Overview

In our first survey of Wisconsin residents in summer 2002, the Quality of Life program set out to establish a benchmark by which to measure ongoing citizen satisfaction with a wide range of issues that affect quality of life in our communities.

We asked respondents to evaluate their housing situation, including costs, property taxes, location, visual appeal, upkeep, and proximity to services. We invited them to rate the quality of schools, both public and private, and to comment on the quality of instruction, class size, and teacher salaries. We asked them to tell us how their local communities are doing in providing essential and recreational services. We talked about jobs and personal safety. We queried state residents about their elected representatives — local, state, and national. Finally, we explored some of the details of people’s day-to-day lives in an effort to understand the role that these activities play in the quality of life people seek. In their responses, Wisconsinites provided us with a richly textured picture of the issues that touch them — what’s going right, what needs fixing, and where we should start.

Overall, Wisconsin residents are most satisfied with what they experience closest to home. Six out of ten respondents (63%) think things in their communities are on the right track. However, just four in ten (43%) think things in Wisconsin are on the right track. Two thirds of respondents are satisfied with the quality of the public schools in their area. The vast majority of respondents are satisfied with their access to parks and open spaces (93%), and police and fire protection (89% and 92%, respectively). Likewise, strong majorities are satisfied with most of the amenities they have access to, including libraries, recreational opportunities, and access to quality health care. Two thirds are satisfied with the job that city, town, and village officials are doing to represent them.

 

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