Durham Reporter

Durham County residents have expressed a positive outlook on their community, according to the 2024 Resident Satisfaction Survey results. The survey was presented to the Durham Board of County Commissioners during their session on March 10, 2025. Conducted from November 2024 to January 2025, it evaluates resident satisfaction with life in Durham County and the services provided by its government.

Jason Morado, Vice President and Director of Community Research at ETC Institute, shared the survey findings. The survey, conducted annually since 2015 in collaboration with the City of Durham, gathered responses from 810 residents. It included questions about quality of life and satisfaction with city and county government services. The report also compares Durham County to other regions nationally.

Durham County ranks well above the national average as a desirable place to live and work. "Seventy-six-point-seven percent of residents rated the County as an excellent or good place to live—30.8% higher than the national benchmark," Morado noted. Additionally, 77% see it as a great place to work, while 65.9% feel that diversity is valued.

The survey indicates strong satisfaction with county services. The Durham County Library received an approval rating of 82.6%, making it one of the highest-rated services. Fire and life safety programming (70.1%) and Emergency Medical Services (67.7%) also received high marks, showing improvement over last year.

Most respondents reported positive interactions with county employees regarding customer service and information accuracy. Over half were highly satisfied with contacting county offices easily.

Local leaders use this survey as a resource for strategic planning as Durham County continues its growth. It helps address community needs and guides future plans for local governance.

For further details about the survey or to download the Executive Summary, visit the City-County Resident Survey webpage.