The 2014 Citizen Satisfaction Survey is out and overall Calgarians say this is a great place to live but the results are a little less positive than they were one year ago.

The Ipsos Reid survey shows that 87 percent of Calgarians say their quality of life here is good. That number is down from 88 percent in 2012 and 2013.

When asked if that quality of life has improved over the last three years, 31 percent said it did, which is a drop of four percent from the year before. One in five Calgarians say the quality of life has worsened in that time, which is unchanged from 2013.

Overall, 91 percent say they are proud to live here, which is lower by one percent from 2013.

“The data shows what most Calgarians already know: we live in a great city with a high quality of life. We are proud to live here and, for the most part, we get good value for our tax dollars. I’m proud that the Citizen Satisfaction survey has consistently shown this since I’ve had this role,” said Mayor Naheed Nenshi.

Ratings in the following four sustainability metrics are also down from 2013, but the city says those numbers remain quite high:

  • ‘Calgary is a great place to make a living’ (86% agree in 2014 vs. 90% in 2013)
  • ‘Calgary is a great place to make a life’ (85% agree in 2014 vs. 89% in 2013)
  • ‘Calgary is moving in the right direction to ensure a high quality of life for future generations’ (71% agree in 2014 vs. 78% in 2013)
  • ‘Calgary is on the right track to being a better city ten years from now’ –while 89% of Calgarians agree with the statement (consistent with 90% in 2013), the percentage who ‘stronglyagree’ has declined 6 percentage points (from 41% in 2013 to 35% in 2014)

Calgarians put infrastructure/traffic/roads and transit at the top of the issues list.

  • 46 percent cite infrastructure/traffic/roads as an important issue
  • 25 percent cite transit as an important issue

30 percent of Calgarians say improving ‘transportation’ and 21 percent say improving ‘transit’ could improve the quality of life here.

Satisfaction with the level and quality of city services and programs remains high at 79 percent.

The data showed increases in satisfaction in six areas; land use planning; city operated roads and infrastructure; pathway systems; bylaw services; animal control; and community services (including community associations and not for profit groups).

"These are big numbers and they are absolutely numbers that show that people are happy to live here, that they're proud to be Calgarians, that they believe the city is on the right track and continues to be on the right track and that they are satisfied with the quality of services provided by my colleagues at the City of Calgary," said Nenshi.

When it comes to property taxes, 65 percent felt that the city gives good value for their property tax dollars and less people think the city should cut services to maintain the tax level than the year before.

The mayor says the results help council to plan ahead to provide good service to Calgarians.

“Good data makes for good decisions,” said Mayor Nenshi. “The results we get from the Citizen Satisfaction Survey help City Council as we make decisions about the new four-year budget and business plan so that we can continue to serve Calgarians well.”

To view the survey results, scroll the document below or click HERE.