
I am unsure what ADU is!
I wouldn't build an ADU.
Keep our quality of city!
Live in a HOA regulated townhome - not allowed.
Live in help for aged 1 or 2.
Might attract undesirable residents like gangs & drug dealer.
Multi-living to ease cost of rentals & home purchase.
MUST BE LEGALLY CORRECT TO USE THE DWELLING AS I PAY FOR AS NEEDED.
No reason comes to mind, but not opposed as long as not used to rent for additional income.
Office or another space for entertaining.
Out of state friend that needs a hand, temporarily. (Looking for a job and a place to live on their own.)
People should be able to use their property effectively!
Primary or secondary home office.
Registered AirBNB - but not our first desire or priority
Rents are to high for low income familep & the alderly.
So our friends don't have to move out of the state because of high housing prices
Temporary sheltar for homeless family or individual.
The city has already acted on this - let residents vote.
The owner to be able to decide upon their need.
To be sure family can afford a place to live.
To help low income people like tiny hooses until they can rebound.
To offer to homeless_ emr. shelter.
TO PROVIDE MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
TOO MANY ON STREET VEHICLES/ TOO MANY DOGS/ NEED BACKGROUND CHECKS!
use the money to build them a shelter
Vacation short term rentals
very unlikely
When you have land you should be able to add to your property if it increases value & appearance.
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
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Table 49: Question 27 without "don't know" responses
How important to you, if at all, is it that the City focus on each of the
following areas of environmental sustainability, which may or may not
increase costs for taxpayers? Essential
Very
important
Somewhat
important
Not at all
important Total
Expanding access to residential recycling and composting services 35% N=349 29% N=292 27% N=274 9% N=85 100% N=1001
Implementing organized trash hauling in neighborhoods 25% N=243 34% N=333 26% N=253 16% N=154 100% N=984
Promoting use of drought-tolerant and native landscaping 25% N=239 33% N=322 31% N=300 11% N=107 100% N=968
Establishing a permanent fee paid by residential and commercial
properties for storm water management and water quality for needed
capital improvements and to improve the City's storm water drainage
system 16% N=149 29% N=265 37% N=341 18% N=165 100% N=920
Encouraging biking or walking, instead of automobile use 20% N=200 28% N=277 32% N=318 21% N=209 100% N=1004
Ensuring availability of and access to public transit 27% N=267 38% N=380 26% N=262 10% N=96 100% N=1005
Implementing energy efficiency improvements for city facilities 28% N=274 35% N=341 29% N=287 9% N=85 100% N=988
Requiring green building practices for new commercial and residential
construction 30% N=290 32% N=310 23% N=223 16% N=151 100% N=974
Promoting renewable energy (wind or solar) in the community 34% N=337 29% N=288 22% N=221 14% N=140 100% N=986
Promoting renewable energy (wind or solar) in the home 30% N=291 30% N=291 26% N=254 15% N=151 100% N=987
Creating walkable communities (providing sidewalk connections, bike
lanes, retail/shopping/grocery closer to homes, etc.) 47% N=473 28% N=282 18% N=180 7% N=72 100% N=1007
Table 50: Question 27 with "don't know" responses
How important to you, if at all, is it that the City focus on
each of the following areas of environmental
sustainability, which may or may not increase costs for
taxpayers? Essential
Very
important
Somewhat
important
Not at all
important Don't know Total
Expanding access to residential recycling and
composting services 34% N=349 28% N=292 26% N=274 8% N=85 4% N=41 100% N=1042
Implementing organized trash hauling in neighborhoods 23% N=243 32% N=333 24% N=253 15% N=154 5% N=57 100% N=1041
Promoting use of drought-tolerant and native
landscaping 23% N=239 31% N=322 29% N=300 10% N=107 5% N=56 100% N=1024
Establishing a permanent fee paid by residential and
commercial properties for storm water management and 14% N=149 26% N=265 33% N=341 16% N=165 11% N=117 100% N=1037
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How important to you, if at all, is it that the City focus on
each of the following areas of environmental
sustainability, which may or may not increase costs for
taxpayers? Essential
Very
important
Somewhat
important
Not at all
important Don't know Total
water quality for needed capital improvements and to
improve the City's storm water drainage system
Encouraging biking or walking, instead of automobile use 19% N=200 27% N=277 31% N=318 20% N=209 4% N=37 100% N=1041
Ensuring availability of and access to public transit 26% N=267 37% N=380 25% N=262 9% N=96 3% N=35 100% N=1041
Implementing energy efficiency improvements for city
facilities 27% N=274 33% N=341 28% N=287 8% N=85 5% N=47 100% N=1035
Requiring green building practices for new commercial
and residential construction 28% N=290 30% N=310 21% N=223 15% N=151 6% N=67 100% N=1041
Promoting renewable energy (wind or solar) in the
community 32% N=337 28% N=288 21% N=221 13% N=140 5% N=56 100% N=1042
Promoting renewable energy (wind or solar) in the home 28% N=291 28% N=291 24% N=254 14% N=151 5% N=55 100% N=1042
Creating walkable communities (providing sidewalk
connections, bike lanes, retail/shopping/grocery closer
to homes, etc.) 46% N=473 27% N=282 17% N=180 7% N=72 3% N=32 100% N=1040
Table 51: Question 28 without "don't know" responses
In the last 12 months, about how many times, if ever, have
you or other household members used the following
sources of information for news about Wheat Ridge? Never 1-2 times 3-12 times 13-26 times
More than 26
times Total
City Quarterly "Connections” Newsletter 28% N=286 27% N=278 38% N=388 6% N=60 2% N=21 100% N=1033
Parks and Recreation Activity Guide 43% N=446 31% N=319 21% N=219 3% N=34 2% N=18 100% N=1035
Denver Post 60% N=619 14% N=143 11% N=115 6% N=58 9% N=93 100% N=1028
Denver Post YourHub 85% N=876 6% N=63 4% N=38 2% N=19 4% N=39 100% N=1036
Jeffco Transcript 72% N=744 14% N=144 9% N=91 3% N=31 2% N=17 100% N=1028
Neighborhood Gazette 28% N=288 27% N=280 35% N=356 8% N=82 2% N=19 100% N=1024
Denver Gazette 84% N=853 8% N=83 5% N=47 2% N=21 1% N=6 100% N=1010
Radio news 56% N=582 11% N=119 14% N=141 5% N=53 14% N=141 100% N=1034
Television news 40% N=421 14% N=148 15% N=160 9% N=94 21% N=217 100% N=1040
WRTV8 (Government Access Channel) 84% N=868 8% N=84 6% N=59 1% N=15 1% N=7 100% N=1032
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In the last 12 months, about how many times, if ever, have
you or other household members used the following
sources of information for news about Wheat Ridge? Never 1-2 times 3-12 times 13-26 times
More than 26
times Total
City live/on-demand video streaming, including City
Council meetings 82% N=845 12% N=123 5% N=50 1% N=12 0% N=5 100% N=1035
City's website: www.ci.wheatridge.co.us 48% N=493 24% N=242 22% N=230 5% N=53 1% N=13 100% N=1030
City website automatic notifications (e.g., community
events, calendar listing) 76% N=783 12% N=128 8% N=79 3% N=30 1% N=12 100% N=1031
City of Wheat Ridge social media sites (Facebook, Twitter) 74% N=766 8% N=82 12% N=120 4% N=41 3% N=28 100% N=1038
Wheat Ridge Speaks 88% N=907 7% N=72 3% N=35 1% N=10 1% N=6 100% N=1030
What's Up Wheat Ridge 82% N=845 11% N=114 6% N=58 1% N=9 1% N=6 100% N=1032
Wheat Ridge Police Department social media sites
(Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) 76% N=788 9% N=90 9% N=97 3% N=30 3% N=28 100% N=1034
Wheat Ridge Recreation Center's Facebook page 84% N=865 7% N=72 6% N=62 2% N=18 1% N=11 100% N=1029
Community-created Facebook groups/pages about
Wheat Ridge 78% N=800 7% N=69 8% N=85 3% N=32 4% N=44 100% N=1030
Neighborhood websites (e.g., NextDoor, etc.) 55% N=565 11% N=109 12% N=127 13% N=132 10% N=102 100% N=1036
Word of mouth 26% N=270 22% N=228 28% N=283 13% N=129 12% N=119 100% N=1028
Table 52: Question 28 with "don't know" responses
In the last 12 months, about how many times, if ever, have
you or other household members used the following
sources of information for news about Wheat Ridge? Never 1-2 times 3-12 times 13-26 times
More than 26
times Total
City Quarterly "Connections” Newsletter 28% N=286 27% N=278 38% N=388 6% N=60 2% N=21 100% N=1033
Parks and Recreation Activity Guide 43% N=446 31% N=319 21% N=219 3% N=34 2% N=18 100% N=1035
Denver Post 60% N=619 14% N=143 11% N=115 6% N=58 9% N=93 100% N=1028
Denver Post YourHub 85% N=876 6% N=63 4% N=38 2% N=19 4% N=39 100% N=1036
Jeffco Transcript 72% N=744 14% N=144 9% N=91 3% N=31 2% N=17 100% N=1028
Neighborhood Gazette 28% N=288 27% N=280 35% N=356 8% N=82 2% N=19 100% N=1024
Denver Gazette 84% N=853 8% N=83 5% N=47 2% N=21 1% N=6 100% N=1010
Radio news 56% N=582 11% N=119 14% N=141 5% N=53 14% N=141 100% N=1034
Television news 40% N=421 14% N=148 15% N=160 9% N=94 21% N=217 100% N=1040
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In the last 12 months, about how many times, if ever, have
you or other household members used the following
sources of information for news about Wheat Ridge? Never 1-2 times 3-12 times 13-26 times
More than 26
times Total
WRTV8 (Government Access Channel) 84% N=868 8% N=84 6% N=59 1% N=15 1% N=7 100% N=1032
City live/on-demand video streaming, including City
Council meetings 82% N=845 12% N=123 5% N=50 1% N=12 0% N=5 100% N=1035
City's website: www.ci.wheatridge.co.us 48% N=493 24% N=242 22% N=230 5% N=53 1% N=13 100% N=1030
City website automatic notifications (e.g., community
events, calendar listing) 76% N=783 12% N=128 8% N=79 3% N=30 1% N=12 100% N=1031
City of Wheat Ridge social media sites (Facebook, Twitter) 74% N=766 8% N=82 12% N=120 4% N=41 3% N=28 100% N=1038
Wheat Ridge Speaks 88% N=907 7% N=72 3% N=35 1% N=10 1% N=6 100% N=1030
What's Up Wheat Ridge 82% N=845 11% N=114 6% N=58 1% N=9 1% N=6 100% N=1032
Wheat Ridge Police Department social media sites
(Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) 76% N=788 9% N=90 9% N=97 3% N=30 3% N=28 100% N=1034
Wheat Ridge Recreation Center's Facebook page 84% N=865 7% N=72 6% N=62 2% N=18 1% N=11 100% N=1029
Community-created Facebook groups/pages about
Wheat Ridge 78% N=800 7% N=69 8% N=85 3% N=32 4% N=44 100% N=1030
Neighborhood websites (e.g., NextDoor, etc.) 55% N=565 11% N=109 12% N=127 13% N=132 10% N=102 100% N=1036
Word of mouth 26% N=270 22% N=228 28% N=283 13% N=129 12% N=119 100% N=1028
Table 53: Question 29 without "don't know" responses
In a typical month, about how many times, if ever, do
you use each of the following social media sites? Never
1-3 times a
month Once a week
Multiple times a
week Daily Total
Facebook 41% N=422 11% N=110 6% N=63 13% N=140 29% N=307 100% N=1042
Twitter 77% N=805 7% N=74 4% N=37 3% N=36 9% N=89 100% N=1040
YouTube 29% N=306 17% N=174 13% N=133 23% N=239 18% N=188 100% N=1041
LinkedIn 64% N=660 20% N=210 5% N=56 6% N=59 5% N=47 100% N=1032
NextDoor 58% N=605 17% N=173 13% N=134 9% N=92 4% N=41 100% N=1045
Instagram 62% N=648 5% N=56 6% N=58 7% N=70 20% N=205 100% N=1037
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Table 54: Question 29 with "don't know" responses
In a typical month, about how many times, if ever, do
you use each of the following social media sites? Never
1-3 times a
month Once a week
Multiple times a
week Daily Total
Facebook 41% N=422 11% N=110 6% N=63 13% N=140 29% N=307 100% N=1042
Twitter 77% N=805 7% N=74 4% N=37 3% N=36 9% N=89 100% N=1040
YouTube 29% N=306 17% N=174 13% N=133 23% N=239 18% N=188 100% N=1041
LinkedIn 64% N=660 20% N=210 5% N=56 6% N=59 5% N=47 100% N=1032
NextDoor 58% N=605 17% N=173 13% N=134 9% N=92 4% N=41 100% N=1045
Instagram 62% N=648 5% N=56 6% N=58 7% N=70 20% N=205 100% N=1037
Table 55: Question D1
About how long have you lived in Wheat Ridge? Percent of respondents
Less than 2 years 16%
2 to 5 years 27%
6 to 10 years 17%
11 to 20 years 16%
More than 20 years 24%
Total 100%
Table 56: Question D2
In what city do you work? (If you work in more than one city, check the box for the city in which you most often work.) Percent of respondents
Arvada 6%
Aurora 2%
Boulder 2%
Broomfield 2%
Denver 25%
Englewood 1%
Golden 5%
Lakewood 5%
Littleton 1%
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In what city do you work? (If you work in more than one city, check the box for the city in which you most often work.) Percent of respondents
Louisville 1%
Northglenn 0%
Thornton 1%
Westminster 2%
Wheat Ridge 16%
Other 6%
Do not work (student, homemaker, retired, etc ) 26%
Total 100%
Table 57: Question D3
Please check the appropriate box indicating the type of housing unit in which you live. Percent of respondents
Detached single-family home 56%
Condominium or townhouse 7%
Duplex 11%
Apartment 26%
Mobile home 0%
Total 100%
Table 58: Question D4
Do you live in senior housing such as an assisted-living or senior living community? Percent of respondents
Yes 10%
No 90%
Total 100%
Table 59: Question D5
Do you own or rent your residence? Percent of respondents
Own 56%
Rent 44%
Total 100%
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Table 60: Question D6
How many people (including yourself) live in your household? Percent of respondents
1 34%
2 41%
3 14%
4 8%
5 3%
6 1%
7 0%
Total 100%
Average number of household members 2.1
Table 61: Question D7
How many of these household members are 17 or younger? Percent of respondents
0 80%
1 10%
2 8%
3 2%
4 0%
6 0%
Total 100%
Average number of household members under 18 for households with at least one child under 18 1.6
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Table 62: Question D8
Please indicate the number of dogs and cats in your household. (Please write 0 if none.) None 1 2 3 or more Total
Dogs 59% 27% 11% 3% 100%
Cats 79% 12% 7% 2% 100%
Dogs and cats 54% 23% 15% 8% 100%
Table 63: Average number of dogs and cats in households with dogs and cats
Average number
Number of dogs 1.4
Number of cats 1.5
Dogs and cats 1.7
Table 64: Question D9
How much do you anticipate your household's total income before taxes will be for the current year? (Please include in your total income
money from all sources for all persons living in your household.)
Percent of
respondents
Less than $15,000 5%
$15,000 to $24,999 11%
$25,000 to $34,999 8%
$35,000 to $49,999 13%
$50,000 to $74,999 16%
$75,000 to $99,999 12%
$100,000 to $124,999 10%
$125,000 or more 26%
Total 100%
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Table 65: Question D10
What is your age? Percent of respondents
18 to 24 years 1%
25 to 34 years 26%
35 to 44 years 16%
45 to 54 years 14%
55 to 64 years 14%
65 to 74 years 15%
75 years or older 15%
Total 100%
Table 66: Question D11
What is your race? (Please check all that apply.) Percent of respondents*
American Indian or Alaskan Native 3%
Asian, Asian Indian, or Pacific Islander 3%
Black or African American 3%
White 81%
Other 5%
Prefer not to say 9%
*Total may exceed 100% as respondents could select more than one answer.
Table 67: Question D12
Are you Hispanic/Spanish/Latino? Percent of respondents
Yes 17%
No 83%
Total 100%
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Table 68: Question D13
What is your gender? Percent of respondents
Female 49%
Male 47%
Prefer to self-describe 0%
Prefer not to say 4%
Total 100%
Table 69: Question D14
Did you vote in the last election? Percent of respondents
Yes 93%
No 7%
Total 100%
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Appendix B: Comparisons of Selected Survey Responses
Understanding the Tables
For most of the questions in the tables that follow, one number appears for each question. Responses have been summarized to show only
the proportion of respondents giving a certain answer; for example, the percent of respondents who rated the quality of life as excellent or
good.
The subgroup comparison tables contain the crosstabulations of survey questions by various demographic characteristics. Chi-square or
ANOVA tests of significance were applied to these breakdowns of survey questions. A “p-value” of 0.05 or less indicates that there is less
than a 5% probability that differences observed between groups are due to chance; or in other words, a greater than 95% probability that the
differences observed in the selected categories of the sample represent “real” differences among those populations. As subgroups vary in
size and each group (and each comparison to another group) has a unique margin of error, statistical testing is used to determine whether
differences between subgroups are statistically significant.
Each column in the following tables is labeled with a letter for each subgroup being compared. The “Overall” column, which shows the
ratings for all respondents, also has a column designation of “(A)”, but no statistical tests were done for the overall rating.
For each pair of subgroup ratings within a row (a single question item) that has a statistically significant difference, an uppercase letter
denoting significance is shown in the cell with the larger column proportion. The letter denotes the subgroup with the smaller column
proportion from which it is statistically different. Subgroups that have no uppercase letter denotation in their column and that are also not
referred to in any other column were not statistically different.
Comparisons by Council District
Highlights
Residents in District 4 gave lower ratings than those in other Districts for the quality of life in Wheat Ridge; overall and as a place to
live, work, raise children, and retire. Additionally, compared to other Districts, those in District 4 also:
were slightly more likely to predict that quality of life would decline rather than improve.
gave lower ratings to cleanliness of Wheat Ridge, availability of affordable quality health care, and the overall image or reputation
of Wheat Ridge.
were more likely than District 1 and 2 to have lower ratings for the community providing a safe and secure environment for
residents of all backgrounds, and lower ratings than all other Districts for providing equal employment opportunities to residents
of all backgrounds.
gave the lowest ratings to police response time to both emergency and non-emergency police calls (not code enforcement).
felt less safe in parks and playgrounds, their neighborhood, and their homes.
Were more likely to have reported a crime.
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Given these lower ratings, it is understandable that those in District 4 were less likely to say they expected to remain in Wheat Ridge
for the next 5 years, although 72% said they were likely.
District 3 residents had lower ratings than other Districts for opportunities to attend cultural activities, but higher ratings than
Districts 2 and 4 for shopping opportunities. Additionally, compared to other Districts, those in District 3 also:
gave lower ratings to the ease of bicycle travel in Wheat Ridge.
were more likely to prioritize the Police Department focusing on reducing illegal activities committed by youth.
were least likely to consider adding an ADU.
District 1 residents were more likely than others (50%) to have used the library, while District 4 residents were least (22%).
Additionally, compared to other Districts, those in District 1 also:
gave the lowest ratings to snow removal services.
gave the highest ratings to community engagement by City staff, police services, the overall quality of the services provided by
the City of Wheat Ridge, and the overall direction that Wheat Ridge is taking.
were the strongest proponents of allowing and regulating new ADUs and expanding access to residential recycling and
composting services.
Those in Districts 1 and 2 gave higher ratings than residents in District 3 and 4 for the availability of paths and walking, and bike
trails. However, those in Districts 3 and 4 were more likely to have used a Wheat Ridge bike/pedestrian path or Clear Creek Trail.
Bus use was more common in Districts 1 and 2, while commuter rail use was higher and considered easier in Districts 3 and 4.
Those in Districts 3 and 4 where more likely to identify homelessness as being a problem in Wheat Ridge, but less likely to feel the
City should contribute funding to community-based organizations to provide shelter.
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Table 70: Question 1 by Council District
Please rate each of the following aspects of quality of life in Wheat Ridge: (Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Wheat Ridge as a place to live 89% 90%
D
90%
D
84% 88%
Your neighborhood as a place to live 84%
D
78%
D
89%
B D
69% 80%
Wheat Ridge as a place to raise children 80%
D
81%
D
88%
D
65% 80%
Wheat Ridge as a place to work 73%
D
66%
D
64%
D
50% 64%
Wheat Ridge as a place to retire 70% 72%
D
73%
D
60% 69%
The physical attractiveness of Wheat Ridge as a whole 65%
D
59% 57% 53% 59%
Overall quality of life in Wheat Ridge 83%
D
84%
D
83%
D
74% 81%
Table 71: Question 2 by Council District
Do you think the quality of life in Wheat Ridge is likely to improve, stay the same, or decline over the next 5 years?
District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Improve a lot 21%
D
17%
D
15%
D
7% 16%
Improve slightly 45% 43% 39% 45% 43%
Stay the same 17% 19% 20% 19% 18%
Decline slightly 15% 17% 20% 20% 18%
Decline a lot 3% 4% 5% 10%
A B
6%
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Table 72: Question 3 by Council District
What are your reasons for living in Wheat Ridge? (Please select all that apply.) District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 Overall
I feel safe here 49% 50% 49% 23% 44%
I like the school my children attend 7% 6% 13% 5% 8%
My job is here 9% 8% 14% 17% 12%
I like my neighborhood 59% 52% 66% 41% 55%
I like the location in general 77% 73% 80% 69% 75%
I like the access to dining and entertainment 39% 25% 25% 20% 27%
Housing and rental rates are affordable 25% 31% 24% 41% 29%
I've always lived here 9% 11% 12% 15% 12%
I have friends and family in the area 30% 26% 30% 26% 28%
Small town feel 24% 25% 27% 26% 26%
Cost of living is affordable 15% 20% 17% 26% 19%
I like that the community is forward-thinking 17% 14% 14% 9% 14%
The growing and diverse community 15% 15% 13% 8% 13%
None of these 4% 6% 3% 5% 5%
Table 73: Question 4 by Council District
Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Wheat Ridge as a whole: (Percent rating as
"excellent" or "good").
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Sense of community 64% 65% 65% 60% 63%
Openness and acceptance of the community toward people of diverse backgrounds 60% 54% 57% 59% 58%
Cleanliness of Wheat Ridge 63%
D
63%
D
55%
D
44% 57%
Overall quality of new development in Wheat Ridge 52% 50% 54% 50% 52%
Variety of housing options 57% 53% 54% 53% 54%
Overall quality of business and service establishments in Wheat Ridge 66% 59% 60% 64% 62%
Shopping opportunities 54%
B D
41% 53%
B D
44% 48%
Opportunities to attend cultural activities 33%
C
34%
C
24% 37%
C
32%
Recreational opportunities 74% 70% 76% 68% 72%
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Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Wheat Ridge as a whole: (Percent rating as
"excellent" or "good").
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Employment opportunities 46%
D
36% 41% 32% 39%
Educational opportunities 51% 53%
D
46% 40% 48%
Opportunities to participate in social events and activities 58%
C
50% 47% 51% 51%
Opportunities to volunteer 62%
D
62%
D
53% 44% 56%
Opportunities to participate in civic matters 66%
C D
56%
D
54% 45% 56%
Availability of parks 84% 81% 89%
B
89%
B
86%
Availability of paths and walking trails 75% 79% 87%
A B
91%
A B
82%
Availability of bike trails 69% 74% 82%
A B
88%
A B
78%
Availability of affordable quality housing 36% 39% 33% 40% 37%
Availability of affordable quality child care 42% 31% 31% 31% 34%
Availability of affordable quality health care 63%
D
67%
D
66%
D
48% 62%
Availability of affordable quality food 72%
B
63% 66% 67% 67%
Availability of preventive health services 66% 63% 65% 57% 63%
Air quality 58% 60% 61% 53% 58%
Quality of overall natural environment in Wheat Ridge 70% 66% 76%
B
69% 70%
Overall image or reputation of Wheat Ridge 72%
D
67%
D
70%
D
59% 67%
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Table 74: Question 5 by Council District
Please rate your community on each of the following: (Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Making all residents feel welcome 64% 66% 66% 63% 65%
Helping new residents feel connected and integrated 53% 44% 54%
B
46% 49%
Attracting people from diverse backgrounds 40% 41% 41% 40% 41%
Valuing residents from diverse backgrounds 51%
D
48% 45% 40% 47%
Demonstrating respect for residents of different cultures and belief systems 56% 56% 50% 52% 54%
Treating all residents fairly 60% 60% 56% 58% 59%
Providing a safe and secure environment for residents of all backgrounds 60%
D
61%
D
56% 48% 57%
Respecting individual cultural beliefs and values 64% 58% 58% 57% 60%
Providing equal employment opportunities to residents of all backgrounds 66%
D
57%
D
58%
D
41% 55%
Providing equal access to housing for residents of all backgrounds 64%
B
51% 58% 58% 57%
Making all residents feel welcome in business establishments 74%
D
68% 74%
D
63% 70%
Welcoming residents from all backgrounds to participate in local government and community decision-making 61% 61%
D
63%
D
49% 59%
Table 75: Question 6 by Council District
Please indicate how likely or unlikely you are to do each of the following: (Percent rating as "very likely" or
"somewhat likely")
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Recommend living in Wheat Ridge to someone who asks 88% 88% 89%
D
82% 87%
Remain in Wheat Ridge for the next five years 85%
D
85%
D
88%
D
72% 83%
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Table 76: Question 7 by Council District
Despite the limitation of some of these facilities and services due to COVID, in the last 12 months, about how many
times, if ever, have you or other household members participated in the following activities in Wheat Ridge? (Percent
rating at least once)
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Used Wheat Ridge Recreation Center 36% 40% 41% 39% 39%
Participated in a recreation program or activity 28% 34% 28% 27% 30%
Used a Wheat Ridge park or trail 86% 85% 86% 89% 86%
Visited the Anderson Building for a reason not related to the outdoor pool 15% 21%
A C
14% 20% 18%
Used a Wheat Ridge bike/pedestrian path 76% 74% 82%
B
84%
A B
79%
Used Clear Creek Trail 57% 64% 70%
A
82%
A B C
67%
Attended a (virtual) meeting of local city officials or other local public meeting 14% 20% 15% 21% 18%
Watched a meeting of local city officials (on cable television, YouTube, etc.) 16% 25%
A
21% 22% 21%
Participated in a senior program 12% 14%
D
12%
D
6% 12%
Dined at a Wheat Ridge restaurant (other than fast food) 88% 90%
C
83% 87% 87%
Used the Wheat Ridge Library 50%
B C D
41%
D
35%
D
22% 38%
Attended a Wheat Ridge festival or special event 40% 45% 39% 46% 42%
Ridden an RTD bus 29%
D
28%
D
23% 19% 25%
Ridden the G-Line from the Wheat Ridge-Ward station 12% 18% 25%
A
29%
A B
21%
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Table 77: Question 8 by Council District
Please rate the following aspects of transportation within the City of Wheat Ridge: (Percent rating as "excellent" or
"good").
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Condition of city streets 51% 45% 50% 53% 49%
Access to mass transit 72%
B
63% 64% 71% 67%
Ease of car travel in Wheat Ridge 77% 73% 72% 71% 73%
Ease of bus travel in Wheat Ridge 65% 61% 58% 70% 62%
Ease of commuter rail use in Wheat Ridge 41% 51% 56%
A
69%
A B C
53%
Ease of walking in Wheat Ridge 67%
B
58% 60% 62% 62%
Ease of bicycle travel in Wheat Ridge 71%
B
58% 68%
B
72%
B
66%
Traffic flow on major streets 47%
D
40% 45% 36% 42%
Table 78: Question 9: Quality by Council District
The following are services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge. For each service, please rate the quality of each
service: (Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Snow removal 57% 66%
A
70%
A
68%
A
65%
Street repair and maintenance 50% 42% 44% 46% 45%
Street cleaning 63%
D
55%
D
61%
D
43% 56%
Traffic enforcement 65%
D
60% 59% 55% 60%
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control, trash, outside storage) 39% 42% 44% 35% 41%
Animal control 69% 71% 69% 63% 68%
Land use, planning and zoning 42% 43% 39% 46% 43%
Building permits 44% 50% 48% 47% 48%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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The following are services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge. For each service, please rate the quality of each
service: (Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Building inspections 49% 50% 48% 47% 49%
Maintenance of existing city parks 84% 79% 82% 78% 80%
Maintenance of open space and trails 83%
D
79%
D
82%
D
72% 79%
Recreation programs 78% 80% 75% 85%
C
79%
Recreation facilities 81% 88%
C
80% 85% 84%
Community/public art 40% 38% 41% 47% 41%
Services/programs for youth 67%
D
55% 60% 48% 58%
Services/programs for seniors 63% 70% 64% 67% 66%
Municipal court 66% 70%
C
52% 58% 62%
Public information services 59% 59% 50% 49% 55%
Community engagement by City staff 60%
B C D
46% 46% 45% 49%
Policing services 78%
C D
71%
D
64% 60% 69%
Police response time to emergency police calls (not code enforcement) 82%
D
83%
D
86%
D
68% 80%
Police response time to non-emergency police calls (not code enforcement) 74%
D
73%
D
74%
D
56% 69%
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers, neighborhood watch, citizen police academy) 59% 59% 58% 47% 56%
Community-oriented policing 52% 60% 56% 50% 55%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Table 79: Question 9: Importance by Council District
The following are services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge. For each service, please rate the importance of each
service: (Percent rating as "essential" or "very important")
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Snow removal 86% 84% 88% 89% 87%
Street repair and maintenance 88% 91% 92% 96%
A B
91%
Street cleaning 62% 60% 57% 57% 59%
Traffic enforcement 68% 69% 68% 67% 68%
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control, trash, outside storage) 61% 59% 67% 60% 62%
Animal control 60% 63% 66% 64% 63%
Land use, planning and zoning 77% 81%
C
72% 74% 76%
Building permits 78%
D
77%
D
70% 62% 73%
Building inspections 81% 73% 73% 76% 76%
Maintenance of existing city parks 89% 87% 90% 87% 88%
Maintenance of open space and trails 87% 89% 89% 83% 87%
Recreation programs 60% 64% 69% 60% 63%
Recreation facilities 67% 74% 75% 73% 72%
Community/public art 51%
C
43% 37% 47% 44%
Services/programs for youth 81% 78% 80% 85% 80%
Services/programs for seniors 76% 77% 79% 80% 77%
Municipal court 72% 76% 77% 79% 76%
Public information services 65% 76%
A
73% 68% 71%
Community engagement by City staff 60% 66% 61% 63% 62%
Policing services 85% 84% 86% 81% 84%
Police response time to emergency police calls (not code enforcement) 97% 95% 96% 96% 96%
Police response time to non-emergency police calls (not code enforcement) 77% 83% 82% 85%
A
82%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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The following are services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge. For each service, please rate the importance of each
service: (Percent rating as "essential" or "very important")
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers, neighborhood watch, citizen police academy) 86% 82% 89%
B
87% 86%
Community-oriented policing 79%
B
68% 80%
B
71% 74%
Table 80: Question 10 by Council District
Overall, how would you rate the quality of the services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge? (Percent rating as
"excellent" or "good").
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Overall, how would you rate the quality of the services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge? 82%
B C D
72% 71% 70% 73%
Table 81: Question 11 by Council District
How would you rate the overall performance of the Wheat Ridge city government: (Percent rating as "excellent" or
"good").
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
How would you rate the overall performance of the Wheat Ridge city government? 71% 65% 67% 62% 66%
Table 82: Question 12 by Council District
Please rate the following aspects of Wheat Ridge city government performance: (Percent rating as "excellent" or
"good").
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
The extent to which Wheat Ridge elected officials act in the best interest of the community at large 69%
C
64% 56% 62% 62%
The quality of work performed by City of Wheat Ridge employees 83%
B C
74% 74% 75% 76%
The value of services for the taxes paid to Wheat Ridge 58% 61% 56% 53% 57%
The overall direction that Wheat Ridge is taking 68%
B C D
54% 58% 49% 57%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Page 85
Please rate the following aspects of Wheat Ridge city government performance: (Percent rating as "excellent" or
"good").
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
The job Wheat Ridge does at informing residents on major issues within the community 52%
C
51% 42% 52% 49%
The job Wheat Ridge government does at welcoming resident involvement 61%
C D
53% 43% 45% 50%
Table 83: Question 13 by Council District
In the last 12 months, have you had any in-person, phone or email contact with a City of Wheat Ridge employee(s)?
(Percent rating as "yes").
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
In the last 12 months, have you had any in-person, phone or email contact with a City of Wheat Ridge employee(s)? 39% 34% 39% 37% 37%
Table 84: Question 14 by Council District
What was your impression of the City of Wheat Ridge employee(s) overall? (Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Knowledge 82% 86% 77% 79% 81%
Responsiveness 81% 82% 74% 71% 77%
Courtesy 85%
D
88%
D
81% 70% 82%
Making you feel valued 78%
D
78%
D
72% 60% 73%
Overall impression 80%
D
85%
D
76% 66% 77%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Table 85: Question 15 by Council District
Please rate how safe you feel in the following areas in Wheat Ridge (Percent rating as "very safe" or "somewhat
safe")
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Parks and playgrounds 87%
D
87%
D
85%
D
77% 84%
Recreation centers 93% 90% 97%
B
94% 93%
In your neighborhood 86%
B D
78% 84%
D
73% 80%
In your home 90%
D
92%
D
94%
D
82% 90%
On the trail system 86%
B C D
72% 76% 71% 76%
On roadways 74% 70% 73% 75% 72%
Retail/commercial areas 83% 84% 84% 79% 82%
Table 86: Question 16 by Council District
Please indicate whether or not each of the following has applied to you in the last 12 months (Percent rating as
"yes")
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Household member was a victim of a crime in Wheat Ridge 9% 11% 14% 19%
A B
13%
Reported a crime to the police in Wheat Ridge 17% 21% 18% 37%
A B C
22%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Table 87: Question 17 by Council District
How important, if at all, is it for the City of Wheat Ridge Police Department to prioritize resources in each of the
following areas in the next 12 months? (Percent rating as "essential" or "very important")
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Solving violent crimes 80%
D
76% 79%
D
69% 77%
Solving property crimes 39% 44%
D
45%
D
34% 41%
Reducing illegal activities committed by youth 32% 31% 42%
A B D
29% 34%
Reducing illegal drug activity 39% 43% 51%
A
48% 45%
Enforcement of traffic laws 22% 24%
D
23% 16% 22%
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control, trash, etc.) 23%
D
17% 18% 15% 18%
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers, neighborhood watch, citizen police academy) 46%
B D
29% 42%
B D
31% 37%
Table 88: Question 18 by Council District
How much of a priority, if at all, should the City of Wheat Ridge Police Department place on each of the
following in the next two years? (Percent rating as "high priority" or "medium priority")
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Better connection with the community (i.e., community forums, events) 85% 83% 87% 82% 84%
Increased visibility of police
71% 72% 79%
A
76% 74%
Additional City resources directed towards crime-related mental health issues in the community 92% 94% 90% 91% 92%
Greater accessibility to police and police-related information
80% 74% 83%
B
77% 79%
More community policing officers (problem solving at a community level such as neighborhood problems)
82%
B
74% 87%
B D
77% 80%
Adding officers in public schools 59% 51% 60% 58% 57%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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How much of a priority, if at all, should the City of Wheat Ridge Police Department place on each of the
following in the next two years? (Percent rating as "high priority" or "medium priority")
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Adding surveillance cameras in high crime areas
71% 76% 81%
A
81%
A
77%
Table 89: Question 19 by Council District
When you shop outside of Wheat Ridge, why do you shop outside of Wheat Ridge? (Check all that apply.) District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 Overall
It is convenient; on my way to or from work or near my home 49% 48% 44% 55% 49%
I like the range of quality goods and services 53% 48% 49% 39% 48%
Desired item is not available in Wheat Ridge 71% 67% 72% 68% 69%
It is more affordable 12% 15% 17% 11% 14%
Visit a mall or other major retailers 42% 45% 49% 45% 46%
I shop online 57% 61% 60% 54% 58%
Other 9% 12% 6% 12% 10%
*Total may exceed 100% as respondents could select more than one answer. Respondents who selected “don’t shop outside of Wheat Ridge” were removed from the total since they should have
skipped the question. Statistical testing was not performed.
Table 90: Question 20 by Council District
For each type of shopping, please estimate how frequently you make purchases in Wheat Ridge: (Percent rating as
"very frequently" or "somewhat frequently").
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Grocery shopping 83% 83% 89% 82% 84%
Health services 39% 44% 51%
A
42% 44%
Meals and entertainment 64%
B
56% 70%
B
64%
B
63%
Household items 58% 52% 59% 57% 56%
Computers and electronics 8% 12% 14%
A
10% 11%
General retail (shoes, drug stores, clothing, etc.) 35% 37% 42% 42% 39%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Table 91: Question 21 by Council District
How much do you agree or disagree that the City of Wheat Ridge should do each of the following? (Percent rating as
"strongly agree" or "somewhat agree").
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Promote efforts to revitalize Wheat Ridge's housing areas 78% 74% 73% 77% 75%
Promote efforts to revitalize Wheat Ridge's business areas 88%
B
80% 83% 91%
B C
85%
Strengthen Wheat Ridge's community image and identity 80%
C
75% 70% 75% 75%
Promote efforts to attract and recruit new types of retail businesses to Wheat Ridge 83% 82% 83% 89% 84%
Promote efforts to revitalize business corridors such as 38th Avenue, 44th Avenue, Wadsworth Boulevard and Kipling
St
81% 83% 84% 91%
A B
84%
Promote efforts to attract new jobs 83% 77% 83% 83% 81%
Table 92: Question 22 by Council District
To what degree, if at all, is homelessness a problem in the City of Wheat Ridge? (Percent rating as "major problem"
or "moderate problem").
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
To what degree, if at all, is homelessness a problem in the City of Wheat Ridge? 68% 69% 84%
A B
89%
A B
77%
Table 93: Question 23 by Council District
How important to you, if at all, is it for the City to contribute funding to community-based organizations that provide
each of the following services to the homeless populations? (Percent rating as "essential" or "very important")
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Job training programs 67% 61% 59% 66% 63%
Mental health programs 86% 85% 81% 84% 84%
Substance abuse programs 86% 80% 79% 81% 81%
Shelters for severe weather 80%
C D
79%
C D
70% 70% 75%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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How important to you, if at all, is it for the City to contribute funding to community-based organizations that provide
each of the following services to the homeless populations? (Percent rating as "essential" or "very important")
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Housing/rental assistance programs 72%
C
70% 62% 63% 67%
Supportive housing, which combines housing with services such as job training and substance abuse treatment 81%
C
77% 71% 76% 76%
Table 94: Question 24 by Council District
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are secondary, independent housing units with a separate entrance, kitchen, bath, and
bed created within a single family home or on its lot. Currently the City does not allow ADUs, which means any existing
ADU may or may not be legal. To what extent do you support or oppose the City doing each of the following? (Percent
rating as "strongly support" or "somewhat support").
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Allowing and regulating existing ADUs 72%
C
70%
C
61% 68% 68%
Allowing and regulating new ADUs 72%
B C D
64% 61% 59% 64%
Table 95: Question 25 by Council District
If ADUs were allowed, how important to you, if at all, would each of the following regulations be? (Percent rating as
"essential" or "very important")
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Ensure the ADU is architecturally compatible with the existing home 63% 74%
A C
65% 69% 68%
Restrict the size of the ADU 50% 58% 65%
A
56% 58%
Limit the number of people allowed to live in the ADU 68% 74%
D
76%
D
61% 71%
Require the property owner to live in either the main house or ADU 58% 63% 66%
D
56% 61%
Require off-street parking 52% 61% 69%
A B D
52% 59%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Table 96: Question 26 by Council District
How likely, if at all, would you be to consider adding an ADU for each of the following reasons? (Percent rating as
"very likely" or "somewhat likely").
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
For an elderly family member 71% 82%
A C
66% 78%
C
74%
For a disabled family member 67% 82%
A C
62% 76%
C
72%
For an adult child 57%
C
54%
C
42% 57%
C
52%
For visitors 59%
B C
49%
C
34% 57%
C
49%
For my own personal use 60%
B C
50% 46% 54% 52%
For rental income 57%
C
56%
C
43% 52% 52%
Table 97: Question 27 by Council District
How important to you, if at all, is it that the City focus on each of the following areas of environmental sustainability,
which may or may not increase costs for taxpayers? (Percent rating as "essential" or "very important")
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Expanding access to residential recycling and composting services 71%
B C D
62% 61% 62% 64%
Implementing organized trash hauling in neighborhoods 61% 59% 56% 59% 59%
Promoting use of drought-tolerant and native landscaping 62%
D
64%
C D
54% 50% 58%
Establishing a permanent fee paid by residential and commercial properties for storm water management and water
quality for needed capital improvements and to improve the City's storm water drainage system
49%
C
50%
C
39% 42% 45%
Encouraging biking or walking, instead of automobile use 51% 50% 45% 43% 47%
Ensuring availability of and access to public transit 71%
B C
60% 62% 66% 64%
Implementing energy efficiency improvements for city facilities 64% 63% 62% 62% 62%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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How important to you, if at all, is it that the City focus on each of the following areas of environmental sustainability,
which may or may not increase costs for taxpayers? (Percent rating as "essential" or "very important")
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Requiring green building practices for new commercial and residential construction 63% 65%
C
56% 62% 62%
Promoting renewable energy (wind or solar) in the community 66%
C
69%
C D
58% 59% 63%
Promoting renewable energy (wind or solar) in the home 63%
C
61% 54% 57% 59%
Creating walkable communities (providing sidewalk connections, bike lanes, retail/shopping/grocery closer to homes,
etc.)
80%
C
75% 70% 75% 75%
Table 98: Question 28 by Council District
In the last 12 months, about how many times, if ever, have you or other household members used the following
sources of information for news about Wheat Ridge? (Percent using at least once in the last 12 months).
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
City Quarterly "Connections” Newsletter 64% 75%
A
76%
A
75%
A
72%
Parks and Recreation Activity Guide 58% 52% 59% 61% 57%
Denver Post 41% 42% 35% 41% 40%
Denver Post YourHub 12% 17% 18% 14% 15%
Jeffco Transcript 20% 28%
A
34%
A
27% 28%
Neighborhood Gazette 79%
B D
69% 76%
D
62% 72%
Denver Gazette 21%
C D
17% 13% 11% 16%
Radio news 37% 49%
A
43% 46%
A
44%
Television news 56% 58% 66%
A B
59% 60%
WRTV8 (Government Access Channel) 10% 17%
A
19%
A
18%
A
16%
City live/on-demand video streaming, including City Council meetings 16% 20% 18% 20% 18%
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In the last 12 months, about how many times, if ever, have you or other household members used the following
sources of information for news about Wheat Ridge? (Percent using at least once in the last 12 months).
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
City's website: www.ci.wheatridge.co.us 46% 55% 50% 58%
A
52%
City website automatic notifications (e.g., community events, calendar listing) 23% 26% 20% 26% 24%
City of Wheat Ridge social media sites (Facebook, Twitter) 28% 24% 23% 32%
B C
26%
Wheat Ridge Speaks 11% 15% 11% 10% 12%
What's Up Wheat Ridge 23%
C D
22%
C D
12% 12% 18%
Wheat Ridge Police Department social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) 26%
C
23% 18% 29%
C
24%
Wheat Ridge Recreation Center's Facebook page 20%
C
17%
C
10% 17% 16%
Community-created Facebook groups/pages about Wheat Ridge 23% 24% 21% 22% 22%
Neighborhood websites (e.g., NextDoor, etc.) 47% 44% 53%
B D
38% 45%
Word of mouth 75% 72% 80%
B D
68% 74%
Table 99: Question 29 by Council District
In a typical month, about how many times, if ever, do you use each of the following social media sites? (Percent
rating as at least once).
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Facebook 63%
C
59% 53% 65%
C
59%
Twitter 19% 22% 27%
A
25% 23%
YouTube 68% 67% 69% 81%
A B C
71%
LinkedIn 38% 40% 33% 33% 36%
NextDoor 45%
D
43%
D
50%
D
27% 42%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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In a typical month, about how many times, if ever, do you use each of the following social media sites? (Percent
rating as at least once).
District
1
District
2
District
3
District
4 Overall
(A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Instagram 38% 38% 33% 43%
C
38%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Comparisons by Tenure, Type of Housing Unit and Household Income
Highlights
Renters gave lower ratings than homeowners for the quality of life in Wheat Ridge; overall and as a place to live, work, raise children
and retire.
Renters were more optimistic than homeowners about new development, the overall quality of business and service
establishments in Wheat Ridge, shopping opportunities, the availability of affordable quality housing and childcare, and access to
mass transit. They are also more likely to shop for household items, computers and electronics, and general retail items (shoes,
drug stores, clothing, etc.) in the city.
Renters were more supportive than homeowners of the City contributing funding to community-based organizations that
provide each services to the homeless population - although a majority of both groups felt this was very important.
While renters could not add an ADU, they were more likely than homeowner to say they would consider adding one to house for a
family member, visitor, or renter. Homeowners were more likely to want limits on the number of people in an ADU and to require
the property owner to live in either the main house or ADU.
Homeowners were slightly more likely to expect an improvement in quality of life in Wheat Ridge in the next 5 years. They gave
higher ratings than renters for the quality of overall natural environment in Wheat Ridge, for the community making all
residents feel welcome, for helping new residents feel connected and integrated, and elected officials act in the best interest of
the community at large. They were more likely to have used Wheat Ridge parks and trails, to have used the City's newsletters and
guides for information, and to generally use NextDoor, LinkedIn and Instagram.
There were fewer differences between those living in multi-family homes versus single family homes than comparing renters to
homeowners, but where differences existed, rating by those in multi-family homes paralleled renters and those in single-family
homes paralleled homeowners.
Respondents were categorized into four income brackets based on household income: less than $25,000 (lower income), $25,000-
$49,999 (middle-low), $50,000-$99,999 (middle-high) and $100,000 or more (highest). It should be noted these categories do not
consider how many people are in the household or respondent age, and these characteristics likely contribute to less clear patterns in
the comparisons (e.g., a single person with a $40,000 income may be more like a family with $70,000 or a family with $40,000 may be
more like a single person with $20,000 - that $40,000 income may represent different levels of income restraints).
Those with the highest incomes ($100,000 or more) gave the lowest scores for the physical attractiveness of Wheat Ridge as a
whole, but higher scores for Wheat Ridge and their neighborhood as a place to live. Those with the highest incomes had the
lowest ratings for the shopping opportunities and the quality of business and service establishments in Wheat Ridge. They were
the most likely to feel safe in parks, playgrounds, their neighborhoods, and commercial areas. They were most likely to want
regulations on ADUs and least likely to consider adding an ADU.
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Those with middle-high incomes had the highest ratings for employment opportunities, opportunities to participate in social
events and activities, availability of parks, paths and walking trails, affordable quality childcare, and equal employment
opportunities to residents of all backgrounds. They also had the highest rating for ease of bicycle travel in Wheat Ridge.
Those in the two highest brackets where more likely to give better ratings to the quality of the services provided by the City of
Wheat Ridge and the value of services for the taxes paid to Wheat Ridge.
Those with middle-low incomes gave the lowest ratings for many of the City's services; including building permits and
inspections, and policing services.
Those in the middle incomes ($25,000 to $99,999) were slightly more likely to think quality of life in Wheat Ridge would decline
over the next 5 years, while those in the lower income bracket were more likely to expect it to remain the same and those with
the highest incomes were more likely to predict an improvement.
Those with the lowest incomes were most likely to have participated in a senior program (32%) compared to those in other
income brackets (12% or less had participated). They were also more likely to have used the library and the bus. They had the
lowest ratings for animal control and the highest for traffic enforcement. They were most likely to want to see a police emphasis
on reducing illegal activities committed by youth, reducing illegal drug activity, and the enforcement of traffic laws as well as
increased visibility of police, greater accessibility to police and police-related information, and adding officers in public schools
and surveillance cameras in high crime areas.
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Table 100: Question 1 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
Please rate each of the following aspects of quality of life in
Wheat Ridge: (Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Wheat Ridge as a place to live 86% 90%
A
90% 86% 85% 89% 86% 92%
A C
88%
Your neighborhood as a place to live 73% 85%
A
87%
B
71% 74% 74% 80% 86%
A B
80%
Wheat Ridge as a place to raise children 76% 82%
A
86%
B
70% 83% 75% 79% 82% 80%
Wheat Ridge as a place to work 63% 65% 65% 62% 67% 59% 68% 61% 64%
Wheat Ridge as a place to retire 66% 72%
A
73%
B
65% 80%
B D
65% 72% 63% 69%
The physical attractiveness of Wheat Ridge as a whole 67%
B
52% 56% 62% 65%
D
62%
D
63%
D
50% 59%
Overall quality of life in Wheat Ridge 76% 85%
A
86%
B
75% 82%
B
72% 84%
B
84%
B
81%
Table 101: Question 2 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
Do you think the quality of life in Wheat Ridge is likely to
improve, stay the same, or decline over the next 5 years?
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Improve a lot 12% 18%
A
20%
B
10% 11% 8% 14%
B
25%
A B C
16%
Improve slightly 45% 41% 38% 48%
A
43% 46% 40% 43% 43%
Stay the same 20% 17% 18% 19% 27%
B D
18% 19% 15% 18%
Decline slightly 17% 19% 19% 17% 16% 21% 19% 15% 18%
Decline a lot 6% 5% 5% 6% 2% 7%
A D
8%
A D
3% 6%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 98
Table 102: Question 3 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
What are your reasons for living in Wheat Ridge?
(Please select all that apply.) Rent Own
Single Family
Home
Multi-Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
I feel safe here 40% 46% 48% 38% 51% 29% 45% 48% 44%
I like the school my children attend 4% 11% 11% 4% 4% 4% 8% 11% 8%
My job is here 17% 8% 9% 15% 9% 14% 17% 8% 12%
I like my neighborhood 47% 62% 64% 44% 50% 42% 57% 65% 55%
I like the location in general 68% 80% 81% 67% 63% 74% 71% 86% 75%
I like the access to dining and entertainment 25% 29% 28% 26% 24% 26% 27% 31% 27%
Housing and rental rates are affordable 46% 17% 17% 44% 38% 34% 28% 25% 29%
I've always lived here 6% 16% 15% 8% 11% 19% 10% 8% 12%
I have friends and family in the area 26% 31% 30% 26% 26% 30% 32% 25% 28%
Small town feel 24% 27% 27% 24% 32% 24% 22% 26% 26%
Cost of living is affordable 23% 16% 15% 25% 31% 18% 17% 16% 19%
I like that the community is forward-thinking 14% 14% 13% 15% 21% 14% 13% 12% 14%
The growing and diverse community 12% 14% 14% 12% 15% 11% 14% 14% 13%
None of these 7% 3% 3% 6% 5% 8% 5% 3% 5%
Table 103: Question 4 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate
to Wheat Ridge as a whole: (Percent rating as "excellent" or
"good").
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Sense of community 66% 62% 63% 64% 72%
C
62% 60% 64% 63%
Openness and acceptance of the community toward people of
diverse backgrounds
58% 57% 58% 57% 62%
B
50% 63%
B
56% 58%
Cleanliness of Wheat Ridge 58% 56% 61%
B
52% 64%
B
53% 60% 55% 57%
Overall quality of new development in Wheat Ridge 55%
B
48% 49% 54% 61%
B
42% 55%
B
51%
B
52%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 99
Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate
to Wheat Ridge as a whole: (Percent rating as "excellent" or
"good").
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Variety of housing options 54% 55% 55% 54% 54% 51% 59% 53% 54%
Overall quality of business and service establishments in
Wheat Ridge
72%
B
55% 57% 69%
A
61% 70%
D
70%
D
53% 62%
Shopping opportunities 59%
B
39% 37% 60%
A
61%
D
55%
D
52%
D
35% 48%
Opportunities to attend cultural activities 37%
B
28% 25% 40%
A
48%
B C D
31% 34%
D
24% 32%
Recreational opportunities 71% 72% 73% 70% 60% 72%
A
77%
A
74%
A
72%
Employment opportunities 40% 37% 36% 41% 30% 29% 52%
A B D
39% 39%
Educational opportunities 44% 51% 49% 46% 55%
B
39% 54%
B
45% 48%
Opportunities to participate in social events and activities 53% 50% 49% 53% 48% 48% 61%
A B D
46% 51%
Opportunities to volunteer 49% 61%
A
61%
B
50% 53% 53% 60% 56% 56%
Opportunities to participate in civic matters 53% 58% 58% 53% 51% 50% 60% 58% 56%
Availability of parks 83% 87% 85% 86% 77% 85%
A
92%
A B
86%
A
86%
Availability of paths and walking trails 82% 83% 82% 83% 76% 82% 88%
A D
82% 82%
Availability of bike trails 78% 78% 76% 80% 76% 79% 82% 75% 78%
Availability of affordable quality housing 42%
B
33% 32% 43%
A
44%
B D
32% 39% 34% 37%
Availability of affordable quality child care 42%
B
30% 34% 35% 44%
B D
20% 44%
B D
28% 34%
Availability of affordable quality health care 58% 65% 63% 60% 64%
B
50% 61%
B
68%
B
62%
Availability of affordable quality food 66% 67% 68% 65% 69% 63% 71% 65% 67%
Availability of preventive health services 61% 64% 65% 60% 65% 56% 65% 64% 63%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 100
Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate
to Wheat Ridge as a whole: (Percent rating as "excellent" or
"good").
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Air quality 57% 58% 57% 58% 57% 52% 53% 66%
B C
58%
Quality of overall natural environment in Wheat Ridge 66% 73%
A
72% 67% 61% 65% 74%
A
75%
A B
70%
Overall image or reputation of Wheat Ridge 66% 68% 68% 66% 69% 70% 68% 65% 67%
Table 104: Question 5 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
Please rate your community on each of the following:
(Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Making all residents feel welcome 60% 68%
A
69%
B
59% 64% 56% 69%
B
68%
B
65%
Helping new residents feel connected and integrated 43% 54%
A
51% 45% 45% 37% 56%
B
50%
B
49%
Attracting people from diverse backgrounds 43% 39% 34% 49%
A
55%
B D
34% 44% 35% 41%
Valuing residents from diverse backgrounds 48% 46% 45% 48% 54%
D
42% 50% 43% 47%
Demonstrating respect for residents of different cultures
and belief systems
51% 56% 54% 54% 59%
B
45% 57%
B
53% 54%
Treating all residents fairly 56% 61% 60% 57% 59% 49% 62%
B
62%
B
59%
Providing a safe and secure environment for residents of all
backgrounds
55% 58% 60%
B
52% 56% 45% 58%
B
63%
B
57%
Respecting individual cultural beliefs and values 57% 61% 59% 59% 66% 57% 57% 60% 60%
Providing equal employment opportunities to residents of
all backgrounds
54% 56% 52% 57% 51% 48% 65%
A B D
52% 55%
Providing equal access to housing for residents of all
backgrounds
58% 55% 55% 59% 57% 50% 65%
B
55% 57%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 101
Please rate your community on each of the following:
(Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Making all residents feel welcome in business
establishments
64% 74%
A
75%
B
63% 70% 61% 72%
B
74%
B
70%
Welcoming residents from all backgrounds to participate in
local government and community decision-making
56% 62% 60% 58% 61% 50% 64%
B
60% 59%
Table 105: Question 6 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
Please indicate how likely or unlikely you are to do each of the
following: (Percent rating as "very likely" or "somewhat likely")
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Recommend living in Wheat Ridge to someone who asks 84% 89%
A
89%
B
84% 89%
B
78% 87%
B
90%
B
87%
Remain in Wheat Ridge for the next five years 73% 91%
A
89%
B
75% 87%
B
76% 82% 85%
B
83%
Table 106: Question 7 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
Despite the limitation of some of these facilities and services due to
COVID, in the last 12 months, about how many times, if ever, have you or
other household members participated in the following activities in Wheat
Ridge? (Percent rating at least once)
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000
or more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Used Wheat Ridge Recreation Center 33% 45%
A
43%
B
35% 34% 27% 48%
A B
43%
B
39%
Participated in a recreation program or activity 23% 35%
A
35%
B
23% 25% 21% 31%
B
35%
A B
30%
Used a Wheat Ridge park or trail 80% 92%
A
91%
B
81% 66% 84%
A
91%
A B
95%
A B
86%
Visited the Anderson Building for a reason not related to the outdoor pool 15% 19% 19% 16% 17% 15% 20% 17% 18%
Used a Wheat Ridge bike/pedestrian path 73% 84%
A
83%
B
74% 54% 77%
A
85%
A B
88%
A B
79%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 102
Despite the limitation of some of these facilities and services due to
COVID, in the last 12 months, about how many times, if ever, have you or
other household members participated in the following activities in Wheat
Ridge? (Percent rating at least once)
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000
or more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Used Clear Creek Trail 59% 74%
A
73%
B
61% 45% 66%
A
74%
A
76%
A B
67%
Attended a (virtual) meeting of local city officials or other local public
meeting
12% 22%
A
20%
B
15% 13% 18% 18% 19% 18%
Watched a meeting of local city officials (on cable television, YouTube,
etc.)
22% 21% 19% 25%
A
27%
D
22% 24%
D
16% 21%
Participated in a senior program 15%
B
9% 8% 17%
A
32%
B C D
12%
D
9%
D
4% 12%
Dined at a Wheat Ridge restaurant (other than fast food) 86% 88% 88% 86% 74% 87%
A
90%
A
92%
A
87%
Used the Wheat Ridge Library 40% 38% 39% 38% 47%
B D
32% 41% 36% 38%
Attended a Wheat Ridge festival or special event 40% 44% 43% 41% 43% 37% 50%
B D
39% 42%
Ridden an RTD bus 27% 24% 22% 29%
A
34%
C D
28% 25% 21% 25%
Ridden the G-Line from the Wheat Ridge-Ward station 21% 21% 18% 24%
A
20% 18% 26% 20% 21%
Table 107: Question 8 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
Please rate the following aspects of transportation within the
City of Wheat Ridge: (Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Condition of city streets 51% 48% 49% 49% 44% 44% 54%
A B
53%
A B
49%
Access to mass transit 72%
B
63% 66% 68% 69% 67% 71%
D
63% 67%
Ease of car travel in Wheat Ridge 71% 74% 74% 72% 65% 73% 73% 78%
A
73%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 103
Please rate the following aspects of transportation within the
City of Wheat Ridge: (Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Ease of bus travel in Wheat Ridge 63% 61% 64% 60% 61% 62% 62% 65% 62%
Ease of commuter rail use in Wheat Ridge 51% 54% 54% 51% 48% 59% 56% 50% 53%
Ease of walking in Wheat Ridge 65% 59% 59% 65% 59% 71%
A D
65%
D
56% 62%
Ease of bicycle travel in Wheat Ridge 65% 67% 65% 69% 57% 58% 80%
A B D
67% 66%
Traffic flow on major streets 46%
B
39% 42% 42% 41% 32% 44%
B
48%
B
42%
Table 108: Question 9: Quality by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
The following are services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge. For
each service, please rate the quality of each service: (Percent rating
as "excellent" or "good").
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Snow removal 63% 66% 66% 63% 64% 63% 66% 67% 65%
Street repair and maintenance 46% 45% 48% 42% 36% 35% 54%
A B
50%
A B
45%
Street cleaning 55% 56% 58% 53% 49% 49% 63%
A B
58% 56%
Traffic enforcement 59% 60% 61% 58% 52% 55% 63%
A
65%
A B
60%
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control, trash, outside
storage)
45%
B
37% 39% 42% 51%
B D
33% 42% 40% 41%
Animal control 69% 68% 68% 68% 71% 63% 70% 70% 68%
Land use, planning and zoning 50%
B
38% 39% 49%
A
51%
B
29% 49%
B
44%
B
43%
Building permits 52% 46% 44% 55% 61%
B
27% 51%
B
52%
B
48%
Building inspections 47% 49% 49% 47% 52%
B
32% 48%
B
57%
B
49%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 104
The following are services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge. For
each service, please rate the quality of each service: (Percent rating
as "excellent" or "good").
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Maintenance of existing city parks 78% 83% 83%
B
77% 69% 77% 87%
A B
85%
A B
80%
Maintenance of open space and trails 75% 82%
A
82% 76% 69% 71% 87%
A B
83%
A B
79%
Recreation programs 77% 81% 79% 79% 79% 72% 82%
B
82%
B
79%
Recreation facilities 81% 86%
A
85% 82% 79% 78% 84% 89%
A B
84%
Community/public art 45% 39% 36% 50%
A
55%
B D
36% 47%
D
34% 41%
Services/programs for youth 54% 61% 59% 57% 49% 52% 65% 62% 58%
Services/programs for seniors 66% 68% 68% 66% 61% 66% 66% 77%
A
66%
Municipal court 62% 62% 60% 64% 70% 54% 66% 57% 62%
Public information services 55% 54% 54% 55% 54% 50% 57% 56% 55%
Community engagement by City staff 44% 52% 50% 47% 56% 40% 49% 51% 49%
Policing services 68% 70% 71% 66% 69%
B
55% 72%
B
74%
B
69%
Police response time to emergency police calls (not code
enforcement)
82% 78% 78% 82% 75% 80% 81% 82% 80%
Police response time to non-emergency police calls (not code
enforcement)
67% 71% 71% 67% 69% 57% 76%
B
70%
B
69%
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers, neighborhood watch,
citizen police academy)
55% 57% 56% 57% 68%
B
49% 56% 56% 56%
Community-oriented policing 54% 55% 56% 53% 60%
B
41% 57%
B
59%
B
55%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 105
Table 109: Question 9: Importance by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
The following are services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge. For
each service, please rate the importance of each service: (Percent
rating as "essential" or "very important")
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Snow removal 87% 86% 84% 90%
A
88% 94%
C D
86% 82% 87%
Street repair and maintenance 90% 93% 92% 91% 89% 89% 90% 94% 91%
Street cleaning 66%
B
54% 54% 65%
A
71%
D
61%
D
64%
D
51% 59%
Traffic enforcement 71% 66% 65% 73%
A
83%
C D
75%
D
70%
D
56% 68%
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control, trash, outside
storage)
60% 64% 64% 59% 70%
B
58% 61% 61% 62%
Animal control 71%
B
57% 60% 67% 85%
B C D
61% 63% 56% 63%
Land use, planning and zoning 68% 82%
A
82%
B
69% 75% 74% 77% 79% 76%
Building permits 67% 76%
A
77%
B
66% 76% 75% 70% 72% 73%
Building inspections 76% 76% 75% 77% 82%
D
81%
D
79%
D
70% 76%
Maintenance of existing city parks 86% 90% 91%
B
85% 73% 90%
A
89%
A
93%
A
88%
Maintenance of open space and trails 88% 88% 88% 87% 79% 88%
A
87%
A
91%
A
87%
Recreation programs 63% 63% 64% 62% 68% 57% 64% 65% 63%
Recreation facilities 73% 72% 73% 71% 75% 65% 70% 77%
B
72%
Community/public art 47% 42% 43% 45% 50% 41% 41% 48% 44%
Services/programs for youth 84% 79% 80% 81% 84% 82% 81% 80% 80%
Services/programs for seniors 82%
B
74% 77% 78% 83% 75% 78% 76% 77%
Municipal court 79% 75% 73% 80%
A
86%
D
78%
D
79%
D
68% 76%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 106
The following are services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge. For
each service, please rate the importance of each service: (Percent
rating as "essential" or "very important")
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Public information services 71% 71% 69% 74% 74% 72% 71% 69% 71%
Community engagement by City staff 57% 66%
A
62% 62% 66% 60% 62% 63% 62%
Policing services 83% 85% 88%
B
79% 90%
B
75% 86%
B
84%
B
84%
Police response time to emergency police calls (not code
enforcement)
96% 96% 96% 95% 95% 92% 96%
B
98%
B
96%
Police response time to non-emergency police calls (not code
enforcement)
83% 80% 82% 81% 87%
B
77% 84% 79% 82%
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers, neighborhood watch,
citizen police academy)
88% 84% 86% 85% 88% 89% 83% 85% 86%
Community-oriented policing 74% 74% 74% 74% 79% 72% 79%
D
70% 74%
Table 110: Question 10 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
Overall, how would you rate the quality of the services
provided by the City of Wheat Ridge? (Percent rating as
"excellent" or "good").
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Overall, how would you rate the quality of the services
provided by the City of Wheat Ridge?
71% 75% 75% 71% 69% 66% 79%
A B
76%
B
73%
Table 111: Question 11 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
How would you rate the overall performance of the Wheat
Ridge city government: (Percent rating as "excellent" or
"good").
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
How would you rate the overall performance of the Wheat
Ridge city government?
68% 65% 67% 66% 71% 60% 67% 70%
B
66%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 107
Table 112: Question 12 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
Please rate the following aspects of Wheat Ridge city
government performance: (Percent rating as "excellent" or
"good").
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
The extent to which Wheat Ridge elected officials act in the
best interest of the community at large
68%
B
59% 58% 68%
A
69% 60% 61% 65% 62%
The quality of work performed by City of Wheat Ridge
employees
74% 78% 78% 74% 76% 70% 81%
B
78% 76%
The value of services for the taxes paid to Wheat Ridge 55% 58% 60%
B
53% 61%
B
44% 55%
B
66%
B C
57%
The overall direction that Wheat Ridge is taking 60% 54% 57% 56% 50% 56% 57% 64%
A
57%
The job Wheat Ridge does at informing residents on major
issues within the community
49% 49% 47% 52% 51% 48% 52% 49% 49%
The job Wheat Ridge government does at welcoming
resident involvement
50% 51% 49% 52% 56% 44% 56%
B
51% 50%
Table 113: Question 13 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
In the last 12 months, have you had any in-person, phone or
email contact with a City of Wheat Ridge employee(s)? (Percent
rating as "yes").
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
In the last 12 months, have you had any in-person, phone or
email contact with a City of Wheat Ridge employee(s)?
29% 44%
A
44%
B
29% 35% 30% 39%
B
40%
B
37%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 108
Table 114: Question 14 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
What was your impression of the City of Wheat Ridge
employee(s) overall? (Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Knowledge 84% 80% 81% 83% 87% 76% 77% 87%
C
81%
Responsiveness 81% 76% 77% 79% 83% 73% 76% 79% 77%
Courtesy 84% 81% 81% 83% 87% 78% 78% 85% 82%
Making you feel valued 74% 72% 73% 73% 80% 64% 69% 78%
B
73%
Overall impression 81% 76% 76% 80% 87% 73% 75% 79% 77%
Table 115: Question 15 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
Please rate how safe you feel in the following areas in Wheat
Ridge (Percent rating as "very safe" or "somewhat safe")
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Parks and playgrounds 83% 85% 86% 82% 85%
B
77% 82% 91%
B C
84%
Recreation centers 94% 93% 93% 93% 93% 88% 93% 97%
B
93%
In your neighborhood 77% 82%
A
84%
B
75% 79% 73% 80% 85%
B
80%
In your home 87% 92%
A
92% 88% 86% 86% 93%
A B
91% 90%
On the trail system 79% 74% 76% 76% 75% 70% 77% 80%
B
76%
On roadways 73% 72% 73% 72% 71% 70% 69% 79%
B C
72%
Retail/commercial areas 81% 83% 84% 80% 79% 78% 83% 87%
A B
82%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 109
Table 116: Question 16 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
Please indicate whether or not each of the following has
applied to you in the last 12 months (Percent rating as "yes")
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Household member was a victim of a crime in Wheat Ridge 15% 12% 11% 15% 12% 12% 13% 14% 13%
Reported a crime to the police in Wheat Ridge 24% 21% 21% 24% 24% 18% 24% 21% 22%
Table 117: Question 17 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
How important, if at all, is it for the City of Wheat Ridge Police
Department to prioritize resources in each of the following areas in
the next 12 months? (Percent rating as "essential" or "very important")
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000
or more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Solving violent crimes 72% 80%
A
80%
B
72% 66% 72% 82%
A B
79%
A
77%
Solving property crimes 41% 42% 43% 39% 47%
B
31% 41%
B
42%
B
41%
Reducing illegal activities committed by youth 35% 32% 31% 37% 47%
B C D
31% 31% 28% 34%
Reducing illegal drug activity 48% 43% 40% 52%
A
66%
B C D
40% 45%
D
35% 45%
Enforcement of traffic laws 22% 21% 19% 25%
A
39%
B C D
21% 22%
D
14% 22%
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control, trash, etc.) 17% 19% 17% 19% 25%
C D
22%
C
14% 16% 18%
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers, neighborhood watch,
citizen police academy)
38% 36% 36% 38% 37% 40% 40% 33% 37%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 110
Table 118: Question 18 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
How much of a priority, if at all, should the City of Wheat
Ridge Police Department place on each of the following
in the next two years? (Percent rating as "high priority"
or "medium priority")
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000
or more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Better connection with the community (i.e., community
forums, events)
83% 85% 83% 86% 90%
C
86% 82% 83% 84%
Increased visibility of police
72% 76% 74% 74% 89%
B C D
74% 73% 68% 74%
Additional City resources directed towards crime-related
mental health issues in the community
92% 92% 90% 94%
A
95% 92% 93% 90% 92%
Greater accessibility to police and police-related
information
83%
B
75% 76% 83%
A
90%
C D
85%
D
79%
D
69% 79%
More community policing officers (problem solving at a
community level such as neighborhood problems)
83%
B
77% 77% 84%
A
89%
C D
81% 79% 77% 80%
Adding officers in public schools
62%
B
52% 53% 61%
A
77%
B C D
59%
D
54% 49% 57%
Adding surveillance cameras in high crime areas
78% 76% 74% 81%
A
91%
B C D
78% 75% 72% 77%
Table 119: Question 19 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
When you shop outside of Wheat Ridge, why do you shop
outside of Wheat Ridge? (Check all that apply.) Rent Own
Single Family
Home
Multi-Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
It is convenient; on my way to or from work or near my
home
50% 48% 48% 51% 47% 50% 55% 46% 49%
I like the range of quality goods and services 44% 51% 53% 42% 44% 42% 46% 54% 48%
Desired item is not available in Wheat Ridge 61% 75% 74% 63% 67% 64% 67% 77% 69%
It is more affordable 16% 13% 14% 15% 21% 16% 14% 9% 14%
Visit a mall or other major retailers 46% 46% 46% 46% 53% 44% 46% 44% 46%
I shop online 52% 63% 63% 53% 39% 47% 61% 73% 58%
Other 12% 8% 8% 12% 18% 7% 6% 11% 10%
*Total may exceed 100% as respondents could select more than one answer. Respondents who selected “don’t shop outside of Wheat Ridge” were removed from the total since they should have
skipped the question. Statistical testing was not performed.
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 111
Table 120: Question 20 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
For each type of shopping, please estimate how frequently you
make purchases in Wheat Ridge: (Percent rating as "very
frequently" or "somewhat frequently").
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Grocery shopping 83% 85% 84% 85% 82% 84% 85% 87% 84%
Health services 41% 46% 45% 42% 45% 41% 43% 46% 44%
Meals and entertainment 64% 62% 61% 66% 59% 66% 66% 62% 63%
Household items 65%
B
49% 52% 61%
A
61% 54% 56% 56% 56%
Computers and electronics 15%
B
8% 9% 13%
A
21%
C D
17%
C D
6% 7% 11%
General retail (shoes, drug stores, clothing, etc.) 45%
B
34% 35% 44%
A
50%
C D
47%
C D
36% 31% 39%
Table 121: Question 21 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
How much do you agree or disagree that the City of Wheat Ridge
should do each of the following? (Percent rating as "strongly
agree" or "somewhat agree").
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Promote efforts to revitalize Wheat Ridge's housing areas 76% 76% 74% 78% 75% 72% 76% 80% 75%
Promote efforts to revitalize Wheat Ridge's business areas 80% 88%
A
88%
B
81% 72% 80%
A
86%
A
93%
A B C
85%
Strengthen Wheat Ridge's community image and identity 75% 76% 77% 73% 71% 75% 72% 80%
A C
75%
Promote efforts to attract and recruit new types of retail
businesses to Wheat Ridge
82% 85% 85% 83% 81% 80% 79% 90%
A B C
84%
Promote efforts to revitalize business corridors such as 38th
Avenue, 44th Avenue, Wadsworth Boulevard and Kipling St
84% 84% 83% 86% 76% 83% 80% 93%
A B C
84%
Promote efforts to attract new jobs 83% 80% 79% 84% 80% 78% 80% 84% 81%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 112
Table 122: Question 22 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
To what degree, if at all, is homelessness a problem in the City
of Wheat Ridge? (Percent rating as "major problem" or
"moderate problem").
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
To what degree, if at all, is homelessness a problem in the City
of Wheat Ridge?
78% 75% 72% 82%
A
80%
D
90%
A C D
74%
D
67% 77%
Table 123: Question 23 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
How important to you, if at all, is it for the City to contribute funding to
community-based organizations that provide each of the following
services to the homeless populations? (Percent rating as "essential" or
"very important")
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000
or more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Job training programs 70%
B
58% 58% 69%
A
72%
B D
58% 67%
B D
59% 63%
Mental health programs 90%
B
79% 79% 90%
A
86% 84% 83% 84% 84%
Substance abuse programs 89%
B
76% 77% 87%
A
85% 81% 82% 79% 81%
Shelters for severe weather 83%
B
69% 69% 83%
A
81%
D
75% 77% 72% 75%
Housing/rental assistance programs 76%
B
59% 59% 76%
A
81%
B C D
68% 64% 62% 67%
Supportive housing, which combines housing with services such as job
training and substance abuse treatment
86%
B
68% 68% 85%
A
83%
D
79% 75% 74% 76%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 113
Table 124: Question 24 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are secondary, independent housing units
with a separate entrance, kitchen, bath, and bed created within a single family
home or on its lot. Currently the City does not allow ADUs, which means any
existing ADU may or may not be legal. To what extent do you support or
oppose the City doing each of the following? (Percent rating as "strongly
support" or "somewhat support").
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000
or more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Allowing and regulating existing ADUs 68% 68% 69% 67% 62% 66% 67% 72%
A
68%
Allowing and regulating new ADUs 69%
B
61% 63% 66% 62% 65% 64% 68% 64%
Table 125: Question 25 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
If ADUs were allowed, how important to you, if at all, would each
of the following regulations be? (Percent rating as "essential" or
"very important")
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Ensure the ADU is architecturally compatible with the existing
home
69% 67% 68% 68% 76%
D
73%
D
71%
D
60% 68%
Restrict the size of the ADU 57% 58% 59% 56% 66%
D
62%
D
59%
D
50% 58%
Limit the number of people allowed to live in the ADU 66% 74%
A
73% 68% 75% 70% 73% 67% 71%
Require the property owner to live in either the main house or
ADU
54% 67%
A
65%
B
56% 68%
D
62% 61% 57% 61%
Require off-street parking 61% 58% 59% 60% 67%
D
61%
D
61%
D
51% 59%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 114
Table 126: Question 26 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
How likely, if at all, would you be to consider adding an ADU for
each of the following reasons? (Percent rating as "very likely" or
"somewhat likely").
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
For an elderly family member 91%
B
64% 65% 91%
A
90%
C D
87%
C D
74%
D
64% 74%
For a disabled family member 87%
B
62% 60% 90%
A
89%
C D
85%
C D
70%
D
60% 72%
For an adult child 62%
B
46% 46% 62%
A
62%
C D
65%
C D
47% 47% 52%
For visitors 59%
B
43% 44% 58%
A
45% 50% 51% 49% 49%
For my own personal use 63%
B
46% 49% 58%
A
46% 55% 58%
A D
49% 52%
For rental income 65%
B
45% 47% 62%
A
47% 53% 51% 55% 52%
Table 127: Question 27 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
How important to you, if at all, is it that the City focus on each of the
following areas of environmental sustainability, which may or may not
increase costs for taxpayers? (Percent rating as "essential" or "very
important")
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000
or more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Expanding access to residential recycling and composting services 61% 67% 64% 64% 65% 64% 62% 67% 64%
Implementing organized trash hauling in neighborhoods 62%
B
56% 55% 63%
A
68%
B C
56% 57% 59% 59%
Promoting use of drought-tolerant and native landscaping 57% 59% 56% 60% 66% 55% 58% 59% 58%
Establishing a permanent fee paid by residential and commercial
properties for storm water management and water quality for needed
capital improvements and to improve the City's storm water drainage
system
47% 44% 40% 52%
A
48% 54%
C D
42% 42% 45%
Encouraging biking or walking, instead of automobile use 46% 49% 48% 46% 48% 44% 46% 52% 47%
Ensuring availability of and access to public transit 68%
B
62% 61% 69%
A
74%
D
65% 67% 59% 64%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 115
How important to you, if at all, is it that the City focus on each of the
following areas of environmental sustainability, which may or may not
increase costs for taxpayers? (Percent rating as "essential" or "very
important")
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000
or more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Implementing energy efficiency improvements for city facilities 64% 61% 60% 66% 68% 67% 60% 60% 62%
Requiring green building practices for new commercial and residential
construction
65% 59% 59% 66%
A
65% 64% 63% 59% 62%
Promoting renewable energy (wind or solar) in the community 65% 62% 63% 64% 66% 65% 63% 63% 63%
Promoting renewable energy (wind or solar) in the home 63%
B
56% 56% 63%
A
60% 62% 61% 57% 59%
Creating walkable communities (providing sidewalk connections, bike
lanes, retail/shopping/grocery closer to homes, etc.)
75% 75% 75% 75% 77%
B
66% 73% 83%
B C
75%
Table 128: Question 28 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
In the last 12 months, about how many times, if ever, have you or other
household members used the following sources of information for news
about Wheat Ridge? (Percent using at least once in the last 12 months).
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000
or more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
City Quarterly "Connections” Newsletter 64% 80%
A
78%
B
66% 64% 72% 74%
A
75%
A
72%
Parks and Recreation Activity Guide 53% 61%
A
59% 55% 59% 55% 67%
B D
52% 57%
Denver Post 39% 41% 43%
B
36% 39% 37% 45% 38% 40%
Denver Post YourHub 14% 16% 16% 15% 24%
B C D
13% 17%
D
11% 15%
Jeffco Transcript 23% 31%
A
30%
B
24% 30% 27% 32%
D
23% 28%
Neighborhood Gazette 63% 79%
A
84%
B
58% 62% 66% 71%
A
81%
A B C
72%
Denver Gazette 19%
B
13% 15% 17% 18% 15% 22%
D
11% 16%
Radio news 46% 42% 41% 47% 47% 44% 47%
D
39% 44%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 116
In the last 12 months, about how many times, if ever, have you or other
household members used the following sources of information for news
about Wheat Ridge? (Percent using at least once in the last 12 months).
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000
or more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Television news 62% 58% 59% 60% 70%
D
61% 61%
D
53% 60%
WRTV8 (Government Access Channel) 20%
B
13% 14% 19%
A
19%
D
21%
D
18%
D
11% 16%
City live/on-demand video streaming, including City Council meetings 20% 17% 17% 20% 17% 19% 24%
D
15% 18%
City's website: www.ci.wheatridge.co.us 47% 57%
A
59%
B
44% 38% 45% 56%
A B
63%
A B
52%
City website automatic notifications (e.g., community events, calendar
listing)
24% 25% 25% 23% 20% 22% 31%
A B D
22% 24%
City of Wheat Ridge social media sites (Facebook, Twitter) 24% 28% 27% 26% 23% 21% 31%
B
28% 26%
Wheat Ridge Speaks 12% 12% 12% 11% 8% 11% 15%
A
12% 12%
What's Up Wheat Ridge 17% 19% 19% 17% 18% 15% 19% 20% 18%
Wheat Ridge Police Department social media sites (Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram)
25% 22% 23% 25% 14% 20% 31%
A B
27%
A
24%
Wheat Ridge Recreation Center's Facebook page 16% 15% 15% 17% 13% 16% 25%
A B D
11% 16%
Community-created Facebook groups/pages about Wheat Ridge 21% 23% 22% 22% 11% 25%
A
28%
A
23%
A
22%
Neighborhood websites (e.g., NextDoor, etc.) 37% 52%
A
55%
B
34% 21% 36%
A
54%
A B
56%
A B
45%
Word of mouth 66% 80%
A
81%
B
65% 68% 66% 77%
A B
78%
A B
74%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 117
Table 129: Question 29 by Housing Tenure, Type of Housing Unit, and Household Income
In a typical month, about how many times, if ever, do you use
each of the following social media sites? (Percent rating as at
least once).
Rent Own
Single
Family
Home
Multi-
Family
Home
Less than
$25,000
$25,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$99,999
$100,000 or
more Overall
(A) (B) (A) (B) (A) (B) (C) (D) (A)
Facebook 58% 61% 59% 60% 47% 58%
A
65%
A
65%
A
59%
Twitter 21% 24% 23% 23% 13% 20% 23%
A
30%
A B
23%
YouTube 67% 74%
A
73% 68% 48% 62%
A
81%
A B
80%
A B
71%
LinkedIn 26% 44%
A
44%
B
26% 14% 18% 36%
A B
60%
A B C
36%
NextDoor 31% 51%
A
55%
B
27% 13% 28%
A
47%
A B
60%
A B C
42%
Instagram 32% 42%
A
42%
B
32% 16% 28%
A
38%
A B
55%
A B C
38%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 118
Comparisons by Age, Gender and Race/Ethnicity
Highlights
Older residents (55+) tended to give more favorable reviews to their neighborhood as a place to live, the city as a place to work and
retire, and the physical attractiveness of Wheat Ridge than did younger residents.
Younger residents were more likely to expect of life in Wheat Ridge to improve in the coming years.
Middle-aged residents tended to give the lowest ratings to community characteristics, when there were differences (e.g.,
openness and acceptance of the community toward people of diverse backgrounds, availability of affordable quality housing.
availability of affordable quality food, attracting people from diverse backgrounds).
Younger residents gave the highest ratings of all age groups to employment opportunities, making all residents feel welcome,
demonstrating respect for residents of different cultures and belief systems, providing equal access to housing for residents of all
backgrounds, making all residents feel welcome in business establishments, and welcoming residents from all backgrounds to
participate in local government and community decision-making.
Younger residents gave lower ratings than those older than them for opportunities to volunteer.
Older residents were more likely to think they would remain in Wheat Ridge for the next 5 years and to use the library, but less
likely than younger or middle-aged residents to have used parks and trails.
Younger residents gave higher marks than others for ease of car travel, while older residents were happier than younger with
ease of use of the commuter rail.
Older and middle-aged adults tended to give higher ratings to most City services than younger adults with the exception of the
maintenance of open space and trails. However, younger residents had higher ratings for the overall performance of the Wheat
Ridge city government and the extent to which Wheat Ridge elected officials act in the best interest of the community at large
than those in older groups.
Older adults were more likely than those under 55 to want to see the police focus on reducing illegal activities committed by
youth, reducing illegal drug activity, and the enforcement of traffic laws; they also to wanted to see increased visibility of police
and adding surveillance cameras in high crime areas. Older residents also were more likely to see homelessness a problem in the
City of Wheat Ridge, but less likely to want the City to contribute funding to community-based organizations that provide
services to the homeless populations (although a majority in all age groups supported this).
Older adults were most likely to want regulations on ADUs and least likely to consider adding an ADU for personal use or as a
rental. They were also less likely than their younger counterparts to want to see new efforts in the areas of environmental
sustainability.
Males and females tended to view quality of life similarly, although women had slightly higher ratings to the physical attractiveness
of Wheat Ridge.
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 119
Women gave lower ratings to the community than men in the areas of demonstrating respect for residents of different cultures
and belief systems, treating all residents fairly, providing a safe and secure environment for residents of all backgrounds, and
respecting individual cultural beliefs and values. They gave higher ratings than men for recreation programs services and
programs for seniors, public information services, and community engagement by City staff. They also tended to give slightly
higher ratings for the importance of most services provided by the City compared to males.
Women were slightly more likely than men to want to see police focus on reducing illegal activities committed by youth and
reducing illegal drug activity, as well as increased visibility of police, additional City resources directed towards crime-related
mental health issues in the community, more community policing, adding officers in public schools, and adding surveillance
cameras in high crime areas.
Women were also more likely to see homelessness a problem in the City of Wheat Ridge and to support the City funding
community programs to address it, and more likely to support new efforts in the areas of environmental sustainability.
White residents had slightly higher ratings than those who were Hispanic or another race for their neighborhood as a place to live,
but lower ratings for the physical attractiveness of Wheat Ridge.
Hispanic/non-white residents were slightly more optimistic about the quality of life in Wheat Ridge over the next 5 years - being
more likely to think it will improve a lot than their white counterparts. They did not differ in most ratings of community
characteristics, but did give higher marks to overall quality of new development in Wheat Ridge, shopping opportunities,
availability of affordable quality childcare, and the overall image or reputation of Wheat Ridge.
Hispanic/non-white residents were more likely to have used Wheat Ridge Recreation Center, library, and an RTD bus, but less
likely to have used a park or trail. They gave lower marks than white residents to snow removal and maintenance of open space
and trails, and higher marks to community/public art, community engagement by city staff, policing services, crime prevention,
and community-oriented policing.
Hispanic/non-white residents were somewhat more likely to think the Police Department should focus on increased visibility of
police, greater accessibility to police and police-related information, more community policing officers, adding officers in public
schools, and adding surveillance cameras in high crime areas than white residents.
White residents were a bit more likely to support allowing ADUs and want regulations for them, but Hispanic/non-white
residents were more likely to see themselves using them.
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 120
Table 130: Question 1 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
Please rate each of the following aspects of quality of life in Wheat Ridge:
(Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Wheat Ridge as a place to live 91%
B
85% 89% 91% 88% 90% 86% 88%
Your neighborhood as a place to live 75% 78% 84%
A B
83% 79% 82%
B
75% 80%
Wheat Ridge as a place to raise children 69% 81%
A
85%
A
79% 82% 80% 81% 80%
Wheat Ridge as a place to work 65% 58% 67%
B
68% 61% 65% 63% 64%
Wheat Ridge as a place to retire 54% 64%
A
78%
A B
72% 69% 70% 72% 69%
The physical attractiveness of Wheat Ridge as a whole 55% 56% 63%
A
63%
B
56% 58% 65%
A
59%
Overall quality of life in Wheat Ridge 76% 82% 84%
A
83% 82% 83% 81% 81%
Table 131: Question 2 by Age, Gender, and Race of Respondent
Do you think the quality of life in Wheat Ridge is likely to improve, stay the
same, or decline over the next 5 years?
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Improve a lot 25%
B C
17%
C
9% 16% 17% 15% 21%
A
16%
Improve slightly 54%
B C
42% 37% 44% 43% 45% 43% 43%
Stay the same 7% 17%
A
26%
A B
19% 18% 18% 19% 18%
Decline slightly 11% 17%
A
22%
A
16% 18% 18% 13% 18%
Decline a lot 2% 7%
A
6%
A
5% 4% 4% 5% 6%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 121
Table 132: Question #3 by Age, Gender, and Race of Respondent
What are your reasons for living in Wheat Ridge? (Please select all that
apply.)
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or other
race Overall
I feel safe here 42% 46% 43% 44% 44% 42% 54% 44%
I like the school my children attend 5% 14% 5% 9% 6% 7% 9% 8%
My job is here 15% 15% 8% 11% 13% 12% 11% 12%
I like my neighborhood 52% 60% 54% 56% 56% 58% 51% 55%
I like the location in general 77% 78% 71% 74% 77% 77% 69% 75%
I like the access to dining and entertainment 31% 29% 24% 29% 26% 27% 33% 27%
Housing and rental rates are affordable 37% 26% 28% 31% 29% 28% 35% 29%
I've always lived here 6% 8% 17% 14% 8% 11% 10% 12%
I have friends and family in the area 34% 23% 28% 31% 25% 28% 28% 28%
Small town feel 19% 22% 32% 26% 25% 28% 19% 26%
Cost of living is affordable 25% 15% 19% 17% 21% 20% 18% 19%
I like that the community is forward-thinking 9% 14% 17% 14% 14% 12% 20% 14%
The growing and diverse community 11% 14% 14% 14% 14% 13% 16% 13%
None of these 4% 5% 5% 3% 5% 4% 5% 5%
Table 133: Question 4 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Wheat Ridge as a
whole: (Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Sense of community 63% 61% 67% 67%
B
61% 65% 63% 63%
Openness and acceptance of the community toward people of diverse
backgrounds
61%
B
51% 60%
B
56% 61% 60% 53% 58%
Cleanliness of Wheat Ridge 57% 51% 62%
B
58% 57% 57% 62% 57%
Overall quality of new development in Wheat Ridge 58%
B
48% 50% 54% 51% 50% 59%
A
52%
Variety of housing options 62%
B
48% 54% 57% 53% 55% 55% 54%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 122
Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Wheat Ridge as a
whole: (Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Overall quality of business and service establishments in Wheat Ridge 69%
B
57% 62% 66% 60% 62% 66% 62%
Shopping opportunities 47% 44% 51%
B
49% 48% 46% 56%
A
48%
Opportunities to attend cultural activities 34%
B
25% 36%
B
30% 36% 32% 35% 32%
Recreational opportunities 75% 70% 71% 71% 73% 73% 71% 72%
Employment opportunities 53%
B C
33% 33% 43% 36% 37% 45% 39%
Educational opportunities 52% 44% 48% 47% 50% 49% 50% 48%
Opportunities to participate in social events and activities 55% 51% 49% 54% 49% 52% 52% 51%
Opportunities to volunteer 44% 57%
A
61%
A
56% 55% 55% 55% 56%
Opportunities to participate in civic matters 58% 53% 57% 58% 56% 60%
B
50% 56%
Availability of parks 86% 86% 85% 86% 86% 86% 87% 86%
Availability of paths and walking trails 82% 80% 84% 83% 83% 84% 82% 82%
Availability of bike trails 78% 74% 80% 77% 80% 80% 76% 78%
Availability of affordable quality housing 45%
B
28% 38%
B
36% 40% 36% 43% 37%
Availability of affordable quality child care 38% 23% 40%
B
36% 33% 31% 44%
A
34%
Availability of affordable quality health care 57% 56% 67%
A B
63% 62% 63% 61% 62%
Availability of affordable quality food 70%
B
59% 70%
B
69% 67% 67% 69% 67%
Availability of preventive health services 63% 55% 68%
B
63% 65% 63% 66% 63%
Air quality 66%
B C
56% 56% 56% 62% 59% 64% 58%
Quality of overall natural environment in Wheat Ridge 70% 72% 69% 70% 73% 72% 70% 70%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 123
Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Wheat Ridge as a
whole: (Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Overall image or reputation of Wheat Ridge 69% 69% 66% 68% 68% 66% 75%
A
67%
Table 134: Question 5 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
Please rate your community on each of the following: (Percent rating as
"excellent" or "good").
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Making all residents feel welcome 72%
B C
64% 61% 66% 64% 66% 66% 65%
Helping new residents feel connected and integrated 48% 46% 52% 47% 52% 48% 53% 49%
Attracting people from diverse backgrounds 43%
B
31% 47%
B
38% 45% 40% 44% 41%
Valuing residents from diverse backgrounds 53%
B
37% 48%
B
45% 49% 46% 47% 47%
Demonstrating respect for residents of different cultures and belief systems 64%
B C
46% 53% 50% 60%
A
53% 59% 54%
Treating all residents fairly 66%
B
52% 59% 55% 64%
A
60% 58% 59%
Providing a safe and secure environment for residents of all backgrounds 58% 52% 59% 52% 62%
A
58% 55% 57%
Respecting individual cultural beliefs and values 65% 55% 59% 52% 68%
A
61% 59% 60%
Providing equal employment opportunities to residents of all backgrounds 69%
B
40% 57%
B
52% 58% 54% 56% 55%
Providing equal access to housing for residents of all backgrounds 68%
B C
43% 58%
B
56% 59% 54% 65%
A
57%
Making all residents feel welcome in business establishments 78%
B C
66% 67% 69% 73% 71% 69% 70%
Welcoming residents from all backgrounds to participate in local government
and community decision-making
74%
B C
49% 58% 62% 58% 61% 59% 59%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 124
Table 135: Question 6 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
Please indicate how likely or unlikely you are to do each of the following: (Percent
rating as "very likely" or "somewhat likely")
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Recommend living in Wheat Ridge to someone who asks 86% 85% 88% 89% 87% 89% 88% 87%
Remain in Wheat Ridge for the next five years 74% 79% 92%
A B
84% 82% 85% 81% 83%
Table 136: Question 7 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
Despite the limitation of some of these facilities and services due to COVID, in the last 12
months, about how many times, if ever, have you or other household members participated
in the following activities in Wheat Ridge? (Percent rating at least once)
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone,
not Hispanic
Hispanic
and/or other
race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Used Wheat Ridge Recreation Center 28% 45%
A
41%
A
41% 36% 37% 46%
A
39%
Participated in a recreation program or activity 20% 35%
A
32%
A
33%
B
26% 31% 27% 30%
Used a Wheat Ridge park or trail 97%
C
93%
C
76% 86% 87% 88%
B
81% 86%
Visited the Anderson Building for a reason not related to the outdoor pool 12% 20%
A
19%
A
21%
B
14% 16% 21% 18%
Used a Wheat Ridge bike/pedestrian path 92%
C
89%
C
64% 77% 80% 79% 78% 79%
Used Clear Creek Trail 78%
C
78%
C
55% 64% 72%
A
67% 67% 67%
Attended a (virtual) meeting of local city officials or other local public meeting 13% 21%
A
18% 18% 16% 18% 17% 18%
Watched a meeting of local city officials (on cable television, YouTube, etc.) 14% 22%
A
26%
A
22% 21% 20% 24% 21%
Participated in a senior program 2% 4% 23%
A B
14% 10% 11% 14% 12%
Dined at a Wheat Ridge restaurant (other than fast food) 94%
C
90%
C
81% 86% 88% 88% 85% 87%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 125
Despite the limitation of some of these facilities and services due to COVID, in the last 12
months, about how many times, if ever, have you or other household members participated
in the following activities in Wheat Ridge? (Percent rating at least once)
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone,
not Hispanic
Hispanic
and/or other
race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Used the Wheat Ridge Library 28% 44%
A
41%
A
43%
B
33% 36% 45%
A
38%
Attended a Wheat Ridge festival or special event 25% 49%
A
48%
A
44% 40% 40% 47% 42%
Ridden an RTD bus 24% 25% 27% 26% 25% 21% 39%
A
25%
Ridden the G-Line from the Wheat Ridge-Ward station 23% 25%
C
17% 21% 21% 20% 25% 21%
Table 137: Question 8 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
Please rate the following aspects of transportation within the City of Wheat Ridge:
(Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Condition of city streets 58%
C
50% 45% 49% 51% 52% 49% 49%
Access to mass transit 68% 64% 68% 69% 65% 69% 65% 67%
Ease of car travel in Wheat Ridge 80%
C
75% 69% 76% 73% 76% 74% 73%
Ease of bus travel in Wheat Ridge 67% 62% 60% 67% 59% 61% 70%
A
62%
Ease of commuter rail use in Wheat Ridge 47% 49% 59%
A B
53% 53% 54% 55% 53%
Ease of walking in Wheat Ridge 51% 65%
A
66%
A
60% 64% 61% 64% 62%
Ease of bicycle travel in Wheat Ridge 69% 68% 64% 68% 66% 67% 67% 66%
Traffic flow on major streets 49%
C
44% 38% 46%
B
40% 43% 42% 42%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 126
Table 138: Question 9: Quality by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
The following are services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge. For each service,
please rate the quality of each service: (Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Snow removal 62% 65% 67% 68% 64% 68%
B
57% 65%
Street repair and maintenance 52%
C
45% 42% 42% 50%
A
48% 43% 45%
Street cleaning 55% 56% 56% 57% 56% 58% 54% 56%
Traffic enforcement 66%
C
61% 55% 59% 62% 61% 64% 60%
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control, trash, outside storage) 32% 41% 46%
A
39% 42% 40% 44% 41%
Animal control 74%
B
63% 69% 66% 71% 68% 68% 68%
Land use, planning and zoning 56%
B C
40% 39% 41% 48% 43% 49% 43%
Building permits 55% 44% 49% 50% 50% 47% 58% 48%
Building inspections 52% 49% 49% 51% 50% 52% 46% 49%
Maintenance of existing city parks 84% 79% 81% 81% 81% 82% 79% 80%
Maintenance of open space and trails 81% 79% 79% 81% 80% 82%
B
75% 79%
Recreation programs 83% 76% 80% 84%
B
75% 80% 80% 79%
Recreation facilities 93%
B C
82% 81% 87% 83% 85% 84% 84%
Community/public art 41% 35% 47%
B
45% 38% 39% 51%
A
41%
Services/programs for youth 81%
B C
52% 56% 61% 58% 61% 57% 58%
Services/programs for seniors 88%
C
67% 66% 73%
B
58% 69% 64% 66%
Municipal court 62% 52% 67%
B
67% 58% 58% 71% 62%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 127
The following are services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge. For each service,
please rate the quality of each service: (Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Public information services 70%
B C
45% 56%
B
61%
B
51% 57% 54% 55%
Community engagement by City staff 51% 47% 51% 56%
B
45% 47% 61%
A
49%
Policing services 69% 69% 69% 70% 70% 68% 76%
A
69%
Police response time to emergency police calls (not code enforcement) 83% 77% 80% 82% 79% 79% 80% 80%
Police response time to non-emergency police calls (not code enforcement) 66% 69% 71% 71% 69% 69% 69% 69%
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers, neighborhood watch, citizen police
academy)
41% 55%
A
65%
A B
59% 55% 53% 65%
A
56%
Community-oriented policing 61%
B
46% 59%
B
57% 54% 53% 64%
A
55%
Table 139: Question 9: Importance by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
The following are services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge. For each service, please
rate the importance of each service: (Percent rating as "essential" or "very important")
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Snow removal 82% 89%
A
88%
A
91%
B
82% 85% 91%
A
87%
Street repair and maintenance 89% 92% 93% 92% 90% 90% 95%
A
91%
Street cleaning 51% 60%
A
64%
A
58% 60% 55% 76%
A
59%
Traffic enforcement 43% 71%
A
83%
A B
74%
B
62% 66% 74%
A
68%
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control, trash, outside storage) 39% 67%
A
74%
A
67%
B
57% 59% 71%
A
62%
Animal control 51% 62%
A
72%
A B
70%
B
55% 60% 73%
A
63%
Land use, planning and zoning 69% 79%
A
80%
A
76% 78% 75% 81% 76%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 128
The following are services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge. For each service, please
rate the importance of each service: (Percent rating as "essential" or "very important")
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Building permits 71% 72% 75% 71% 75% 73% 70% 73%
Building inspections 72% 77% 78% 79% 74% 77% 75% 76%
Maintenance of existing city parks 88% 94%
A C
84% 92%
B
84% 90% 87% 88%
Maintenance of open space and trails 90%
C
90%
C
83% 91%
B
85% 88% 89% 87%
Recreation programs 54% 67%
A
68%
A
72%
B
53% 64% 65% 63%
Recreation facilities 63% 77%
A
76%
A
80%
B
64% 73% 75% 72%
Community/public art 49% 42% 43% 50%
B
40% 45% 48% 44%
Services/programs for youth 83% 80% 79% 83%
B
77% 80% 84% 80%
Services/programs for seniors 77% 78% 77% 84%
B
71% 78% 81% 77%
Municipal court 71% 74% 82%
A
80%
B
72% 76% 76% 76%
Public information services 65% 69% 77%
A B
75%
B
66% 69% 75% 71%
Community engagement by City staff 58% 60% 69%
A B
66%
B
58% 61% 69% 62%
Policing services 70% 86%
A
93%
A B
86% 81% 82% 87% 84%
Police response time to emergency police calls (not code enforcement) 94% 98%
A
96% 96% 96% 96% 96% 96%
Police response time to non-emergency police calls (not code enforcement) 71% 85%
A
86%
A
86%
B
77% 81% 83% 82%
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers, neighborhood watch, citizen police
academy)
86% 83% 88% 87% 85% 85% 91%
A
86%
Community-oriented policing 72% 71% 78% 78%
B
71% 75% 75% 74%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 129
Table 140: Question 10 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
Overall, how would you rate the quality of the services provided by the City of
Wheat Ridge? (Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Overall, how would you rate the quality of the services provided by the City of
Wheat Ridge?
74% 75% 72% 76% 73% 75% 75% 73%
Table 141: Question 11 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
How would you rate the overall performance of the Wheat Ridge city government:
(Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
How would you rate the overall performance of the Wheat Ridge city
government?
74%
B
64% 66% 71% 66% 69% 69% 66%
Table 142: Question 12 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
Please rate the following aspects of Wheat Ridge city government performance:
(Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
The extent to which Wheat Ridge elected officials act in the best interest of the
community at large
82%
B C
59% 59% 65% 64% 65% 71% 62%
The quality of work performed by City of Wheat Ridge employees 84%
C
76% 74% 76% 79% 78% 75% 76%
The value of services for the taxes paid to Wheat Ridge 60% 56% 57% 55% 61% 61%
B
52% 57%
The overall direction that Wheat Ridge is taking 62%
C
61%
C
52% 58% 60% 61% 56% 57%
The job Wheat Ridge does at informing residents on major issues within the
community
49% 46% 52% 51% 51% 51% 52% 49%
The job Wheat Ridge government does at welcoming resident involvement 55% 47% 51% 52% 52% 52% 52% 50%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 130
Table 143: Question 13 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
In the last 12 months, have you had any in-person, phone or email contact with a
City of Wheat Ridge employee(s)? (Percent rating as "yes").
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
In the last 12 months, have you had any in-person, phone or email contact with a
City of Wheat Ridge employee(s)?
30% 39%
A
40%
A
33% 41%
A
37% 33% 37%
Table 144: Question 14 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
What was your impression of the City of Wheat Ridge employee(s) overall?
(Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Knowledge 93%
B C
78% 80% 85% 81% 82% 87% 81%
Responsiveness 79% 77% 78% 78% 79% 79% 77% 77%
Courtesy 81% 80% 85% 80% 84% 85%
B
74% 82%
Making you feel valued 74% 76% 71% 71% 77% 76% 66% 73%
Overall impression 77% 79% 78% 75% 82% 81% 71% 77%
Table 145: Question 15 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
Please rate how safe you feel in the following areas in Wheat Ridge (Percent
rating as "very safe" or "somewhat safe")
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Parks and playgrounds 83% 85% 85% 82% 88%
A
86% 81% 84%
Recreation centers 96%
C
96%
C
90% 93% 95% 94% 92% 93%
In your neighborhood 75% 80% 83%
A
81% 80% 82% 79% 80%
In your home 86% 90% 92%
A
90% 91% 92%
B
85% 90%
On the trail system 80% 75% 75% 75% 80% 77% 79% 76%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Please rate how safe you feel in the following areas in Wheat Ridge (Percent
rating as "very safe" or "somewhat safe")
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
On roadways 77%
B
70% 71% 73% 74% 74% 72% 72%
Retail/commercial areas 86%
C
84%
C
79% 81% 85% 85%
B
78% 82%
Table 146: Question 16 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
Please indicate whether or not each of the following has applied to you in the
last 12 months (Percent rating as "yes")
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Household member was a victim of a crime in Wheat Ridge 14% 15% 11% 15%
B
10% 13% 12% 13%
Reported a crime to the police in Wheat Ridge 25% 23% 20% 25%
B
19% 21% 24% 22%
Table 147: Question 17 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
How important, if at all, is it for the City of Wheat Ridge Police Department to prioritize
resources in each of the following areas in the next 12 months? (Percent rating as
"essential" or "very important")
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone,
not Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Solving violent crimes 76% 83%
C
72% 74% 79% 75% 79% 77%
Solving property crimes 33% 44%
A
44%
A
39% 41% 38% 51%
A
41%
Reducing illegal activities committed by youth 22% 29% 43%
A B
38%
B
29% 30% 46%
A
34%
Reducing illegal drug activity 28% 43%
A
56%
A B
48%
B
41% 40% 58%
A
45%
Enforcement of traffic laws 12% 19% 29%
A B
24% 19% 20% 26%
A
22%
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control, trash, etc.) 10% 20%
A
22%
A
20% 17% 17% 24%
A
18%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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How important, if at all, is it for the City of Wheat Ridge Police Department to prioritize
resources in each of the following areas in the next 12 months? (Percent rating as
"essential" or "very important")
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone,
not Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers, neighborhood watch, citizen police academy) 41% 33% 37% 40% 34% 33% 51%
A
37%
Table 148: Question 18 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
How much of a priority, if at all, should the City of Wheat Ridge Police
Department place on each of the following in the next two years? (Percent
rating as "high priority" or "medium priority")
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone,
not Hispanic
Hispanic
and/or other
race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Better connection with the community (i.e., community forums, events)
81% 81% 89%
A B
86% 83% 83% 87% 84%
Increased visibility of police
57% 67%
A
89%
A B
77%
B
69% 73% 75% 74%
Additional City resources directed towards crime-related mental health
issues in the community
95%
B C
90% 91% 94%
B
90% 93% 90% 92%
Greater accessibility to police and police-related information
74% 73% 86%
A B
80% 77% 75% 89%
A
79%
More community policing officers (problem solving at a community level
such as neighborhood problems)
78% 78% 83% 80% 79% 80% 82% 80%
Adding officers in public schools
45% 52% 67%
A B
61%
B
51% 52% 70%
A
57%
Adding surveillance cameras in high crime areas
64% 71%
A
90%
A B
84%
B
69% 76% 80% 77%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Table 149: Question 19 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
When you shop outside of Wheat Ridge, why do you shop outside of Wheat
Ridge? (Check all that apply.)
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
It is convenient; on my way to or from work or near my home 60% 55% 38% 48% 52% 50% 51% 49%
I like the range of quality goods and services 49% 50% 46% 46% 50% 49% 43% 48%
Desired item is not available in Wheat Ridge 66% 75% 66% 65% 71% 68% 68% 69%
It is more affordable 8% 14% 17% 17% 10% 12% 17% 14%
Visit a mall or other major retailers 43% 46% 48% 49% 44% 44% 54% 46%
I shop online 75% 64% 44% 60% 58% 60% 58% 58%
Other 8% 10% 10% 9% 10% 9% 10% 10%
*Total may exceed 100% as respondents could select more than one answer. Respondents who selected “don’t shop outside of Wheat Ridge” were removed from the total since they should have
skipped the question. Statistical testing was not performed.
Table 150: Question 20 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
For each type of shopping, please estimate how frequently you make purchases in
Wheat Ridge: (Percent rating as "very frequently" or "somewhat frequently").
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Grocery shopping 89%
B C
82% 84% 87% 83% 88%
B
77% 84%
Health services 35% 41% 51%
A B
46% 42% 44% 45% 44%
Meals and entertainment 71%
C
63% 59% 63% 65% 62% 70%
A
63%
Household items 59% 54% 56% 58% 55% 57% 57% 56%
Computers and electronics 4% 7% 18%
A B
12% 10% 9% 18%
A
11%
General retail (shoes, drug stores, clothing, etc.) 34% 33% 46%
A B
38% 41% 37% 45%
A
39%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Table 151: Question 21 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
How much do you agree or disagree that the City of Wheat Ridge should do each of
the following? (Percent rating as "strongly agree" or "somewhat agree").
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Promote efforts to revitalize Wheat Ridge's housing areas 78%
C
81%
C
71% 75% 77% 74% 84%
A
75%
Promote efforts to revitalize Wheat Ridge's business areas 88%
C
89%
C
80% 85% 85% 86% 84% 85%
Strengthen Wheat Ridge's community image and identity 82%
C
75% 72% 76% 75% 76% 78% 75%
Promote efforts to attract and recruit new types of retail businesses to Wheat Ridge 81% 88%
A
83% 83% 86% 85% 85% 84%
Promote efforts to revitalize business corridors such as 38th Avenue, 44th Avenue,
Wadsworth Boulevard and Kipling St
87%
C
89%
C
80% 83% 88%
A
86% 83% 84%
Promote efforts to attract new jobs 84% 83% 78% 79% 85%
A
82% 82% 81%
Table 152: Question 22 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
To what degree, if at all, is homelessness a problem in the City of Wheat Ridge?
(Percent rating as "major problem" or "moderate problem").
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
To what degree, if at all, is homelessness a problem in the City of Wheat Ridge? 68% 75%
A
82%
A B
80%
B
71% 74% 80%
A
77%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Table 153: Question 23 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
How important to you, if at all, is it for the City to contribute funding to community-based
organizations that provide each of the following services to the homeless populations?
(Percent rating as "essential" or "very important")
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone,
not Hispanic
Hispanic
and/or other
race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Job training programs 67% 60% 63% 68%
B
58% 60% 76%
A
63%
Mental health programs 93%
B C
83% 79% 89%
B
81% 85% 85% 84%
Substance abuse programs 92%
B C
79% 77% 87%
B
77% 83% 84% 81%
Shelters for severe weather 82%
B C
75% 72% 83%
B
69% 75% 83%
A
75%
Housing/rental assistance programs 72% 65% 65% 75%
B
60% 66% 77%
A
67%
Supportive housing, which combines housing with services such as job training and
substance abuse treatment
87%
B C
75% 70% 81%
B
72% 77% 79% 76%
Table 154: Question 24 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are secondary, independent housing units with a separate
entrance, kitchen, bath, and bed created within a single family home or on its lot. Currently the
City does not allow ADUs, which means any existing ADU may or may not be legal. To what
extent do you support or oppose the City doing each of the following? (Percent rating as
"strongly support" or "somewhat support").
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone,
not
Hispanic
Hispanic
and/or other
race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Allowing and regulating existing ADUs 73%
C
73%
C
60% 70% 67% 71%
B
63% 68%
Allowing and regulating new ADUs 69%
C
72%
C
56% 68% 62% 67% 63% 64%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Table 155: Question 25 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
If ADUs were allowed, how important to you, if at all, would each of the following
regulations be? (Percent rating as "essential" or "very important")
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Ensure the ADU is architecturally compatible with the existing home 63% 64% 73%
A B
68% 68% 66% 76%
A
68%
Restrict the size of the ADU 38% 54%
A
71%
A B
60% 55% 58% 51% 58%
Limit the number of people allowed to live in the ADU 52% 71%
A
81%
A B
72% 69% 72%
B
64% 71%
Require the property owner to live in either the main house or ADU 49% 54% 74%
A B
61% 61% 65%
B
47% 61%
Require off-street parking 48% 52% 69%
A B
58% 59% 61%
B
50% 59%
Table 156: Question 26 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
How likely, if at all, would you be to consider adding an ADU for each of the following
reasons? (Percent rating as "very likely" or "somewhat likely").
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
For an elderly family member 77% 74% 74% 79%
B
70% 74% 83%
A
74%
For a disabled family member 75% 67% 75% 75% 70% 71% 80%
A
72%
For an adult child 50% 55% 53% 59%
B
47% 50% 65%
A
52%
For visitors 64%
B C
53%
C
36% 51% 48% 47% 62%
A
49%
For my own personal use 61%
C
56%
C
44% 55% 49% 51% 64%
A
52%
For rental income 73%
B C
54%
C
37% 53% 53% 50% 65%
A
52%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Table 157: Question 27 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
How important to you, if at all, is it that the City focus on each of the following areas of
environmental sustainability, which may or may not increase costs for taxpayers? (Percent
rating as "essential" or "very important")
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone,
not Hispanic
Hispanic
and/or other
race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Expanding access to residential recycling and composting services 71%
C
67%
C
58% 71%
B
59% 65% 64% 64%
Implementing organized trash hauling in neighborhoods 64%
C
61% 55% 64%
B
55% 60% 61% 59%
Promoting use of drought-tolerant and native landscaping 70%
B C
57% 51% 65%
B
53% 57% 67%
A
58%
Establishing a permanent fee paid by residential and commercial properties for storm water
management and water quality for needed capital improvements and to improve the City's
storm water drainage system
49% 42% 45% 47% 44% 47% 47% 45%
Encouraging biking or walking, instead of automobile use 59%
B C
43% 44% 51% 46% 48% 51% 47%
Ensuring availability of and access to public transit 65% 66% 63% 68% 62% 64% 68% 64%
Implementing energy efficiency improvements for city facilities 70%
C
63% 57% 67%
B
59% 63% 67% 62%
Requiring green building practices for new commercial and residential construction 77%
B C
58% 55% 66%
B
59% 62% 65% 62%
Promoting renewable energy (wind or solar) in the community 71%
C
67%
C
57% 68%
B
61% 64% 63% 63%
Promoting renewable energy (wind or solar) in the home 68%
C
64%
C
51% 63% 58% 60% 58% 59%
Creating walkable communities (providing sidewalk connections, bike lanes,
retail/shopping/grocery closer to homes, etc.)
93%
B C
76%
C
63% 79%
B
73% 77% 73% 75%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Table 158: Question 28 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
In the last 12 months, about how many times, if ever, have you or other household members
used the following sources of information for news about Wheat Ridge? (Percent using at
least once in the last 12 months).
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone,
not Hispanic
Hispanic
and/or other
race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
City Quarterly "Connections” Newsletter 68% 72% 76%
A
72% 72% 73% 70% 72%
Parks and Recreation Activity Guide 37% 63%
A
66%
A
61%
B
53% 56% 62% 57%
Denver Post 37% 40% 41% 43% 37% 42% 37% 40%
Denver Post YourHub 6% 9% 24%
A B
16% 14% 15% 15% 15%
Jeffco Transcript 8% 24%
A
41%
A B
26% 28% 30%
B
17% 28%
Neighborhood Gazette 69% 74% 72% 71% 73% 74%
B
64% 72%
Denver Gazette 15% 16% 16% 16% 16% 15% 22%
A
16%
Radio news 38% 45% 47%
A
43% 45% 43% 46% 44%
Television news 38% 60%
A
72%
A B
65%
B
53% 58% 64% 60%
WRTV8 (Government Access Channel) 7% 16%
A
21%
A
18% 14% 14% 23%
A
16%
City live/on-demand video streaming, including City Council meetings 15% 21% 18% 19% 18% 16% 24%
A
18%
City's website: www.ci.wheatridge.co.us 61%
C
65%
C
39% 50% 55% 57%
B
40% 52%
City website automatic notifications (e.g., community events, calendar listing) 19% 27%
A
25% 30%
B
17% 22% 30%
A
24%
City of Wheat Ridge social media sites (Facebook, Twitter) 31%
C
37%
C
16% 31%
B
21% 25% 30% 26%
Wheat Ridge Speaks 13% 13% 10% 12% 12% 13% 11% 12%
What's Up Wheat Ridge 22% 16% 17% 19% 18% 18% 19% 18%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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In the last 12 months, about how many times, if ever, have you or other household members
used the following sources of information for news about Wheat Ridge? (Percent using at
least once in the last 12 months).
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone,
not Hispanic
Hispanic
and/or other
race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Wheat Ridge Police Department social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) 28%
C
31%
C
16% 28%
B
20% 24% 24% 24%
Wheat Ridge Recreation Center's Facebook page 15% 17% 16% 18%
B
13% 14% 21%
A
16%
Community-created Facebook groups/pages about Wheat Ridge 19% 33%
A C
18% 27%
B
17% 22% 21% 22%
Neighborhood websites (e.g., NextDoor, etc.) 50%
C
57%
C
35% 53%
B
38% 49%
B
37% 45%
Word of mouth 70% 76% 75% 75% 72% 76%
B
65% 74%
Table 159: Question 29 by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity of the Respondent
In a typical month, about how many times, if ever, do you use each of the following
social media sites? (Percent rating as at least once).
18-
34
35-
54 55+ Female Male
White alone, not
Hispanic
Hispanic and/or
other race Overall
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (A) (B) (A)
Facebook 70%
C
68%
C
48% 70%
B
49% 59% 64% 59%
Twitter 37%
B C
28%
C
11% 22% 24% 24% 23% 23%
YouTube 87%
C
85%
C
51% 68% 74%
A
71% 72% 71%
LinkedIn 55%
C
48%
C
17% 35% 39% 38% 35% 36%
NextDoor 45%
C
53%
A C
32% 48%
B
35% 48%
B
27% 42%
Instagram 65%
B C
50%
C
13% 46%
B
30% 38% 40% 38%
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Page 140
Appendix C: Comparisons of Survey Results over Time
Understanding the Tables
For most of the questions in the tables that follow, one number appears for each question. Responses have been summarized to show only
the proportion of respondents giving a certain answer; for example, the percent of respondents who rated the quality of life as excellent or
good.
The subgroup comparison tables contain the crosstabulations of survey questions by various demographic characteristics. Chi-square or
ANOVA tests of significance were applied to these breakdowns of survey questions. A “p-value” of 0.05 or less indicates that there is less
than a 5% probability that differences observed between groups are due to chance; or in other words, a greater than 95% probability that the
differences observed in the selected categories of the sample represent “real” differences among those populations. As subgroups vary in
size and each group (and each comparison to another group) has a unique margin of error, statistical testing is used to determine whether
differences between subgroups are statistically significant.
Each column in the following tables is labeled with a letter for each subgroup being compared. The “Overall” column, which shows the
ratings for all respondents, also has a column designation of “(A)”, but no statistical tests were done for the overall rating.
For each pair of subgroup ratings within a row (a single question item) that has a statistically significant difference, an uppercase letter
denoting significance is shown in the cell with the larger column proportion. The letter denotes the subgroup with the smaller column
proportion from which it is statistically different. Subgroups that have no uppercase letter denotation in their column and that are also not
referred to in any other column were not statistically different.
For example, in Table 160 on the next page, respondents in 2021 (A) were statistically significantly more likely than those in 2015 (C) and
2006 (F) to give excellent or good ratings to the city as a place to live. This is denoted by the “C F” under the proportion of respondents in
column A (88%).
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Table 160: Question 1 by Survey Year
Please rate each of the following aspects of quality of life in Wheat Ridge: (Percent rating as "excellent" or
"good").
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Wheat Ridge as a place to live 88%
C F
90%
C D E F
G
84% 87%
F
86%
F
82% 86%
F
Your neighborhood as a place to live 80%
F G
79%
F G
78%
F
77% 77%
F
73% 75%
Wheat Ridge as a place to raise children 80%
C E F
77% 74% 76% 74% 74% 77%
Wheat Ridge as a place to work 64%
C E
61%
C E
51% 58%
C
55%
Wheat Ridge as a place to retire 69% 73%
C E F G
67% 71% 68% 68% 68%
The physical attractiveness of Wheat Ridge as a whole 59%
B C D E F
G
52% 52% 53%
E
48% 52% 52%
Overall quality of life in Wheat Ridge 81%
E F G
81%
E F G
78%
E
79%
E F
74% 75% 77%
Table 161: Question 2 by Survey Year
Do you think the quality of life in Wheat Ridge is likely to improve, stay the same, or decline over the
next 5 years?
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Improve a lot 16%
D E F
G
13%
G
17%
B D E F
G
11%
G
11%
G
11%
G
5%
Improve slightly 43%
F G
49%
A C D E F
G
43%
F G
43%
F G
39%
G
35% 31%
Stay the same 18% 19% 22%
A
31%
A B
C
28%
A B C
29%
A B C
38%
A B C D E
F
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Do you think the quality of life in Wheat Ridge is likely to improve, stay the same, or decline over the
next 5 years?
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Decline slightly 18%
C D
16% 14% 13% 19%
B C
D
20%
B C
D
21%
B C D
Decline a lot 6%
B D E
3% 4% 2% 3% 5%
D
5%
D
Table 162: Question 3 by Survey Year
What are your reasons for living in Wheat Ridge? (Please select all that apply.) 2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
I feel safe here 44% 44% 46% NA NA NA NA
I like the school my children attend 8% 8% 8% NA NA NA NA
My job is here 12% 12% 14% NA NA NA NA
I like my neighborhood 55% 49% 54% NA NA NA NA
I like the location in general 75% 76% 72% NA NA NA NA
I like the access to dining and entertainment 27% 29% 26% NA NA NA NA
Housing and rental rates are affordable 29% 29% 36% NA NA NA NA
I've always lived here 12% 13% 15% NA NA NA NA
I have friends and family in the area 28% 26% 28% NA NA NA NA
Small town feel 26% 27% NA NA NA NA NA
Cost of living is affordable 19% 26% 34% NA NA NA NA
I like that the community is forward-thinking 14% 16% 15% NA NA NA NA
The growing and diverse community 13% 14% 14% NA NA NA NA
None of these 5% 4% NA NA NA NA NA
*Total may exceed 100% as respondents could select more than one answer. Statistical testing was not performed.
Table 163: Question 4 by Survey Year
Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Wheat Ridge as a whole: (Percent rating as "excellent"
or "good").
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Sense of community 63%
C D
63%
C D
53% 59%
C
Openness and acceptance of the community toward people of diverse backgrounds 58% 59% 56% 63%
A C
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Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Wheat Ridge as a whole: (Percent rating as "excellent"
or "good").
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Cleanliness of Wheat Ridge 57% 60% 60% 66%
A B
C
Overall quality of new development in Wheat Ridge 52% 54%
D
52% 49%
Variety of housing options 54%
B
49% 50% 55%
B C
Overall quality of business and service establishments in Wheat Ridge 62%
B C
D
57%
C D
48% 51%
Shopping opportunities 48%
B C
D
37% 36% 37%
Opportunities to attend cultural activities 32% 41%
A C
D
31% 34%
Recreational opportunities 72%
C
77%
A C
D
66% 70%
Employment opportunities 39%
C D
38%
C D
25% 25%
Educational opportunities 48%
C D
45%
C
36% 42%
C
Opportunities to participate in social events and activities 51%
D
59%
A C
D
48% 46%
Opportunities to volunteer 56% 69%
A C
60% 65%
A
Opportunities to participate in civic matters 56% 63%
A C
56% 59%
Availability of parks 86%
Availability of paths and walking trails 82%
C D
79%
C D
74%
D
70%
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Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Wheat Ridge as a whole: (Percent rating as "excellent"
or "good").
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Availability of bike trails 78%
C
77%
C
71%
Availability of affordable quality housing 37% 35% 43%
A B
51%
A B
C
Availability of affordable quality child care 34% 33% 33% 44%
A B
C
Availability of affordable quality health care 62% 62% 61% 62%
Availability of affordable quality food 67%
C D
69%
C D
61% 57%
Availability of preventive health services 63% 64% 61% 63%
Air quality 58% 64%
A
67%
A
66%
A
Quality of overall natural environment in Wheat Ridge 70% 70% 68% 71%
Overall image or reputation of Wheat Ridge 67%
B C
D
61% 60% 61%
Table 164: Question 5 by Survey Year
Please rate your community on each of the following: (Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Making all residents feel welcome 65%
Helping new residents feel connected and integrated 49%
Attracting people from diverse backgrounds 41%
Valuing residents from diverse backgrounds 47%
Demonstrating respect for residents of different cultures and belief systems 54%
Treating all residents fairly 59%
Providing a safe and secure environment for residents of all backgrounds 57%
Respecting individual cultural beliefs and values 60%
Providing equal employment opportunities to residents of all backgrounds 55%
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Please rate your community on each of the following: (Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Providing equal access to housing for residents of all backgrounds 57%
Making all residents feel welcome in business establishments 70%
Welcoming residents from all backgrounds to participate in local government and community decision-making 59%
Table 165: Question 6 by Survey Year
Please indicate how likely or unlikely you are to do each of the following: (Percent rating as "very likely" or "somewhat
likely")
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Recommend living in Wheat Ridge to someone who asks 87% 90%
A
90%
A
90%
A
Remain in Wheat Ridge for the next five years 83% 86%
A
87%
A
88%
A
Table 166: Question 7 by Survey Year
Despite the limitation of some of these facilities and services due to COVID, in the last 12 months, about how
many times, if ever, have you or other household members participated in the following activities in Wheat Ridge?
(Percent rating at least once)
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Used Wheat Ridge Recreation Center 39% 59%
A
58%
A
61%
A
64%
A B C
63%
A B C
63%
A B C
Participated in a recreation program or activity 30% 42%
A
39%
A
44%
A C
44%
A C
44%
A C
42%
A
Used a Wheat Ridge park or trail 86%
G
86%
G
85% 85% 85%
G
84% 82%
Visited the Anderson Building for a reason not related to the outdoor pool 18%
Used a Wheat Ridge bike/pedestrian path 79%
D G
78%
G
76%
G
75%
G
76%
G
75%
G
71%
Used Clear Creek Trail 67% 68%
Attended a (virtual) meeting of local city officials or other local public meeting 18% 23%
A
26%
A F
G
24%
A
27%
A F G
21% 23%
A
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Despite the limitation of some of these facilities and services due to COVID, in the last 12 months, about how
many times, if ever, have you or other household members participated in the following activities in Wheat Ridge?
(Percent rating at least once)
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Watched a meeting of local city officials (on cable television, YouTube, etc.) 21% 21% 25% 32%
A B
C
44%
A B C
D
41%
A B C
D
42%
A B C
D
Participated in a senior program 12% 15%
A
16%
A
18%
A G
20%
A B C
G
17%
A
15%
Dined at a Wheat Ridge restaurant (other than fast food) 87% 93%
A C D
F G
89% 89% 92%
A
90%
A
90%
A
Used the Wheat Ridge Library 38% 48%
A
52%
A B
52%
A B
54%
A B F
G
49%
A
50%
A
Attended a Wheat Ridge festival or special event 42% 68%
A C
61%
A
Ridden an RTD bus 25% 37%
A
38%
A
40%
A
44%
A B C
F G
36%
A
40%
A
Ridden the G-Line from the Wheat Ridge-Ward station 21%
Table 167: Question 8 by Survey Year
Please rate the following aspects of transportation within the City of Wheat Ridge: (Percent rating as
"excellent" or "good").
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Condition of city streets 49% 64%
A C
54%
A
64%
A C
61%
A C
68%
A C
E
70%
A B C D
E
Access to mass transit 67% 67%
Ease of car travel in Wheat Ridge 73%
B C D E F
G
66%
C
58% 68%
C G
65%
C
65%
C
64%
C
Ease of bus travel in Wheat Ridge 62% 69%
A C D E F
G
61% 58% 60% 61% 57%
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Please rate the following aspects of transportation within the City of Wheat Ridge: (Percent rating as
"excellent" or "good").
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Ease of commuter rail use in Wheat Ridge 53%
Ease of walking in Wheat Ridge 62%
B D E
56%
D
58%
D
50% 56%
D
58%
D
Ease of bicycle travel in Wheat Ridge 66%
B C D
61%
D
58%
D
50%
Traffic flow on major streets 42%
B C
31% 33% 46%
B C
Table 168: Question 9: Quality by Survey Year
The following are services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge. For each service, please rate the quality of each
service: (Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Snow removal 65%
E
64%
E
67%
E
67%
E
58% 69%
A B E
G
64%
E
Street repair and maintenance 45% 52%
A C
42% 56%
A C E
51%
A C
58%
A B C
E
55%
A C E
Street cleaning 56% 64%
A C E
57% 62%
A
58% 63%
A C E
62%
A C
Traffic enforcement 60% 64%
A
66%
A
69%
A B
69%
A B
69%
A B
66%
A
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control, trash, outside storage) 41% 49%
A F
G
48%
A F
G
49%
A F G
45%
A
42% 42%
Animal control 68%
B
60% 68%
B
71%
B
Land use, planning and zoning 43% 42% 43% 46% 41%
Building permits 48% 52% 48% 51% 56%
A C
54% 56%
A C
Building inspections 49% 49% 52% 59%
A B F
57%
A B
52% 54%
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The following are services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge. For each service, please rate the quality of each
service: (Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Maintenance of existing city parks 80%
B G
74% 77% 80%
B G
77% 79%
B
76%
Maintenance of open space and trails 79%
G
77% 78%
G
77% 75% 80%
E G
74%
Recreation programs 79% 78% 79% 82% 81% 81% 81%
Recreation facilities 84%
B
77% 83%
B
85%
B
85%
B
87%
B C
85%
B
Community/public art 41% 47%
A C
D
40% 41% 45%
C
43%
Services/programs for youth 58% 61%
F
64%
F
64%
F
65%
F
54% 64%
F
Services/programs for seniors 66% 68% 76%
A B
77%
A B
72% 74%
A B
75%
A B
Municipal court 62%
B
54% 60% 67%
B
66%
B
68%
B C
66%
B
Public information services 55%
C
56%
C
48%
Community engagement by City staff 49%
Policing services 69% 68% 69% 76%
A B C
73%
A B
72% 76%
A B
C
Police response time to emergency police calls (not code enforcement) 80%
B
74% 79%
B
83%
B F
79%
B
79%
B
79%
B
Police response time to non-emergency police calls (not code enforcement) 69% 68% 72%
F
77%
A B E F
G
69% 64% 71%
F
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers, neighborhood watch, citizen police academy) 56% 70%
A C
59% 67%
A C
Community-oriented policing 55%
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Table 169: Question 9: Importance by Survey Year
The following are services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge. For each service, please rate the
importance of each service: (Percent rating as "essential" or "very important")
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Snow removal 87%
B E F
G
83%
F
90%
B D E F
G
83%
F
83%
F
77% 82%
F
Street repair and maintenance 91%
B E F
G
88% 95%
A B D E
F G
89% 86% 87% 86%
Street cleaning 59%
D F
68%
A C D E
F G
61%
D E F G
53% 55% 53% 55%
Traffic enforcement 68% 73%
A
76%
A
72% 77%
A
78%
A B D
82%
A B C D
E
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control, trash, outside storage) 62% 66%
C
59% 66%
C
69%
A C
72%
A B C D
G
67%
A C
Animal control 63%
B
56% 59% 60%
Land use, planning and zoning 76% 74% 77% 79%
B
76%
Building permits 73%
B C E
G
66% 63% 68% 64% 68% 65%
Building inspections 76%
E G
73% 71% 72% 71% 77%
C E G
70%
Maintenance of existing city parks 88%
B F G
83%
G
86%
G
85%
G
85%
G
83%
G
77%
Maintenance of open space and trails 87%
D E F
G
86%
D E F G
84%
D F G
80%
G
82%
F G
77%
G
74%
Recreation programs 63% 75%
A C G
66% 72%
A C
72%
A C
71%
A
69%
A
Recreation facilities 72%
B
66% 73%
B
74%
B
76%
B
75%
B
74%
B
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The following are services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge. For each service, please rate the
importance of each service: (Percent rating as "essential" or "very important")
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Community/public art 44%
C F
53%
A C D E
F
37% 44%
C F
46%
C F
38%
Services/programs for youth 80%
C
80% 76% 79% 81%
C
83%
C
81%
C
Services/programs for seniors 77%
B C
68% 70% 75%
B C
77%
B C
79%
B C
76%
B C
Municipal court 76%
B
69% 75%
B
76%
B
78%
B
79%
B
78%
B
Public information services 71%
B
63% 68%
B
Community engagement by City staff 62%
Policing services 84% 87%
A
87% 91%
A B
C
91%
A B
C
94%
A B C D
E
94%
A B C D
E
Police response time to emergency police calls (not code enforcement) 96%
B
93% 97%
B
97%
B
97%
B
97%
B
97%
B
Police response time to non-emergency police calls (not code enforcement) 82% 88%
A
87%
A
89%
A
88%
A
89%
A
87%
A
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers, neighborhood watch, citizen police academy) 86% 89% 86% 94%
A B
C
Community-oriented policing 74%
Table 170: Question 10 by Survey Year
Overall, how would you rate the quality of the services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge? (Percent rating as
"excellent" or "good").
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Overall, how would you rate the quality of the services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge? 73% 73% 72% 75% 75%
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Table 171: Question 11 by Survey Year
How would you rate the overall performance of the Wheat Ridge city government: (Percent rating as "excellent" or
"good").
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
How would you rate the overall performance of the Wheat Ridge city government? 66%
C G
64%
C
51% 64%
C
65%
C G
62%
C
60%
C
Table 172: Question 12 by Survey Year
Please rate the following aspects of Wheat Ridge city government performance: (Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
The extent to which Wheat Ridge elected officials act in the best interest of the community at large 62%
B C
57%
C
42% 59%
C
The quality of work performed by City of Wheat Ridge employees 76%
C
72%
C
67% 72%
The value of services for the taxes paid to Wheat Ridge 57%
C
52% 48% 53%
The overall direction that Wheat Ridge is taking 57%
C
60%
C
51% 56%
The job Wheat Ridge does at informing residents on major issues within the community 49%
C
52%
C
36% 48%
C
The job Wheat Ridge government does at welcoming resident involvement 50%
C
55%
C
43% 50%
C
Table 173: Question 13 by Survey Year
In the last 12 months, have you had any in-person, phone or email contact with a City of Wheat Ridge employee(s)?
(Percent rating as "yes").
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
In the last 12 months, have you had any in-person, phone or email contact with a City of Wheat Ridge employee(s)? 37% 40% 42%
A D
35% 40%
D
44%
A B
D
44%
A D
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Table 174: Question 14 by Survey Year
What was your impression of the City of Wheat Ridge employee(s) overall? (Percent rating as "excellent" or "good").
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Knowledge 81%
C
77% 72% 86%
B C F G
82%
C
78% 78%
Responsiveness 77%
C
72% 71% 81%
B C
76% 76% 76%
Courtesy 82%
C
84%
C
75% 86%
C
85%
C
82%
C
81%
C
Making you feel valued 73%
C
70%
C
60% 76%
C G
69%
C
69%
C
69%
C
Overall impression 77%
C
76%
C
65% 79%
C E
72%
C
75%
C
73%
C
Table 175: Question 15 by Survey Year
Please rate how safe you feel in the following areas in Wheat Ridge (Percent rating as "very safe" or "somewhat safe")
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Parks and playgrounds 84% 87%
E G
85% 88%
A C E G
82% 86%
E G
82%
Recreation centers 93% 94% 93% 92% 92% 92% 92%
In your neighborhood 80% 86%
A C F
81% 85%
A C F
83%
F
78% 85%
A C F
In your home 90% 93%
A E
93%
A E
93%
A E
88%
On the trail system 76%
E F G
73%
F G
72%
F G
75%
E F G
70% 67% 67%
On roadways 72% 70% 74%
B
Retail/commercial areas 82% 82% 84% 83% 83% 83%
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Table 176: Question 16 by Survey Year
Please indicate whether or not each of the following has applied to you in the last 12 months (Percent rating as "yes")
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Household member was a victim of a crime in Wheat Ridge 13% 13% 14%
Reported a crime to the police in Wheat Ridge 22% 24% 24%
Table 177: Question 17 by Survey Year
How important, if at all, is it for the City of Wheat Ridge Police Department to prioritize resources in each of the
following areas in the next 12 months? (Percent rating as "essential" or "very important")
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Solving violent crimes 77%
B
69% 76%
B
Solving property crimes 41%
B
36% 43%
B
Reducing illegal activities committed by youth 34% 33% 42%
A B
Reducing illegal drug activity 45% 41% 48%
B
Enforcement of traffic laws 22% 25% 25%
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control, trash, etc.) 18% 17% 19%
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers, neighborhood watch, citizen police academy) 37% 42%
A
39%
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Table 178: Question 18 by Survey Year
How much of a priority, if at all, should the City of Wheat Ridge Police Department place on each of the
following in the next two years? (Percent rating as "high priority" or "medium priority")
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Better connection with the community (i.e., community forums, events) 84% 83%
Increased visibility of police
74% 79%
A
Additional City resources directed towards crime-related mental health issues in the community 92%
Greater accessibility to police and police-related information 79% 76%
More community policing officers (problem solving at a community level such as neighborhood problems) 80% 78%
Adding officers in public schools
57% 68%
A
Adding surveillance cameras in high crime areas
77% 82%
A
Table 179: Question 19 by Survey Year
When you shop outside of Wheat Ridge, why do you shop outside of Wheat Ridge? (Check all that apply.) 2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
It is convenient; on my way to or from work or near my home 49% 43% 38% 41% 38% 40% 39%
I like the range of quality goods and services 48% 45% 44% 46% 41% 41% 42%
Desired item is not available in Wheat Ridge 69% 69% 72% 71% 69% 67% 71%
It is more affordable 14% 19% 19% 22% 20% 20% 16%
Visit a mall or other major retailers 46% 50% 53% 57% 57% NA NA
I shop online 58% 55% NA NA NA NA NA
Other 10% 6% 15% 17% 18% 5% 4%
*Total may exceed 100% as respondents could select more than one answer. Respondents who selected “don’t shop outside of Wheat Ridge” were removed from the total since they should have
skipped the question. Statistical testing was not performed.
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Table 180: Question 20 by Survey Year
For each type of shopping, please estimate how frequently you make purchases in Wheat Ridge: (Percent rating
as "very frequently" or "somewhat frequently").
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Grocery shopping 84% 89%
A D
87%
D
82% 87%
D
91%
A C D E
G
88%
A D
Health services 44% 45% 44% 47% 52%
A B C
D
55%
A B C D
54%
A B C
D
Meals and entertainment 63% 64% 63% 62% 68%
A B C
D
68%
A B C D
68%
A B C
D
Household items 56% 57% 58% 59% 63%
A B C
65%
A B C D
63%
A B C
Computers and electronics 11% 9% 13%
B
16%
A B F
G
14%
B
12% 12%
General retail (shoes, drug stores, clothing, etc.) 39%
B C
32% 31% 41%
B C
41%
B C
43%
B C
44%
A B C
Table 181: Question 21 by Survey Year
How much do you agree or disagree that the City of Wheat Ridge should do each of the following? (Percent rating as
"strongly agree" or "somewhat agree").
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Promote efforts to revitalize Wheat Ridge's housing areas 75% 80%
A
78% 78% 79%
A
79%
A
77%
Promote efforts to revitalize Wheat Ridge's business areas 85%
G
85%
G
84%
G
85%
G
83%
G
83%
G
78%
Strengthen Wheat Ridge's community image and identity 75% 76%
G
80%
A G
78%
G
81%
A B
G
78%
G
72%
Promote efforts to attract and recruit new types of retail businesses to Wheat Ridge 84%
B F
G
79%
G
81%
G
87%
B C E F
G
82%
G
78%
G
71%
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How much do you agree or disagree that the City of Wheat Ridge should do each of the following? (Percent rating as
"strongly agree" or "somewhat agree").
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Promote efforts to revitalize business corridors such as 38th Avenue, 44th Avenue, Wadsworth Boulevard and
Kipling St
84%
C G
82%
C
77% 87%
B C F G
85%
C G
83%
C G
79%
Promote efforts to attract new jobs 81% 78%
Table 182: Question 22 by Survey Year
To what degree, if at all, is homelessness a problem in the City of Wheat Ridge? (Percent rating as "major problem" or
"moderate problem").
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
To what degree, if at all, is homelessness a problem in the City of Wheat Ridge? 77%
B
61%
Table 183: Question 23 by Survey Year
How important to you, if at all, is it for the City to contribute funding to community-based organizations that provide
each of the following services to the homeless populations? (Percent rating as "essential" or "very important")
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Job training programs 63% 60%
Mental health programs 84% 81%
Substance abuse programs 81%
B
78%
Shelters for severe weather 75%
B
69%
Housing/rental assistance programs 67%
B
61%
Supportive housing, which combines housing with services such as job training and substance abuse treatment 76%
B
69%
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Table 184: Question 25 by Survey Year
If ADUs were allowed, how important to you, if at all, would each of the following regulations be? (Percent rating as
"essential" or "very important")
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Ensure the ADU is architecturally compatible with the existing home 68% 71%
Restrict the size of the ADU 58% 53%
Limit the number of people allowed to live in the ADU 71% 69%
Require the property owner to live in either the main house or ADU 61%
B
54%
Require off-street parking 59% 61%
Table 185: Question 26 by Survey Year
How likely, if at all, would you be to consider adding an ADU for each of the following reasons? (Percent rating as "very
likely" or "somewhat likely").
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
For an elderly family member 74% 82%
A
For a disabled family member 72% 79%
A
For an adult child 52% 54%
For visitors 49% 51%
For my own personal use 52% 56%
For rental income 52% 55%
Table 186: Question 27
How important to you, if at all, is it that the City focus on each of the following areas of environmental sustainability,
which may or may not increase costs for taxpayers? (Percent rating as "essential" or "very important")
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Expanding access to residential recycling and composting services 64%
Implementing organized trash hauling in neighborhoods 59%
Promoting use of drought-tolerant and native landscaping 58%
Establishing a permanent fee paid by residential and commercial properties for storm water management and water
quality for needed capital improvements and to improve the City's storm water drainage system
45%
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How important to you, if at all, is it that the City focus on each of the following areas of environmental sustainability,
which may or may not increase costs for taxpayers? (Percent rating as "essential" or "very important")
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Encouraging biking or walking, instead of automobile use 47% 53%
A
Ensuring availability of and access to public transit 64% 72%
A
Implementing energy efficiency improvements for city facilities 62%
Requiring green building practices for new commercial and residential construction 62%
Promoting renewable energy (wind or solar) in the community 63% 69%
A
Promoting renewable energy (wind or solar) in the home 59% 68%
A
Creating walkable communities (providing sidewalk connections, bike lanes, retail/shopping/grocery closer to homes,
etc.)
75% 75%
Table 187: Question 28 by Survey Year
In the last 12 months, about how many times, if ever, have you or other household members used the following
sources of information for news about Wheat Ridge? (Percent using at least once in the last 12 months).
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
City Quarterly "Connections” Newsletter 72%
D F G
73%
D F G
72%
D G
67% 70%
G
68%
G
64%
Parks and Recreation Activity Guide 57% 71%
A
Denver Post 40% 44%
A
49%
A B
60%
A B
C
69%
A B C
D
71%
A B C
D
74%
A B C
D E
Denver Post YourHub 15% 24%
A
32%
A B D
28%
A
Jeffco Transcript 28%
Neighborhood Gazette 72%
B D
68%
D
68%
D
60%
Denver Gazette 16%
Radio news 44%
D
45%
D
42%
D
33% 52%
A B C
D
48%
C D
52%
A B C
D
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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In the last 12 months, about how many times, if ever, have you or other household members used the following
sources of information for news about Wheat Ridge? (Percent using at least once in the last 12 months).
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Television news 60% 62%
D
62%
D
57% 76%
A B C
D F
71%
A B C
D
75%
A B C
D
WRTV8 (Government Access Channel) 16% 21%
A
20% 30%
A B
C
48%
A B C
D
45%
A B C
D
50%
A B C
D F
City live/on-demand video streaming, including City Council meetings 18%
B C D
10% 11% 11%
City's website: www.ci.wheatridge.co.us 52%
C D E
F G
50%
D E F
G
46%
D E F
G
40%
E F
G
34%
F G
27%
G
23%
City website automatic notifications (e.g., community events, calendar listing) 24% 25% 23%
City of Wheat Ridge social media sites (Facebook, Twitter) 26% 24%
Wheat Ridge Speaks 12%
What's Up Wheat Ridge 18%
Wheat Ridge Police Department social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) 24%
B C
20% 16%
Wheat Ridge Recreation Center's Facebook page 16% 13% 14%
Community-created Facebook groups/pages about Wheat Ridge 22%
C
20% 17%
Neighborhood websites (e.g., NextDoor, etc.) 45%
B C
36%
C
18%
Word of mouth 74% 82%
A D F
G
83%
A D F
G
78%
A
79%
A
76% 76%
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Table 188: Question 29
In a typical month, about how many times, if ever, do you use each of the following social media sites? (Percent rating
as at least once).
2021 2018 2015 2012 2008 2006 2004
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G)
Facebook 59% 66%
A
Twitter 23% 20%
YouTube 71% 72%
LinkedIn 36% 38%
NextDoor 42%
B
31%
Instagram 38%
B
33%
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Appendix D: Benchmark Comparisons
Understanding the Benchmark Comparisons
Communities use the comparative information provided by benchmarks to help interpret their own
resident survey results, to create or revise community plans, to evaluate the success of policy or
budget decisions and to measure local government or organizational performance. Taking the pulse
of the community has little meaning without knowing what pulse rate is too high and what is too low.
When surveys of service satisfaction turn up “good” resident evaluations, it is necessary to know how
others rate their services to understand if “good” is good enough or if most other communities are
“excellent.” Furthermore, in the absence of peer community comparisons, a community is left with
comparing its police protection rating to its street maintenance rating. That comparison is unfair as
street maintenance always gets lower ratings than police protection. More illuminating is how
residents’ ratings of police service compare to opinions about police service in other communities and
to resident ratings over time.
A police department that provides the fastest and most efficient service – one that closes most of its
cases, solves most of its crimes, and keeps the crime rate low – still has a problem to fix if the
residents in the community rate police services lower than ratings given by residents in other cities
with objectively “worse” departments. Benchmark data can help that police department – or any
department – to understand how well citizens think it is doing.
While benchmarks help set the basis for evaluation, resident opinion should be used in conjunction
with other sources of data about budget, population demographics, personnel and politics to help
administrators know how to respond to comparative results.
Comparison Data
NRC has designed a method for quantitatively integrating the results of surveys that we have
conducted with those that others have conducted. These integration methods have been described
thoroughly in Public Administration Review, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, and in
NRC’s first book on conducting and using citizen surveys, Citizen Surveys: how to do them, how to use
them, what they mean, published by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).
Scholars who specialize in the analysis of citizen surveys regularly have relied on NRC’s work. 1,2 The
method described in those publications is refined regularly and statistically tested on a growing
number of resident surveys in NRC’s proprietary databases.
Communities in NRC’s benchmark database are distributed geographically across the country and
range from small to large in population size. Comparisons may be made to all communities in the
database or to a subset. Despite the differences in characteristics across communities, all are in the
business of providing services to residents. Though individual community circumstances, resources
and practices vary, the objective in every community is to provide services that are so timely, tailored
and effective that residents conclude the services are of the highest quality. High ratings in any
community, like SAT scores in any teen household, bring pride and a sense of accomplishment.
1 Kelly, J. & Swindell, D. (2002). Service quality variation across urban space: First steps towards a model of citizen
satisfaction, Journal of Urban Affairs, 24, 271-288.
2 Van Ryzin, G., Muzzio, D., Immerwahr, S., Gulick, L. & Martinez, E. (2004). Drivers and consequences of citizen
satisfaction: An application of the American Customer Satisfaction Index Model to New York City, Public Administration
Review, 64, 331-341.
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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NRC’s database of comparative resident opinion is comprised of resident perspectives gathered in
citizen surveys from approximately 500 communities whose residents evaluated local government
services and gave their opinion about the quality of community life. The comparison evaluations are
from the most recent survey completed in each jurisdiction; most communities conduct surveys
every year or in alternating years. NRC adds the latest results quickly upon survey completion,
keeping the benchmark data fresh and relevant. The City of Wheat Ridge chose to have comparisons
made to communities across the nation as well as to communities in Colorado’s Front Range.
Interpreting the Results
Average ratings are compared when questions similar to those asked in the Wheat Ridge survey are
included in NRC’s database, and there are at least five jurisdictions in which the question was asked.
Where comparisons for quality ratings were available, the City of Wheat Ridge’s results were noted as
being “higher” than the benchmark, “lower” than the benchmark or “similar” to the benchmark. In
instances where ratings are considerably higher or lower than the benchmark, these ratings have
been further demarcated by the attribute of “much,” (for example, “much lower” or “much higher”).
These labels come from a statistical comparison of Wheat Ridge’s rating to the benchmark where a
rating is considered “similar” if it is within the margin of error (5 points on the 100-point scale);
“higher” or “lower” if the difference between Wheat Ridge’s rating and the benchmark is greater the
margin of error (greater than 5 points but less than 10 points); and “much higher” or “much lower” if the
difference between Wheat Ridge’s rating and the benchmark is more than twice the margin of error
(10 points).
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National Benchmark Comparisons
For the evaluative ratings, 5 of the items were higher than the national benchmark comparison, 47
were similar and 28 were lower.
Table 189: Quality of Life
Percent
positive Rank
Number of communities in
comparison
Comparison to
benchmark
Wheat Ridge as a place to live 88% 227 393 Similar
Your neighborhood as a place to
live 80% 214 326 Similar
Wheat Ridge as a place to raise
children 80% 239 390 Similar
Wheat Ridge as a place to work 64% 180 374 Similar
Wheat Ridge as a place to retire 69% 159 374 Similar
Overall quality of life in Wheat
Ridge 81% 268 449 Similar
Table 190: Likelihood of Remaining in and Recommending Wheat Ridge
Percent
positive Rank
Number of communities in
comparison
Comparison to
benchmark
Recommend living in Wheat Ridge to
someone who asks 87% 166 304 Similar
Remain in Wheat Ridge for the next
five years 83% 178 298 Similar
Table 191: Community Characteristics
Percent
positive Rank
Number of communities
in comparison
Comparison to
benchmark
Sense of community 63% 197 321 Similar
Openness and acceptance of the community
toward people of diverse backgrounds 58% 205 315 Similar
Cleanliness of Wheat Ridge 57% 254 321 Much lower
Overall quality of new development in Wheat
Ridge 52% 217 310 Similar
Variety of housing options 54% 140 298 Similar
Overall quality of business and service
establishments in Wheat Ridge 62% 195 293 Similar
Shopping opportunities 48% 195 311 Similar
Opportunities to attend cultural activities 32% 289 310 Much lower
Recreational opportunities 72% 144 310 Similar
Employment opportunities 39% 193 325 Similar
Educational opportunities 48% 199 268 Lower
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
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Percent
positive Rank
Number of communities
in comparison
Comparison to
benchmark
Opportunities to participate in social events
and activities 51% 227 288 Lower
Opportunities to volunteer 56% 256 288 Lower
Opportunities to participate in civic matters 56% 225 294 Lower
Availability of paths and walking trails 82% 68 326 Much higher
Availability of affordable quality housing 37% 172 322 Similar
Availability of affordable quality child care 34% 239 282 Much lower
Availability of affordable quality health care 62% 153 284 Similar
Availability of affordable quality food 67% 149 271 Similar
Availability of preventive health services 63% 144 266 Similar
Air quality 58% 253 271 Much lower
Quality of overall natural environment in
Wheat Ridge 70% 230 297 Lower
Overall image or reputation of Wheat Ridge 67% 238 362 Similar
Table 192: Equity and Inclusion
Percent
positive Rank
Number of communities in
comparison
Comparison to
benchmark
Making all residents feel welcome 65% 49 75 Similar
Attracting people from diverse
backgrounds 41% 67 74 Much lower
Treating all residents fairly 59% 144 292 Similar
Table 193: Aspects of Transportation
Percent
positive Rank
Number of communities in
comparison
Comparison to
benchmark
Condition of city streets 49% 8 9 Much lower
Ease of car travel in Wheat
Ridge 73% 137 325 Similar
Ease of bus travel in Wheat
Ridge 62% 3 10 Higher
Ease of walking in Wheat
Ridge 62% 200 326 Similar
Ease of bicycle travel in Wheat
Ridge 66% 89 325 Higher
Traffic flow on major streets 42% 219 348 Similar
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Table 194: Participation in Activities
Percent
positive Rank
Number of communities
in comparison
Comparison to
benchmark
Used Wheat Ridge Recreation Center 39% 221 233 Much lower
Participated in a recreation program or
activity 30% 5 5 Much lower
Used a Wheat Ridge park or trail 86% 110 265 Similar
Attended a (virtual) meeting of local city
officials or other local public meeting 18% 190 285 Similar
Watched a meeting of local city officials (on
cable television, YouTube, etc.) 21% 145 256 Similar
Used the Wheat Ridge Library 38% 243 245 Much lower
Attended a Wheat Ridge festival or special
event 42% 211 257 Much lower
Table 195: City Services
Percent
positive Rank
Number of
communities in
comparison
Comparison to
benchmark
Overall, how would you rate the quality of the
services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge? 73% 267 412 Similar
Snow removal 65% 160 284 Similar
Street repair and maintenance 45% 203 368 Similar
Street cleaning 56% 227 326 Lower
Traffic enforcement 60% 273 373 Similar
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control,
trash, outside storage) 41% 268 381 Lower
Animal control 68% 173 338 Similar
Land use, planning and zoning 43% 198 315 Similar
Building permits 48% 8 11 Lower
Building inspections 49% 8 8 Much lower
Maintenance of existing city parks 80% 10 21 Similar
Recreation programs 79% 127 332 Similar
Recreation facilities 84% 58 298 Higher
Services/programs for youth 58% 11 12 Much lower
Services/programs for seniors 66% 12 22 Similar
Public information services 55% 261 301 Lower
Policing services 69% 374 438 Lower
Police response time to emergency police calls
(not code enforcement) 80% 3 7 Similar
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers,
neighborhood watch, citizen police academy) 56% 293 368 Lower
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Table 196: Safety in Public Areas
Percent
positive Rank
Number of communities in
comparison
Comparison to
benchmark
Parks and
playgrounds 84% 4 11 Similar
In your neighborhood 80% 8 9 Lower
Table 197: City Government Performance
Percent
positive Rank
Number of
communities in
comparison
Comparison to
benchmark
The extent to which Wheat Ridge elected
officials act in the best interest of the
community at large 62% 5 8 Similar
The value of services for the taxes paid to
Wheat Ridge 57% 167 399 Similar
The overall direction that Wheat Ridge is taking 57% 181 336 Similar
The job Wheat Ridge does at informing
residents on major issues within the community 49% 50 79 Similar
The job Wheat Ridge government does at
welcoming resident involvement 50% 179 338 Similar
Table 198: City Employees
Percent
positive Rank
Number of
communities in
comparison
Comparison to
benchmark
In the last 12 months, have you had any in-person,
phone or email contact with a City of Wheat Ridge
employee(s)? 37% 284 347 Lower
Knowledge 81% 22 27 Lower
Responsiveness 77% 22 26 Lower
Courtesy 82% 15 17 Lower
Making you feel valued 73% 4 6 Similar
Overall impression 77% 162 389 Similar
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Communities Included in the National Benchmark Comparison
Listed below are the communities included in the national benchmark comparisons provided for the
City of Wheat Ridge followed by the 2017 population for each according to the U.S. Census.
Adams County, CO .................................. 487,850
Airway Heights city, WA ................................ 8,017
Albany city, OR .......................................... 52,007
Albemarle County, VA .............................. 105,105
Albert Lea city, MN .................................... 17,716
Alexandria city, VA ................................... 154,710
Allegan County, MI .................................. 114,145
American Canyon city, CA ......................... 20,341
Ankeny city, IA ........................................... 56,237
Ann Arbor city, MI .................................... 119,303
Apache Junction city, AZ ........................... 38,452
Arapahoe County, CO .............................. 626,612
Arlington city, TX ...................................... 388,225
Arvada city, CO ........................................ 115,320
Asheville city, NC ....................................... 89,318
Ashland city, OR ........................................ 20,733
Ashland town, MA ..................................... 17,478
Ashland town, VA ......................................... 7,554
Aspen city, CO .............................................. 7,097
Athens-Clarke County, GA, ...................... 122,292
Auburn city, AL .......................................... 61,462
Aurora city, CO ........................................ 357,323
Austin city, TX .......................................... 916,906
Avon town, CO .............................................. 6,503
Avon town, IN ............................................ 16,479
Avondale city, AZ ....................................... 81,590
Azusa city, CA ............................................ 49,029
Bainbridge Island city, WA ........................ 23,689
Baltimore city, MD................................... 619,796
Baltimore County, MD ............................. 828,637
Basehor city, KS ........................................... 5,401
Batavia city, IL ........................................... 26,499
Battle Creek city, MI .................................. 51,505
Bay Village city, OH ................................... 15,426
Baytown city, TX ........................................ 76,205
Beaumont city, CA ..................................... 43,641
Bellingham city, WA .................................. 85,388
Bend city, OR............................................. 87,167
Bethlehem township, PA ........................... 23,800
Bettendorf city, IA...................................... 35,293
Billings city, MT ....................................... 109,082
Bloomington city, IN .................................. 83,636
Bloomington city, MN ................................ 85,417
Boise City city, ID..................................... 220,859
Bonner Springs city, KS ............................... 7,644
Boulder city, CO....................................... 106,271
Bowling Green city, KY .............................. 64,302
Bozeman city, MT ...................................... 43,132
Brookline CDP, MA .................................... 59,246
Brooklyn Center city, MN .......................... 30,885
Brooklyn city, OH ....................................... 10,891
Broomfield city, CO .................................... 64,283
Brownsburg town, IN ................................. 24,625
Buffalo Grove village, IL ............................ 41,551
Burlingame city, CA ................................... 30,401
Cabarrus County, NC ............................... 196,716
Cambridge city, MA ................................. 110,893
Canandaigua city, NY ................................ 10,402
Cannon Beach city, OR ............................... 1,517
Cañon City city, CO .................................... 16,298
Cape Coral city, FL .................................. 173,679
Carlsbad city, CA ..................................... 113,147
Cartersville city, GA ................................... 20,235
Cary town, NC .......................................... 159,715
Castle Rock town, CO ................................ 57,274
Cedar Hill city, TX ...................................... 48,149
Cedar Park city, TX .................................... 70,010
Cedar Rapids city, IA ............................... 130,330
Celina city, TX .............................................. 7,910
Centennial city, CO .................................. 108,448
Chandler city, TX ......................................... 2,896
Chanhassen city, MN ................................ 25,108
Chapel Hill town, NC ................................. 59,234
Chardon city, OH ......................................... 5,166
Charles County, MD ................................ 156,021
Charlotte County, FL................................ 173,236
Charlottesville city, VA ............................... 46,487
Chattanooga city, TN ............................... 176,291
Chautauqua town, NY ................................. 4,362
Chesterfield County, VA ........................... 335,594
Clayton city, MO ........................................ 16,214
Clearwater city, FL ................................... 112,794
Clinton city, SC ............................................ 8,538
Clive city, IA ............................................... 17,134
Clovis city, CA .......................................... 104,411
College Park city, MD ................................ 32,186
College Station city, TX ............................ 107,445
Colleyville city, TX ...................................... 25,557
Collinsville city, IL ...................................... 24,767
Columbia city, MO ................................... 118,620
Commerce City city, CO ............................. 52,905
Conshohocken borough, PA ........................ 7,985
Coolidge city, AZ ........................................ 12,221
Coon Rapids city, MN ................................ 62,342
Coral Springs city, FL ............................... 130,110
Coronado city, CA ...................................... 24,053
Corvallis city, OR ....................................... 56,224
Cottonwood Heights city, UT ..................... 34,214
Coventry Lake CDP, CT................................ 2,932
Coventry town, CT ..................................... 12,458
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Cupertino city, CA ...................................... 60,687
Dacono city, CO ............................................ 4,929
Dakota County, MN ................................. 414,655
Dallas city, OR ........................................... 15,413
Dallas city, TX ....................................... 1,300,122
Danvers town, MA ..................................... 27,527
Danville city, KY ........................................ 16,657
Darien city, IL ............................................ 22,206
Davidson town, NC .................................... 12,325
Dayton city, OH........................................ 140,939
Dayton town, WY ............................................. 815
Dearborn city, MI....................................... 95,295
Decatur city, GA ........................................ 22,022
DeLand city, FL ......................................... 30,315
Delaware city, OH ...................................... 38,193
Denison city, TX ......................................... 23,342
Denton city, TX ........................................ 131,097
Denver city, CO ........................................ 678,467
Des Moines city, IA .................................. 214,778
Des Peres city, MO ....................................... 8,536
Destin city, FL............................................ 13,421
Dothan city, AL .......................................... 67,784
Dover city, NH ........................................... 30,901
Dublin city, CA ........................................... 57,022
Dublin city, OH .......................................... 44,442
Duluth city, MN ......................................... 86,066
Durham city, NC ...................................... 257,232
Durham County, NC ................................ 300,865
Dyer town, IN ............................................. 16,077
Eagan city, MN .......................................... 66,102
Eagle Mountain city, UT ............................ 27,773
Eau Claire city, WI ..................................... 67,945
Eden Prairie city, MN ................................ 63,660
Eden town, VT .............................................. 1,254
Edgewater city, CO ....................................... 5,299
Edina city, MN ........................................... 50,603
Edmond city, OK........................................ 89,769
Edmonds city, WA ..................................... 41,309
El Cerrito city, CA ....................................... 24,982
El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles) city, CA . 31,409
Elbert County, CO ...................................... 24,553
Elgin city, IL ............................................. 112,628
Elk Grove city, CA .................................... 166,228
Elmhurst city, IL ........................................ 46,139
Englewood city, CO.................................... 33,155
Erie town, CO............................................. 22,019
Escambia County, FL .............................. 309,924
Estes Park town, CO ..................................... 6,248
Euclid city, OH ........................................... 47,698
Farmers Branch city, TX ............................ 33,808
Farmersville city, TX ..................................... 3,440
Farmington Hills city, MI ........................... 81,235
Fate city, TX ............................................... 10,339
Fayetteville city, GA ................................... 17,069
Fayetteville city, NC ................................. 210,324
Ferguson township, PA.............................. 18,837
Fernandina Beach city, FL ........................ 11,957
Flagstaff city, AZ ........................................ 69,903
Flower Mound town, TX ............................. 71,575
Forest Grove city, OR................................. 23,554
Fort Collins city, CO ................................. 159,150
Franklin city, TN ........................................ 72,990
Frederick town, CO .................................... 11,397
Fremont city, CA ...................................... 230,964
Frisco town, CO ........................................... 2,977
Fruita city, CO ............................................ 13,039
Gahanna city, OH ...................................... 34,691
Gaithersburg city, MD ............................... 67,417
Galveston city, TX ...................................... 49,706
Gardner city, KS ........................................ 21,059
Germantown city, TN ................................. 39,230
Gilbert town, AZ ....................................... 232,176
Gillette city, WY ......................................... 31,783
Glen Ellyn village, IL .................................. 27,983
Glendora city, CA ....................................... 51,891
Glenview village, IL .................................... 47,066
Golden city, CO .......................................... 20,365
Golden Valley city, MN .............................. 21,208
Goodyear city, AZ ...................................... 74,953
Grafton village, WI ..................................... 11,576
Grand Rapids city, MI .............................. 195,355
Grand Traverse County, MI ....................... 91,222
Greeley city, CO ....................................... 100,760
Greenville city, NC ..................................... 90,347
Greer city, SC............................................. 28,587
Gulf Breeze city, FL ..................................... 6,251
Gunnison County, CO ................................ 16,215
Haltom City city, TX.................................... 44,059
Hamilton city, OH ...................................... 62,216
Hamilton town, MA ...................................... 7,991
Hampton city, VA ..................................... 136,255
Hanover County, VA................................. 103,218
Harrisburg city, SD ...................................... 5,429
Hastings city, MN ...................................... 22,620
Henderson city, NV .................................. 284,817
High Point city, NC ................................... 109,849
Highland Park city, IL ................................ 29,796
Highlands Ranch CDP, CO ...................... 105,264
Homer Glen village, IL ............................... 24,403
Honolulu County, HI ................................ 990,060
Hopkinton town, MA .................................. 16,720
Hoquiam city, WA ........................................ 8,416
Horry County, SC ..................................... 310,186
Hudson town, CO ........................................ 1,709
Huntley village, IL ...................................... 26,265
Huntsville city, TX ...................................... 40,727
Hutchinson city, MN .................................. 13,836
Hutto city, TX ............................................. 22,644
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Hyattsville city, MD.................................... 18,225
Independence city, IA ................................... 6,013
Independence city, MO ........................... 117,369
Indio city, CA.............................................. 86,867
Iowa City city, IA ........................................ 73,415
Issaquah city, WA ...................................... 35,629
Jackson city, MO ....................................... 14,690
Jackson County, MI ................................. 158,989
Jefferson Parish, LA ................................ 437,038
Jerome city, ID........................................... 11,306
Johnson City city, TN ................................. 65,598
Johnston city, IA ........................................ 20,172
Jupiter town, FL ......................................... 62,373
Kalamazoo city, MI .................................... 75,833
Kansas City city, KS ................................ 151,042
Kansas City city, MO ............................... 476,974
Kent city, WA ........................................... 126,561
Kerrville city, TX ......................................... 22,931
Key West city, FL ....................................... 25,316
King City city, CA ....................................... 13,721
Kingman city, AZ ....................................... 28,855
Kirkland city, WA ....................................... 86,772
Kirkwood city, MO ..................................... 27,659
La Mesa city, CA ........................................ 59,479
La Plata town, MD ........................................ 9,160
La Vista city, NE ........................................ 17,062
Lake Forest city, IL .................................... 18,931
Lake Havasu City city, AZ .......................... 53,463
Lake in the Hills village, IL ........................ 28,908
Lake Zurich village, IL ............................... 19,983
Lakeville city, MN ...................................... 61,056
Lakewood city, CO ................................... 151,411
Lakewood city, WA .................................... 59,102
Lancaster County, SC ................................ 86,544
Laramie city, WY ....................................... 32,104
Larimer County, CO ................................. 330,976
Las Cruces city, NM ................................ 101,014
Las Vegas city, NM .................................... 13,445
Las Vegas city, NV ................................... 621,662
Lawrence city, KS ...................................... 93,954
Lawrenceville city, GA ............................... 29,287
Lehi city, UT ............................................... 58,351
Lenexa city, KS.......................................... 52,030
Lewisville city, TX .................................... 103,638
Libertyville village, IL ................................. 20,504
Lincolnwood village, IL .............................. 12,637
Lindsborg city, KS ........................................ 3,313
Little Chute village, WI .............................. 11,006
Little Elm city, TX ....................................... 39,471
Littleton city, CO ........................................ 45,848
Livermore city, CA ..................................... 88,232
Lombard village, IL .................................... 43,776
Lone Tree city, CO ..................................... 13,430
Long Grove village, IL ................................... 7,980
Longmont city, CO ..................................... 91,730
Lonsdale city, MN ........................................ 3,850
Los Alamos County, NM ............................ 18,031
Los Altos Hills town, CA ............................... 8,490
Loudoun County, VA ................................ 374,558
Louisville city, CO ...................................... 20,319
Lower Merion township, PA....................... 58,500
Lynchburg city, VA ..................................... 79,237
Lynnwood city, WA .................................... 37,242
Manassas city, VA ..................................... 41,379
Manhattan Beach city, CA ......................... 35,698
Manhattan city, KS.................................... 55,427
Mankato city, MN ...................................... 41,241
Maple Grove city, MN ................................ 68,362
Maplewood city, MN .................................. 40,127
Maricopa County, AZ ............................ 4,155,501
Marin County, CA ..................................... 260,814
Marion city, IA............................................ 38,014
Mariposa County, CA ................................. 17,658
Marshalltown city, IA ................................. 27,440
Marshfield city, WI ..................................... 18,326
Martinez city, CA ....................................... 37,902
Marysville city, WA ..................................... 66,178
Maui County, HI ....................................... 164,094
McKinney city, TX .................................... 164,760
McMinnville city, OR .................................. 33,211
Mecklenburg County, NC ..................... 1,034,290
Menlo Park city, CA ................................... 33,661
Menomonee Falls village, WI .................... 36,411
Mercer Island city, WA............................... 24,768
Meridian charter township, MI .................. 41,903
Merriam city, KS ........................................ 11,259
Mesa city, AZ ........................................... 479,317
Mesquite city, TX ..................................... 144,118
Miami city, FL .......................................... 443,007
Middleton city, WI...................................... 18,951
Middletown town, RI ................................. 16,100
Milford city, DE .......................................... 10,645
Milton city, GA ........................................... 37,556
Minneapolis city, MN............................... 411,452
Minnetrista city, MN .................................... 7,187
Missoula County, MT ............................... 114,231
Missouri City city, TX ................................. 72,688
Moline city, IL ............................................ 42,644
Monroe city, MI ......................................... 20,128
Montgomery city, MN .................................. 2,921
Montgomery County, MD ..................... 1,039,198
Monticello city, UT ....................................... 2,599
Montrose city, CO ...................................... 18,918
Moorpark city, CA ...................................... 36,060
Moraga town, CA ....................................... 17,231
Morristown city, TN ................................... 29,446
Morrisville town, NC .................................. 23,873
Morro Bay city, CA ..................................... 10,568
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Moscow city, ID ......................................... 24,833
Mountlake Terrace city, WA ...................... 20,922
Murphy city, TX .......................................... 20,361
Naperville city, IL ..................................... 146,431
Napoleon city, OH ........................................ 8,646
Needham CDP, MA ................................... 30,429
Nevada City city, CA ..................................... 3,112
Nevada County, CA ................................... 98,838
New Braunfels city, TX .............................. 70,317
New Brighton city, MN .............................. 22,440
New Concord village, OH .............................. 2,561
New Hope city, MN .................................... 20,909
Newport city, RI ......................................... 24,745
Newport News city, VA ............................ 180,775
Newton city, IA .......................................... 15,085
Niles village, IL .......................................... 29,823
Noblesville city, IN ..................................... 59,807
Norcross city, GA ....................................... 16,474
Norfolk city, NE ......................................... 24,352
North Mankato city, MN ............................ 13,583
North Port city, FL ..................................... 62,542
North Yarmouth town, ME ........................... 3,714
Northglenn city, CO ................................... 38,473
Novato city, CA .......................................... 55,378
Novi city, MI ............................................... 58,835
O'Fallon city, IL .......................................... 29,095
Oak Park village, IL ................................... 52,229
Oakdale city, MN ....................................... 27,972
Oklahoma City city, OK ............................ 629,191
Olmsted County, MN ............................... 151,685
Orland Park village, IL ............................... 59,161
Orleans Parish, LA ................................... 388,182
Oshkosh city, WI ........................................ 66,649
Oswego village, IL ..................................... 33,759
Overland Park city, KS ............................ 186,147
Paducah city, KY ....................................... 24,879
Palm Beach Gardens city, FL .................... 53,119
Palm Coast city, FL .................................... 82,356
Palo Alto city, CA ....................................... 67,082
Palos Verdes Estates city, CA ................... 13,591
Panama City Beach city, FL ...................... 12,461
Papillion city, NE ....................................... 19,478
Paradise Valley town, AZ ........................... 13,961
Park City city, UT .......................................... 8,167
Parker town, CO ........................................ 51,125
Pasco city, WA ........................................... 70,607
Pasco County, FL..................................... 498,136
Payette city, ID ............................................. 7,366
Pearland city, TX ..................................... 113,693
Peoria city, IL ........................................... 115,424
Pflugerville city, TX .................................... 58,013
Philadelphia city, PA............................. 1,569,657
Pinehurst village, NC ................................. 15,580
Piqua city, OH ............................................ 20,793
Pitkin County, CO ...................................... 17,747
Plano city, TX ........................................... 281,566
Platte City city, MO ...................................... 4,867
Pleasant Hill city, IA ..................................... 9,608
Pleasanton city, CA ................................... 79,341
Plymouth city, MN ..................................... 76,258
Port Orange city, FL ................................... 60,315
Port St. Lucie city, FL ............................... 178,778
Portage city, MI ......................................... 48,072
Portland city, OR...................................... 630,331
Powell city, OH ........................................... 12,658
Powhatan County, VA ................................ 28,364
Prairie Village city, KS ............................... 21,932
Pueblo city, CO ........................................ 109,122
Purcellville town, VA .................................... 9,217
Puyallup city, WA ....................................... 39,637
Queen Creek town, AZ............................... 33,298
Raleigh city, NC ....................................... 449,477
Ramsey city, MN ....................................... 25,853
Raymore city, MO ...................................... 20,358
Redmond city, OR ..................................... 28,492
Redmond city, WA ..................................... 60,712
Redwood City city, CA ................................ 84,368
Reno city, NV ........................................... 239,732
Richfield city, MN ...................................... 35,993
Richland city, WA ....................................... 53,991
Richmond city, CA ................................... 108,853
Richmond Heights city, MO ......................... 8,466
Rio Rancho city, NM .................................. 93,317
River Falls city, WI ..................................... 15,256
Riverside city, CA ..................................... 321,570
Roanoke city, VA ....................................... 99,572
Roanoke County, VA .................................. 93,419
Rochester city, NY ................................... 209,463
Rock Hill city, SC ....................................... 70,764
Rockville city, MD ...................................... 66,420
Roeland Park city, KS .................................. 6,810
Rohnert Park city, CA ................................ 42,305
Rolla city, MO ............................................ 20,013
Rosemount city, MN .................................. 23,474
Rosenberg city, TX ..................................... 35,867
Roseville city, CA ..................................... 130,705
Roseville city, MN ...................................... 35,624
Round Rock city, TX ................................ 116,369
Royal Palm Beach village, FL .................... 37,665
Sacramento city, CA ................................ 489,650
Sahuarita town, AZ .................................... 28,257
Sammamish city, WA ................................ 62,877
San Carlos city, CA .................................... 29,954
San Diego city, CA ................................ 1,390,966
San Francisco city, CA ............................. 864,263
San Jose city, CA .................................. 1,023,031
San Marcos city, TX ................................... 59,935
Sangamon County, IL .............................. 198,134
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Santa Fe city, NM ...................................... 82,980
Santa Fe County, NM .............................. 147,514
Savage city, MN ........................................ 30,011
Schaumburg village, IL.............................. 74,427
Schertz city, TX .......................................... 38,199
Scott County, MN .................................... 141,463
Scottsdale city, AZ ................................... 239,283
Sedona city, AZ ......................................... 10,246
Sevierville city, TN ..................................... 16,387
Shakopee city, MN .................................... 40,024
Shawnee city, KS ...................................... 64,840
Shawnee city, OK ...................................... 30,974
Shoreline city, WA ..................................... 55,431
Shoreview city, MN ................................... 26,432
Shorewood village, IL ................................ 16,809
Sierra Vista city, AZ ................................... 43,585
Silverton city, OR .......................................... 9,757
Sioux Falls city, SD .................................. 170,401
Skokie village, IL ....................................... 64,773
Snoqualmie city, WA ................................. 12,944
Snowmass Village town, CO ......................... 2,827
Somerset town, MA ................................... 18,257
South Bend city, IN ................................. 101,928
South Jordan city, UT ................................ 65,523
South Portland city, ME ............................ 25,431
Southlake city, TX...................................... 30,090
Spearfish city, SD ...................................... 11,300
Springville city, UT ..................................... 32,319
St. Augustine city, FL ................................. 13,952
St. Charles city, IL ..................................... 32,730
St. Cloud city, MN ...................................... 67,093
St. Croix County, WI ................................... 87,142
St. Joseph city, MO .................................... 76,819
St. Louis County, MN............................... 200,294
St. Lucie County, FL ................................ 298,763
State College borough, PA ........................ 42,224
Steamboat Springs city, CO ...................... 12,520
Sugar Land city, TX ................................... 86,886
Suisun City city, CA.................................... 29,280
Summit County, UT ................................... 39,731
Sunnyvale city, CA ................................... 151,565
Surprise city, AZ ...................................... 129,534
Suwanee city, GA ...................................... 18,655
Tacoma city, WA ...................................... 207,280
Takoma Park city, MD ............................... 17,643
Tempe city, AZ ......................................... 178,339
Temple city, TX .......................................... 71,795
Texarkana city, TX ..................................... 37,222
The Woodlands CDP, TX.......................... 109,608
Thousand Oaks city, CA .......................... 128,909
Tigard city, OR ........................................... 51,355
Tinley Park village, IL ................................. 57,107
Tracy city, CA ............................................. 87,613
Trinidad CCD, CO ....................................... 10,819
Tualatin city, OR ........................................ 27,135
Tulsa city, OK .......................................... 401,352
Tustin city, CA ............................................ 80,007
Twin Falls city, ID ....................................... 47,340
Unalaska city, AK ........................................ 4,809
University Heights city, OH ........................ 13,201
University Park city, TX .............................. 24,692
Urbandale city, IA ...................................... 42,222
Vail town, CO ............................................... 5,425
Vernon Hills village, IL ............................... 26,084
Victoria city, MN .......................................... 8,679
Vienna town, VA ........................................ 16,474
Virginia Beach city, VA ............................. 450,057
Walnut Creek city, CA ................................ 68,516
Warrensburg city, MO................................ 19,890
Washington County, MN ......................... 250,979
Washoe County, NV ................................. 445,551
Waunakee village, WI ................................ 13,284
Wauwatosa city, WI ................................... 47,687
Wentzville city, MO .................................... 35,768
West Bend city, WI .................................... 31,656
West Carrollton city, OH ............................ 12,963
West Chester township, OH ...................... 62,804
West Des Moines city, IA ........................... 62,999
Western Springs village, IL ........................ 13,187
Westerville city, OH ................................... 38,604
Westlake town, TX ....................................... 1,006
Westminster city, CO ............................... 111,895
Westminster city, MD ................................ 18,557
White House city, TN ................................. 11,107
Wichita city, KS ....................................... 389,054
Williamsburg city, VA ................................. 14,817
Willowbrook village, IL ................................. 8,598
Wilmington city, NC ................................. 115,261
Wilsonville city, OR .................................... 22,789
Windsor town, CO ...................................... 23,386
Windsor town, CT ...................................... 29,037
Winter Garden city, FL ............................... 40,799
Woodbury city, MN .................................... 67,648
Woodinville city, WA .................................. 11,675
Wyandotte County, KS ............................ 163,227
Wyoming city, MI ....................................... 75,124
Yakima city, WA ......................................... 93,182
York County, VA ......................................... 67,196
Yorktown town, IN ..................................... 11,200
Yorkville city, IL .......................................... 18,691
Yountville city, CA ........................................ 2,978
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Front Range Benchmark Comparisons
For the evaluative ratings, 11 of the items were higher than the Front Range benchmark comparison,
39 were similar and 21 were lower.
Table 199: Quality of Life
Percent
positive Rank
Number of communities in
comparison
Comparison to
benchmark
Wheat Ridge as a place to live 88% 14 29 Similar
Your neighborhood as a place to
live 80% 15 26 Similar
Wheat Ridge as a place to raise
children 80% 15 30 Similar
Wheat Ridge as a place to work 64% 14 30 Similar
Wheat Ridge as a place to retire 69% 11 30 Higher
Overall quality of life in Wheat
Ridge 81% 17 31 Similar
Table 200: Likelihood of Remaining in and Recommending Wheat Ridge
Percent
positive Rank
Number of communities in
comparison
Comparison to
benchmark
Recommend living in Wheat Ridge to
someone who asks 87% 8 21 Higher
Remain in Wheat Ridge for the next
five years 83% 10 20 Similar
Table 201: Community Characteristics
Percent
positive Rank
Number of communities
in comparison
Comparison to
benchmark
Sense of community 63% 11 22 Similar
Openness and acceptance of the community
toward people of diverse backgrounds 58% 15 22 Similar
Cleanliness of Wheat Ridge 57% 14 18 Much lower
Overall quality of new development in Wheat
Ridge 52% 10 18 Similar
Variety of housing options 54% 6 19 Higher
Overall quality of business and service
establishments in Wheat Ridge 62% 10 18 Similar
Shopping opportunities 48% 16 24 Similar
Opportunities to attend cultural activities 32% 19 21 Much lower
Recreational opportunities 72% 15 22 Similar
Employment opportunities 39% 17 25 Similar
Educational opportunities 48% 6 11 Similar
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Percent
positive Rank
Number of communities
in comparison
Comparison to
benchmark
Opportunities to participate in social events
and activities 51% 13 17 Lower
Opportunities to volunteer 56% 13 16 Lower
Opportunities to participate in civic matters 56% 13 19 Lower
Availability of paths and walking trails 82% 6 19 Higher
Availability of affordable quality housing 37% 6 19 Higher
Availability of affordable quality child care 34% 8 15 Similar
Availability of affordable quality health care 62% 6 17 Higher
Availability of affordable quality food 67% 5 14 Higher
Availability of preventive health services 63% 3 11 Higher
Air quality 58% 14 17 Lower
Quality of overall natural environment in
Wheat Ridge 70% 13 18 Lower
Overall image or reputation of Wheat Ridge 67% 14 23 Similar
Table 202: Equity and Inclusion
Percent
positive Rank
Number of communities in
comparison
Comparison to
benchmark
Making all residents feel welcome 65% NA NA NA
Attracting people from diverse
backgrounds 41% NA NA NA
Treating all residents fairly 59% 6 15 Similar
Table 203: Aspects of Transportation
Percent
positive Rank
Number of communities in
comparison
Comparison to
benchmark
Condition of city streets 49% NA NA NA
Ease of car travel in Wheat
Ridge 73% 7 25 Higher
Ease of bus travel in Wheat
Ridge 62% 3 7 Higher
Ease of walking in Wheat
Ridge 62% 17 24 Lower
Ease of bicycle travel in Wheat
Ridge 66% 12 24 Similar
Traffic flow on major streets 42% 10 22 Similar
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Table 204: Participation in Activities
Percent
positive Rank
Number of communities
in comparison
Comparison to
benchmark
Used Wheat Ridge Recreation Center 39% 10 11 Much lower
Participated in a recreation program or
activity 30% NA NA NA
Used a Wheat Ridge park or trail 86% 10 15 Similar
Attended a (virtual) meeting of local city
officials or other local public meeting 18% 14 16 Lower
Watched a meeting of local city officials (on
cable television, YouTube, etc.) 21% 5 13 Similar
Used the Wheat Ridge Library 38% 9 9 Much lower
Attended a Wheat Ridge festival or special
event 42% 10 15 Much lower
Table 205: City Services
Percent
positive Rank
Number of
communities in
comparison
Comparison to
benchmark
Overall, how would you rate the quality of the
services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge? 73% 20 30 Similar
Snow removal 65% 8 25 Higher
Street repair and maintenance 45% 16 25 Similar
Street cleaning 56% 15 21 Lower
Traffic enforcement 60% 17 25 Similar
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control,
trash, outside storage) 41% 18 25 Similar
Animal control 68% 11 22 Similar
Land use, planning and zoning 43% 10 17 Similar
Building permits 48% 4 5 Similar
Building inspections 49% 5 5 Lower
Maintenance of existing city parks 80% 3 6 Similar
Recreation programs 79% 12 21 Similar
Recreation facilities 84% 9 19 Similar
Services/programs for youth 58% 5 5 Lower
Services/programs for seniors 66% 4 8 Similar
Public information services 55% 12 15 Lower
Policing services 69% 23 28 Lower
Police response time to emergency police calls
(not code enforcement) 80% 2 5 Similar
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers,
neighborhood watch, citizen police academy) 56% 17 22 Lower
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Table 206: Safety in Public Areas
Percent
positive Rank
Number of communities in
comparison
Comparison to
benchmark
Parks and
playgrounds 84% 2 5 Similar
In your home 90% NA NA NA
Table 207: City Government Performance
Percent
positive Rank
Number of
communities in
comparison
Comparison to
benchmark
The extent to which Wheat Ridge elected
officials act in the best interest of the
community at large 62% NA NA NA
The value of services for the taxes paid to
Wheat Ridge 57% 8 24 Similar
The overall direction that Wheat Ridge is taking 57% 15 26 Similar
The job Wheat Ridge does at informing
residents on major issues within the community 49% NA NA NA
The job Wheat Ridge government does at
welcoming resident involvement 50% 15 27 Similar
Table 208: City Employees
Percent
positive Rank
Number of
communities in
comparison
Comparison to
benchmark
In the last 12 months, have you had any in-person,
phone or email contact with a City of Wheat Ridge
employee(s)? 37% 18 22 Lower
Knowledge 81% 7 10 Similar
Responsiveness 77% 7 8 Lower
Courtesy 82% 6 7 Lower
Making you feel valued 73% NA NA NA
Overall impression 77% 13 26 Similar
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Communities Included in the Front Range Benchmark Comparison
Listed below are the communities included in the Front Range benchmark comparisons provided for
the City of Wheat Ridge followed by the 2017 population for each according to the U.S. Census.
Adams County, CO .................................. 487,850
Arapahoe County, CO .............................. 626,612
Arvada city, CO ........................................ 115,320
Aurora city, CO ........................................ 357,323
Boulder city, CO....................................... 106,271
Broomfield city, CO ................................... 64,283
Castle Rock town, CO ................................ 57,274
Centennial city, CO .................................. 108,448
Commerce City city, CO ............................. 52,905
Dacono city, CO ............................................ 4,929
Denver city, CO ........................................ 678,467
Edgewater city, CO ....................................... 5,299
Englewood city, CO.................................... 33,155
Erie town, CO............................................. 22,019
Estes Park town, CO ..................................... 6,248
Fort Collins city, CO ................................. 159,150
Frederick town, CO .................................... 11,397
Golden city, CO .......................................... 20,365
Greeley city, CO ....................................... 100,760
Highlands Ranch CDP, CO ...................... 105,264
Lakewood city, CO ................................... 151,411
Larimer County, CO ................................. 330,976
Littleton city, CO ........................................ 45,848
Lone Tree city, CO ..................................... 13,430
Longmont city, CO ..................................... 91,730
Louisville city, CO ...................................... 20,319
Northglenn city, CO ................................... 38,473
Parker town, CO ........................................ 51,125
Pueblo city, CO ........................................ 109,122
Westminster city, CO ............................... 111,895
Windsor town, CO ...................................... 23,386
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Appendix E: Survey Methodology
The Wheat Ridge Resident Survey serves as a consumer report card for the City by providing residents
the opportunity to rate City services, local government, community amenities and the quality of life in
the City. The survey also gives residents a chance to provide feedback to government on what is
working well and what is not, and to communicate their priorities for community planning and
resource allocation. The City of Wheat Ridge funded this research. Please contact Marianne Schilling
of the City of Wheat Ridge at mschilling@ci.whatridge.co.us if you have any questions about the
survey.
Developing the Questionnaire
General resident surveys, such as this one, ask recipients for their perspectives on policy issues facing
the City and assessments of City service delivery, the quality of life in the city and use of City
amenities. The survey instrument for the City of Wheat Ridge was developed through an iterative
process between City and NRC staff. The process started with City of Wheat Ridge staff reviewing the
2018 iteration of the survey and creating lists of questions related to new issues in the City. New
questions were created and all questions were prioritized and an optimal composition of topics and
questions were selected. The survey draft was given to City Council for final approval. Through this
iterative process a final seven-page questionnaire was created for 2021.
Selecting Survey Recipients
“Sampling” refers to the method by which survey recipients are chosen. The “sample” refers to all
those who were given a chance to participate in the survey. All households located in the City
boundaries were eligible for the survey. Because local governments generally do not have inclusive
lists of all the residences in the jurisdiction (tax assessor and utility billing databases often omit
rental units), lists from the United States Postal Service (USPS), based on their delivery sequence file
(DSF, the addresses used by the postal carriers to deliver the mail) updated every three months,
usually provide the best representation of all households in a specific geographic location. The
address list was obtained for NRC by GoDog Direct, and was based on the USPS DSF data to select the
list of households.
A larger list than needed was obtained so that a process referred to as “geocoding” could be used to
eliminate addresses from the list that were outside the City’s boundaries. Geocoding is a
computerized process in which addresses are compared to electronically mapped boundaries and
coded as inside or outside desired boundaries; in this case, within the City of Wheat Ridge and within
the City’s Council Districts. All addresses determined to be outside the study boundaries were
eliminated from the address list. A random selection was made of the remaining addresses to create a
mailing list of 4,500 addresses and the Council District for each address was tracked to permit
comparisons of the survey results. Attached units were oversampled to compensate for detached unit
residents’ tendency to return surveys at a higher rate.
An individual within each household was randomly selected to complete the survey using the
birthday method. The birthday method selects a person within the household by asking the “person
whose birthday has most recently passed” to complete the questionnaire. The underlying assumption
in this method is that day of birth has no relationship to the way people respond to surveys. This
instruction was contained in the cover letter accompanying the questionnaire.
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Survey Administration and Response
Each selected household was contacted three times beginning March 10, 2021. Households were first
mailed a pre-notification announcement, informing the household members that they had been
selected to participate in the Wheat Ridge survey. Approximately one week after mailing the pre-
notification, each household was mailed a survey containing a cover letter signed by the Mayor
enlisting participation. The letters also contained a link for respondents to complete the survey
online. An access code was provided for respondents to be able to complete the survey online and to
prevent duplicate response. A postage-paid return envelope in which the survey recipients could
return the completed questionnaire to NRC was provided. A second survey packet, with similar
contents to the first packet, scheduled to arrive one week after the first survey was the final contact.
This second mailing packet asked those who had not completed the survey to do so and those who
had already done so to refrain from turning in another survey. Completed surveys were collected over
the following six weeks.
About 5% (210) of the 4,500 surveys mailed were returned because the housing unit was vacant or the
postal service was unable to deliver the survey as addressed. Of the remaining 4,290 households, 1,068
completed the survey (including 327 completes online), providing a response rate of 25%. Average
response rates for a mailed resident survey range from 20% to 30%. The response rate was calculated
using AAPOR’s response rate #23 for mailed surveys of unnamed persons.
Table 209: 2021 Resident Survey Response Rate
Overall
Number of households contact 4,500
Undeliverable mailings 210
Eligible households 4,290
Completed surveys 1,068
Response rate 24.90%
95% Confidence Intervals
The 95% confidence interval (or “margin of error”) quantifies the “sampling error” or precision of the
estimates made from the survey results. A 95% confidence interval can be calculated for any number
of respondents, and indicates that in 95 of 100 surveys conducted like this one, for a particular item, a
result would be found that is within three percentage points of the result that would be found if
everyone in the population of interest was surveyed. The practical difficulties of conducting any
resident survey may introduce other sources of error in addition to sampling error. Despite best efforts
to boost participation and ensure potential inclusion of all households, some selected households will
decline participation in the survey (referred to as non-response error) and some eligible households
may be unintentionally excluded from the listed sources for the sample (referred to as coverage error).
While the margin of error for the survey is generally no greater than plus or minus three percentage
points around any given percent reported for all respondents; results for subgroups will have wider
confidence intervals. Where estimates are given for subgroups, they are less precise.
3 See AAPOR’s Standard Definitions here: http://www.aapor.org/Standards-Ethics/Standard-Definitions-(1).aspx for more
information
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Survey Processing (Data Entry)
Mailed surveys were submitted via postage-paid business reply envelopes. Once received, staff
assigned a unique identification number to each questionnaire. Additionally, each survey was
reviewed and “cleaned” as necessary. For example, a question may have asked a respondent to pick
two items out of a list of five, but the respondent checked three; staff would choose randomly two of
the three selected items to be coded in the dataset.
Once cleaned and numbered, all surveys were entered into an electronic dataset. This dataset was
subject to a data entry protocol of “key and verify,” in which survey data were entered twice into an
electronic dataset and then compared. Discrepancies were evaluated against the original survey form
and corrected. Range checks as well as other forms of quality control were also performed.
Polco’s civic engagement platform was used to collect the online survey data. Use of an online system
means all collected data are entered into the dataset when the respondents submit the surveys. Skip
patterns are programmed into system so respondents are automatically “skipped” to the appropriate
question based on the individual responses being given. Online programming also allows for more
rigid control of the data format, making extensive data cleaning unnecessary.
A series of quality control checks were also performed to the web data in order to ensure the integrity
of the web data. Steps may include and not be limited to reviewing the data for clusters of repeat IP
addresses and time stamps (indicating duplicate responses) and removing empty submissions
(questionnaires submitted with no questions answered).
As mentioned above, the surveys included an access code for respondents to enter to complete the
survey online and the code also was included in the data entry of any surveys submitted via mail. The
access code was used to look for and remove any duplicate survey submissions. After reviewing the
access codes in the final dataset, three households had duplicate surveys. For these households
where two surveys were received through the mail, online or a combination, the survey data were
examined and the survey with the most completed questions was selected for inclusion in the final
dataset. If both surveys were complete, then the first wave paper copy survey or the first online survey
submitted was selected for inclusion in the final dataset. Additionally, two respondents only
answered 5% of the questions and were removed from the dataset as well.
Weighting the Data
The demographic characteristics of the survey respondents were compared to those found in the 2017
American Community Survey conducted by the United States Census Bureau. The primary objective
of weighting survey data is to make the survey respondents reflective of the larger population of the
community. The variables used for weighting were respondent gender, age, housing tenure (rent or
own), housing unit type (detached or attached), and ethnicity. No adjustments were made for design
effects. The results of the weighting scheme are presented in the table on the following page.
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Table 210: 2021 City of Wheat Ridge Weighting Table
Respondent Characteristics 2017 ACS Unweighted Weighted
Rent 46% 26% 44%
Own 54% 74% 56%
Detached 54% 67% 56%
Attached 46% 33% 44%
White 91% 90% 86%
not White 9% 10% 14%
not Hispanic 83% 91% 83%
Hispanic 17% 9% 17%
White alone, not Hispanic 74% 84% 74%
Hispanic or another race 26% 16% 26%
Female 52% 62% 52%
Male 48% 38% 48%
Age 18-34 28% 9% 26%
Age 35-54 30% 26% 30%
Age 55 and over 42% 65% 44%
Female 18-34 14% 6% 14%
Female 35-54 15% 17% 15%
Female 55 and over 22% 40% 23%
Male 18-34 14% 3% 13%
Male 35-54 16% 10% 15%
Male 55 and over 19% 25% 20%
District 1† 25% 23% 26%
District 2† 27% 29% 30%
District 3† 24% 28% 24%
District 4† 24% 19% 20%
† Proportion of addresses in USPS list
Analyzing the Data
The electronic dataset was analyzed by NRC staff using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences
(SPSS). For the most part, frequency distributions and mean ratings are presented in the body of the
report. A complete set of frequencies for each survey question is presented in Appendix A: Complete
Set of Survey Responses.
Crosstabulations of survey results by Council District of residence and other respondent
characteristics are provided in Appendix B: Comparisons of Selected Survey Responses. Chi-square or
ANOVA tests of significance were applied to these breakdowns of selected survey questions. A “p-
value” of 0.05 or less indicates that there is less than a 5% probability that differences observed
between groups are due to chance; or in other words, a greater than 95% probability that the
differences observed in the selected categories of the sample represent “real” differences among those
populations. Where differences between subgroups are statistically significant, they have been
marked in the appendices.
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 181
The dataset of 2021 survey results was combined with the datasets of results from the previous
implementations of the Wheat Ridge Resident Survey. Appendix C: Comparisons of Survey Results
over Time contains tables displaying the 2021 results with the results from previous years where
similar items were asked. Tests of statistical significance were conducted on the results to compare
differences across survey years. Where these differences were statistically significant, they are
marked in the tables.
City of Wheat Ridge 2021 Resident Survey
Report of Results
Page 182
Appendix F: Survey Instrument
The 2021 survey instrument appears on the following pages.
Wheat Ridge Resident Survey Page 1 of 7
2021 Wheat Ridge Resident Survey
Please complete this questionnaire if you are the adult (age 18 or older) in the household who most recently had a birthday. The adult’s
year of birth does not matter. Your responses are confidential and no identifying information will be shared. Thank you.
Community and Services
1. Please rate each of the following aspects of quality of life in Wheat Ridge.
Excellent Good Fair Poor Don’t know
Wheat Ridge as a place to live ............................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Your neighborhood as a place to live .................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Wheat Ridge as a place to raise children ............................................................ 1 2 3 4 5
Wheat Ridge as a place to work .......................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Wheat Ridge as a place to retire ......................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
The physical attractiveness of Wheat Ridge as a whole ..................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Overall quality of life in Wheat Ridge .................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
2. Do you think the quality of life in Wheat Ridge is likely to improve, stay the same or decline over the next 5 years?
Improve a lot Improve slightly Stay the same Decline slightly Decline a lot
3. What are your reasons for living in Wheat Ridge? (Please select all that apply.)
I feel safe here
I like the school my children
attend
My job is here
I like my neighborhood
I like the location in general
I like the access to dining and
entertainment
Housing and rental rates are
affordable
I’ve always lived here
I have friends and family in the area
Small town feel
Cost of living is affordable
I like that the community is forward-
thinking
The growing and diverse community
None of these
4. Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Wheat Ridge as a whole.
Excellent Good Fair Poor Don’t know
Sense of community ............................................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5
Openness and acceptance of the community toward people of
diverse backgrounds ..................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Cleanliness of Wheat Ridge ................................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Overall quality of new development in Wheat Ridge ......................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Variety of housing options ................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Overall quality of business and service establishments in Wheat Ridge............ 1 2 3 4 5
Shopping opportunities ....................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Opportunities to attend cultural activities .......................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Recreational opportunities .................................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Employment opportunities .................................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Educational opportunities ................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Opportunities to participate in social events and activities ............................... 1 2 3 4 5
Opportunities to volunteer .................................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Opportunities to participate in civic matters ...................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Availability of parks .............................................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Availability of paths and walking trails ................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5
Availability of bike trails ....................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Availability of affordable quality housing ............................................................ 1 2 3 4 5
Availability of affordable quality child care ......................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Availability of affordable quality health care ...................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Availability of affordable quality food ................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Availability of preventive health services ............................................................ 1 2 3 4 5
Air quality ............................................................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Quality of overall natural environment in Wheat Ridge ..................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Overall image or reputation of Wheat Ridge ...................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Wheat Ridge Resident Survey Page 2 of 7
5. Please rate your community on each of the following.
Excellent Good Fair Poor Don’t know
Making all residents feel welcome ...................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Helping new residents feel connected and integrated ....................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Attracting people from diverse backgrounds...................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Valuing residents from diverse backgrounds ...................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Demonstrating respect for residents of different cultures and belief systems . 1 2 3 4 5
Treating all residents fairly .................................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Providing a safe and secure environment for residents of all backgrounds ...... 1 2 3 4 5
Respecting individual cultural beliefs and values ............................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Providing equal employment opportunities to residents of all backgrounds .... 1 2 3 4 5
Providing equal access to housing for residents of all backgrounds .................. 1 2 3 4 5
Making all residents feel welcome in business establishments ......................... 1 2 3 4 5
Welcoming residents from all backgrounds to participate in local government
and community decision-making ................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
6. Please indicate how likely or unlikely you are to do each of the following.
Very Somewhat Somewhat Very Don’t
likely likely unlikely unlikely know
Recommend living in Wheat Ridge to someone who asks ........... 1 2 3 4 5
Remain in Wheat Ridge for the next five years ............................. 1 2 3 4 5
7. Despite the limitation of some of these facilities and services due to COVID, in the last 12 months, about how many
times, if ever, have you or other household members participated in the following activities in Wheat Ridge?
1-2 3-12 13-26 More than
Never times times times 26 times
Used Wheat Ridge Recreation Center ..................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Participated in a recreation program or activity ..................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Used a Wheat Ridge park or trail............................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Visited the Anderson Building for a reason not related to the outdoor pool ........ 1 2 3 4 5
Used a Wheat Ridge bike/pedestrian path ............................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Used Clear Creek Trail .............................................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Attended a (virtual) meeting of local city officials or other local public meeting .. 1 2 3 4 5
Watched a meeting of local city officials (on cable television, YouTube, etc.) ...... 1 2 3 4 5
Participated in a senior program ............................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Dined at a Wheat Ridge restaurant (other than fast food)..................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Used the Wheat Ridge Library ................................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Attended a Wheat Ridge festival or special event .................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Ridden an RTD bus ................................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Ridden the G-Line from the Wheat Ridge-Ward station......................................... 1 2 3 4 5
8. Please rate the following aspects of transportation within the City of Wheat Ridge.
Excellent Good Fair Poor Don’t know
Condition of city streets ....................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Access to mass transit .......................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Ease of car travel in Wheat Ridge ........................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5
Ease of bus travel in Wheat Ridge ....................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Ease of commuter rail use in Wheat Ridge ......................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Ease of walking in Wheat Ridge ........................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Ease of bicycle travel in Wheat Ridge.................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Traffic flow on major streets ............................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Wheat Ridge Resident Survey Page 3 of 7
9. The following are services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge. For each service, please first rate the quality of each
service and next rate the importance of each service.
Quality Importance
Don’t Very Somewhat Not at all Don’t
Excellent Good Fair Poor know Essential important important important know
Snow removal ...................................................1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Street repair and maintenance.........................1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Street cleaning ..................................................1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Traffic enforcement ..........................................1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed
control, trash, outside storage).....................1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Animal control...................................................1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Land use, planning and zoning .........................1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Building permits ................................................1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Building inspections ..........................................1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Maintenance of existing city parks ...................1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Maintenance of open space and trails .............1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Recreation programs ........................................1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Recreation facilities ..........................................1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Community/public art.......................................1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Services/programs for youth ............................1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Services/programs for seniors ..........................1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Municipal court .................................................1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Public information services ................................1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Community engagement by City staff ..............1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Policing services ................................................1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Police response time to emergency
police calls (not code enforcement) .............1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Police response time to non-emergency
police calls (not code enforcement) .............1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers,
neighborhood watch, citizen police academy) ...1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Community-oriented policing ...........................1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
10. Overall, how would you rate the quality of the services provided by the City of Wheat Ridge?
Excellent Good Fair Poor Don’t know
City Government and Employees
11. How would you rate the overall performance of the Wheat Ridge city government?
Excellent Good Fair Poor Don’t know
12. Please rate the following aspects of Wheat Ridge city government performance.
Excellent Good Fair Poor Don’t know
The extent to which Wheat Ridge elected officials act in the best interest
of the community at large .............................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
The quality of work performed by City of Wheat Ridge employees .................. 1 2 3 4 5
The value of services for the taxes paid to Wheat Ridge .................................... 1 2 3 4 5
The overall direction that Wheat Ridge is taking ................................................ 1 2 3 4 5
The job Wheat Ridge does at informing residents on major issues within
the community .............................................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
The job Wheat Ridge government does at welcoming resident involvement ....... 1 2 3 4 5
13. In the last 12 months, have you had any in-person, phone or email contact with a City of Wheat Ridge employee(s)?
Yes (go to question 14) No (go to question 15)
Wheat Ridge Resident Survey Page 4 of 7
14. What was your impression of the City of Wheat Ridge employee(s) overall? (Rate each characteristic below.)
Excellent Good Fair Poor Don’t know
Knowledge............................................................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5
Responsiveness .................................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Courtesy ............................................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Making you feel valued ........................................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5
Overall impression ............................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
15. Please rate how safe you feel in the following areas in Wheat Ridge.
Very Somewhat Neither safe Somewhat Very Don’t
safe safe nor unsafe unsafe unsafe know
Parks and playgrounds ......................................... 1 2 3 4 5 6
Recreation centers. .............................................. 1 2 3 4 5 6
In your neighborhood .......................................... 1 2 3 4 5 6
In your home ........................................................ 1 2 3 4 5 6
On the trail system ............................................... 1 2 3 4 5 6
On roadways ........................................................ 1 2 3 4 5 6
Retail/commercial areas ...................................... 1 2 3 4 5 6
16. Please indicate whether or not each of the following has applied to you in the last 12 months.
No Yes
Household member was a victim of a crime in Wheat Ridge .......................................................................... 1 2
Reported a crime to the police in Wheat Ridge ............................................................................................... 1 2
17. How important, if at all, is it for the City of Wheat Ridge Police Department to prioritize resources in each of the
following areas in the next 12 months?
Very Somewhat Not at all Don’t
Essential important important important know
Solving violent crimes ....................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Solving property crimes .................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Reducing illegal activities committed by youth ............................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Reducing illegal drug activity ............................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5
Enforcement of traffic laws .............................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Code enforcement (junk vehicles, weed control, trash, etc.) .......................... 1 2 3 4 5
Crime prevention (School Resource Officers, neighborhood watch, citizen police academy) .. 1 2 3 4 5
18. How much of a priority, if at all, should the City of Wheat Ridge Police Department place on each of the following in the
next two years?
High Medium Low Not a Don’t
priority priority priority priority know
Better connection with the community (i.e., community forums, events) ................ 1 2 3 4 5
Increased visibility of police .......................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Additional City resources directed towards crime-related mental health issues
in the community ...................................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Greater accessibility to police and police-related information ................................... 1 2 3 4 5
More community policing officers (problem solving at a community level such as
neighborhood problems) .......................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Adding officers in public schools .................................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Adding surveillance cameras in high crime areas ........................................................ 1 2 3 4 5
Economic Development
19. When you shop outside of Wheat Ridge, why do you shop outside of Wheat Ridge? (Check all that apply.)
Don’t shop outside of Wheat Ridge It is more affordable
It is convenient; on my way to or from work or near my home Visit a mall or other major retailers
I like the range of quality goods and services I shop online
Desired item is not available in Wheat Ridge Other
Wheat Ridge Resident Survey Page 5 of 7
20. For each type of shopping, please estimate how frequently you make purchases in Wheat Ridge:
Very Somewhat Somewhat Very Don’t
Never infrequently infrequently frequently frequently know
Grocery shopping ........................................................ 1 2 3 4 5 6
Health services ............................................................ 1 2 3 4 5 6
Meals and entertainment ........................................... 1 2 3 4 5 6
Household items ......................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 6
Computers and electronics ......................................... 1 2 3 4 5 6
General retail (shoes, drug stores, clothing, etc.) ......... 1 2 3 4 5 6
21. How much do you agree or disagree that the City of Wheat Ridge should do each of the following?
Strongly Somewhat Neither agree Somewhat Strongly Don’t
agree agree nor disagree disagree disagree know
Promote efforts to revitalize Wheat Ridge’s housing areas ....... 1 2 3 4 5 6
Promote efforts to revitalize Wheat Ridge’s business areas ...... 1 2 3 4 5 6
Strengthen Wheat Ridge’s community image and identity ........ 1 2 3 4 5 6
Promote efforts to attract and recruit new types of retail
businesses to Wheat Ridge ...................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 6
Promote efforts to revitalize business corridors such as 38th
Avenue, 44th Avenue, Wadsworth Boulevard and Kipling St ..... 1 2 3 4 5 6
Promote efforts to attract new jobs ............................................ 1 2 3 4 5 6
Policy Topics
22. To what degree, if at all, is homelessness a problem in the City of Wheat Ridge?
Major problem Moderate problem Minor problem Not a problem Don’t know
23. How important to you, if at all, is it for the City to contribute funding to community-based organizations that provide
each of the following services to the homeless populations?
Very Somewhat Not at all Don’t
Essential important important important know
Job training programs ....................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Mental health programs ................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Substance abuse programs ............................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Shelters for severe weather ............................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Housing/rental assistance programs ................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5
Supportive housing, which combines housing with services
such as job training and substance abuse treatment ................................... 1 2 3 4 5
24. Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are secondary, independent housing units with a separate entrance, kitchen, bath, and
bed created within a single family home or on its lot. Currently the City does not allow ADUs, which means any existing
ADU may or may not be legal. To what extent do you support or oppose the City doing each of the following?
Strongly Somewhat Neither support Somewhat Strongly Don’t
support support nor opppose oppose oppose know
Allowing and regulating existing ADUs ........................................ 1 2 3 4 5 6
Allowing and regulating new ADUs ............................................. 1 2 3 4 5 6
25. If ADUs were allowed, how important to you, if at all, would each of the following regulations be?
Very Somewhat Not at all Don’t
Essential important important important know
Ensure the ADU is architecturally compatible with the existing home ........... 1 2 3 4 5
Restrict the size of the ADU .............................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Limit the number of people allowed to live in the ADU .................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Require the property owner to live in either the main house or ADU ............ 1 2 3 4 5
Require off-street parking ................................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5
Wheat Ridge Resident Survey Page 6 of 7
26. How likely, if at all, would you be to consider adding an ADU for each of the following reasons?
Very Somewhat Somewhat Very Don’t Not
likely likely unlikely unlikely know applicable
For an elderly family member ................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 6
For a disabled family member ................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 6
For an adult child ....................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 6
For visitors .................................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5 6
For my own personal use ........................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 6
For rental income ....................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 6
Some other reason (please specify):____________________________________________________________________
27. How important to you, if at all, is it that the City focus on each of the following areas of environmental sustainability,
which may or may not increase costs for taxpayers?
Very Somewhat Not at all Don’t
Essential important important important know
Expanding access to residential recycling and composting services ............... 1 2 3 4 5
Implementing organized trash hauling in neighborhoods ............................... 1 2 3 4 5
Promoting use of drought-tolerant and native landscaping............................ 1 2 3 4 5
Establishing a permanent fee paid by residential and commercial properties
for storm water management and water quality for needed capital
improvements and to improve the City’s storm water drainage system .... 1 2 3 4 5
Encouraging biking or walking, instead of automobile use ............................. 1 2 3 4 5
Ensuring availability of and access to public transit......................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Implementing energy efficiency improvements for city facilities ................... 1 2 3 4 5
Requiring green building practices for new commercial and
residential construction ................................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5
Promoting renewable energy (wind or solar) in the community .................... 1 2 3 4 5
Promoting renewable energy (wind or solar) in the home ............................. 1 2 3 4 5
Creating walkable communities (providing sidewalk connections,
bike lanes, retail/shopping/grocery closer to homes, etc.) .......................... 1 2 3 4 5
Information Sources
28. In the last 12 months, about how many times, if ever, have you or other household members used the following
sources of information for news about Wheat Ridge?
1-2 3-12 13-26 More than
Never times times times 26 times
City Quarterly “Connections” Newsletter .............................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Parks and Recreation Activity Guide ...................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Denver Post…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..1 2 3 4 5
Denver Post YourHub ............................................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5
Jeffco Transcript .................................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Neighborhood Gazette .......................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Denver Gazette ..................................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Radio news ............................................................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5
Television news ..................................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
WRTV8 (Government Access Channel) .................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
City live/on-demand video streaming, including City Council meetings ................. 1 2 3 4 5
City’s website: www.ci.wheatridge.co.us ............................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
City website automatic notifications (e.g., community events, calendar listing) .... 1 2 3 4 5
City of Wheat Ridge social media sites (Facebook, Twitter) ................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Wheat Ridge Speaks .............................................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
What’s Up Wheat Ridge ........................................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5
Wheat Ridge Police Department social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) ... 1 2 3 4 5
Wheat Ridge Recreation Center’s Facebook page .................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Community-created Facebook groups/pages about Wheat Ridge ......................... 1 2 3 4 5
Neighborhood websites (e.g., NextDoor, etc.) ....................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Word of mouth ...................................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
Wheat Ridge Resident Survey Page 7 of 7
29. In a typical month, about how many times, if ever, do you use each of the following social media sites?
1-3 times Once Multiple times
Never a month a week a week Daily
Facebook .................................................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Twitter ...................................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
YouTube ................................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
LinkedIn ................................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
NextDoor .................................................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Instagram ................................................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
Demographics
Our last questions are about you and your household. All of your responses are completely confidential.
D1. About how long have you lived in Wheat Ridge?
Less than 2 years 11-20 years
2-5 years More than 20 years
6-10 years
D2. In which city do you work? (If you work in more than
one city, check the box for the city in which you most
often work.)
Arvada Louisville
Aurora Northglenn
Boulder Thornton
Broomfield Westminster
Denver Wheat Ridge
Englewood Other
Golden Do not work (student,
Lakewood homemaker, retired, etc.)
Littleton
D3. Please check the appropriate box indicating the type of
housing unit in which you live.
Detached single-family home Apartment
Condominium or townhouse Mobile home
Duplex
D4. Do you live in senior housing such as an assisted-living
or senior living community?
Yes
No
D5. Do you own or rent your residence?
Own
Rent
D6. How many people (including
yourself) live in your household? people
D7. How many of these household
members are 17 or younger? people
D8. Please indicate the number of dogs and cats in your
household. (Please write “0” if none.)
A. Number of dogs ______
B. Number of cats ______
D9. How much do you anticipate your household’s total
income before taxes will be for the current year?
(Please include in your total income money from all
sources for all persons living in your household.)
Less than $15,000 $50,000 to $74,999
$15,000 to $24,999 $75,000 to $99,999
$25,000 to $34,999 $100,000 to $124,999
$35,000 to $49,999 $125,000 or more
D10. What is your age?
18-24 45-54 75 +
25-34 55-64
35-44 65-74
D11. What is your race? (Mark one or more races to indicate
what race you consider yourself to be.)
American Indian or Alaskan Native
Asian, Asian Indian, or Pacific Islander
Black or African American
White
Other
Prefer not to say
D12. Are you Hispanic/Spanish/Latino?
Yes
No
D13. What is your gender?
Female Prefer to self-describe:____________
Male Prefer not to say
D14. Did you vote in the last election?
Yes
No
Thank you very much! Please return the completed
questionnaire, in the postage-paid envelope provided, to:
National Research Center, Inc.
PO Box 549, Belle Mead
NJ 08502