400 Residents Rate GR Safety Below Benchmark But Rising
The city's new quality-of-life survey shows safety lagging the national average but improving, while parks and arts earn stronger marks — and the numbers land just before budget talks begin.
Grand Rapids published results Tuesday from its 2026 quality-of-life survey of nearly 400 residents, conducted by Polco and presented to city commissioners. Safety scored below the national benchmark but trended up, while parks and recreation and arts and culture grew. Budget discussions start in about a month.
Nearly 400 Grand Rapids residents rated their city this year, and the report card landed Tuesday morning in front of city commissioners. The 2026 National Community Survey — run by Polco and conducted every two years since 2019 — graded GR on eight topics: safety, mobility, natural and built environment, the economy, recreation and wellness, education and enrichment, and community engagement.
The headline number: safety scored below the national benchmark, though above previous years. The bright spots were parks and recreation and arts and culture, both showing growth. Polco describes the sample as representative by age, gender, ethnicity, and rent-versus-own status — but it's under 400 people in a city of 200,000-plus, a caveat officials themselves acknowledged.
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Assistant City Manager Doug Matthews was careful to frame the findings as "one data point," not the sole input into spending decisions. Still, budget discussions begin in about a month, and what this survey flags as weak or strong will be on the table when tax dollars get allocated this fall.
