Dates
August 13-28, 2025
Survey Type
Dual-mode Voter Survey
Research Population
City of Visalia Adult Residents
Total Interviews
556
Margin of Sampling Error
(Full Sample) ±4.4% at the 95% Confidence Level(Half Sample) ±6.2% at the 95% Confidence Level Contact Methods
Data Collection Modes
Languages
English and Spanish
Survey Methodology
(Note: Not All Results Will Sum to 100% Due to Rounding) Telephone
Interviews
Online
Interviews
Text
Invitations
Telephone
Calls
Email
Invitations
Postcard Invitations
Survey Respondent Demographics
Population by Area of the City
Northeast24.7%
Southeast29.4%
Northwest24.5%
Southwest21.4%
Q. In what year were you born?
18-49
59%
50+40%
Age of Respondents
Q. With which racial or ethnic group do you identify yourself? Self-Identified Race/Ethnicity of Respondents
People of Color
62%
Gender of Respondents
Q. What is your gender?
Homeownership of Respondents
Q. Do you own or rent your home or apartment?
Length of Time Living in Visalia
Q. About how long have you lived in Visalia?
Household Income in 2024
Q. What was the total combined income for all the people in your household before taxes in 2024?
General Perceptionsof the City
Slightly more than 9-in-10 have favorable views of Visalia as a place to live.
Q. How would you rate Visalia as a place to live: is it excellent, good, fair, poor or very poor? TotalPoor8%
Excellent/Good/Fair92%
Seventy-five percent feel safe living in Visalia.
Q. Here are some statements about Visalia. Please indicate if you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree with that statement about Visalia.
Total Agree
Total Disagree
75%
25%
54%
40%
(Ranked by Total Agree)
Resident Concerns
Homelessness, crime, traffic, and education are among the most top-of-mind important issues residents would like the City to do something about. (Open-ended Grouped Responses; Multiple Responses Accepted) Q. What do you think is the most serious issue facing the residents of Visalia that you would like to see City government do something about? Split Sample
Q. Please consider the following issues. Please indicate whether you think it is an extremely serious problem facing residents of Visalia, a very serious problem, a somewhat serious problem, or not too serious a problem for residents of Visalia. *Split Sample Extremely/Very Serious Problem
80%
65%
59%
57%
49%
48%
42%
41%
Homelessness; cost of living, particularly cost of housing; traffic congestion and gang/juvenile violence are among top issues considered to be an extremely or very serious problem. (Ranked by Extremely/Very Serious Problem)
Q. Please consider the following issues. Please indicate whether you think it is an extremely serious problem facing residents of Visalia, a very serious problem, a somewhat serious problem, or not too serious a problem for residents of Visalia. *Split Sample Extremely/Very Serious Problem
36%
34%
34%
28%
26%
25%
24%
18%
Continued
(Ranked by Extremely/Very Serious Problem)
Speeding and traffic concerns; homelessness; and crime are considered by residents to be among the most serious public safety problems in their neighborhood. (Open-ended Grouped Responses; Multiple Responses Accepted) Q. What would you say is the most serious public safety problem in your neighborhood?
At the end of the survey, homelessness, improving traffic regulations and maintaining/repairing public roads were the top issues that residents would most like the City to improve. (Open-ended Grouped Responses; Multiple Responses Accepted) Q. In thinking about all the issues we have discussed, or some other issue related to Visalia, what is the most important thing the City of Visalia can do to improve city services for the people who live and/or work in Visalia? Split Sample
Importance of and Satisfaction With Specific City Services
Close to three-quarters are satisfied with the overall job Visalia is doing providing City services.
Q. Would you say that you are very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied with the overall job Visalia is doing providing City services? Total Dissatisfied26%
Total Satisfied72%
Q. Please consider some services and programs that are provided by the City of Visalia. Please indicate how important it is to you personally that the City of Visalia includes that service or program in the city budget. Using a scale of 1 to 7 where one means it is NOT AT All IMPORTANT to you that the City provides that service or program and seven means it is VERY IMPORTANT that the City provides that service or program. You can use any number from 1 to 7.
MeanScore
6.5 6.3
6.4 6.2
6.1 6.1
6.1 Police protection and services; management of City finances; fire protection and paramedic services; and street and local road maintenance are among the services rated with high importance by large percentages of residents. (Ranked by Very Important, Rating “6” and “7”)
Q. Please consider some services and programs that are provided by the City of Visalia. Please indicate how important it is to you personally that the City of Visalia includes that service or program in the city budget. Using a scale of 1 to 7 where one means it is NOT AT All IMPORTANT to you that the City provides that service or program and seven means it is VERY IMPORTANT that the City provides that service or program. You can use any number from 1 to 7.
MeanScore
6.1 6.0
6.0 5.9
6.0 5.9
5.9 5.8
Continued
(Ranked by Very Important, Rating “6” and “7”)
Q. Please consider some services and programs that are provided by the City of Visalia. Please indicate how important it is to you personally that the City of Visalia includes that service or program in the city budget. Using a scale of 1 to 7 where one means it is NOT AT All IMPORTANT to you that the City provides that service or program and seven means it is VERY IMPORTANT that the City provides that service or program. You can use any number from 1 to 7.
MeanScore
6.0 5.7
5.7 5.5
5.2 5.3
4.9 Continued
(Ranked by Very Important, Rating “6” and “7”)
Q. Please consider the same services and programs that are provided by the City of Visalia. Please indicate how satisfied you are personally with the job Visalia City government is doing in providing that service or program. Using a scale of 1 to 7 where this time one means you are NOT AT All SATISFIED with the job the City is doing in providing that service or program and seven means you are VERY SATISFIED with the job the City is doing in providing that service or program. You can use any number from 1 to 7.
MeanScore
5.7 5.5
5.1 4.9
4.5 5.0
4.5 Fire protection and paramedic services; police protection and trash and recycling services among the services rated with high satisfaction by large percentages of residents. (Ranked by Very Satisfied, Rating “6” and “7”)
Q. Please consider the same services and programs that are provided by the City of Visalia. Please indicate how satisfied you are personally with the job Visalia City government is doing in providing that service or program. Using a scale of 1 to 7 where this time one means you are NOT AT All SATISFIED with the job the City is doing in providing that service or program and seven means you are VERY SATISFIED with the job the City is doing in providing that service or program. You can use any number from 1 to 7.
MeanScore
4.8 4.4
4.1 4.5
4.3 4.8
4.5 4.2
Continued
(Ranked by Very Satisfied, Rating “6” and “7”)
Q. Please consider the same services and programs that are provided by the City of Visalia. Please indicate how satisfied you are personally with the job Visalia City government is doing in providing that service or program. Using a scale of 1 to 7 where this time one means you are NOT AT All SATISFIED with the job the City is doing in providing that service or program and seven means you are VERY SATISFIED with the job the City is doing in providing that service or program. You can use any number from 1 to 7.
MeanScore
4.6 4.5
3.8 4.3
4.4 4.2
3.2 Continued
(Ranked by Very Satisfied, Rating “6” and “7”)
Direct Customer Satisfaction
Q. Over the past two years, have you had contact with a Visalia department or agency either in-person, on the phone, via email, or through some other means?Q. Would you say that you were very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied with the overall level of customer service you received? Approximately 6-in-10 reported having had contact with a Visalia department or agency in the last two years, with slightly more than 7-in-10 satisfied with the overall customer service.
Total Dissatisfied27%
Total Satisfied72%
Contact with Visalia Government in Last 2 Years
Satisfaction Rating
(Asked if Had Contact with A Visalia Department or Agency, n=341)
Use of City Facilities
Half frequent City parks 5 or more times a year and a third frequent City trails and/or walking paths 5 or more times a year.
Q. How many times have you attended the following places in the past year: None, 1 to 2 times, 3 to 4 times, or 5 or more times?
Perceptions of the Recreation and Community Facilities Needs
Q. I am going to read you a list of different types of recreational programs and facilities. Please indicate if you feel there are not enough of these places, too many, or just the right amount in Visalia.
Close to half or more residents expressed the view that there are not enough aquatic facilities, including a community pool; community centers; walking and biking paths; and BMX bike pump tracks in Visalia. (Ranked by Not Enough)
Ballfields, that could be used for soccer, baseball, softball and football
Sources of Information Used about City-related Programs, Events and Issues
Q. Here is a list of sources from which people get information about City of Visalia programs, events and issues. Please indicate how often you use it to get information about such issues. Is it frequently, occasionally, rarely, or never? *Split Sample Frequently/Occasionally
56%
55%
39%
38%
36%
30%
22%
Social media and local group Facebook pages are among the most frequently used sources of information about Visalia programs, events and issues. (Ranked by Frequently/Occasionally)
Conclusions
Conclusions
General Views of the City:
Slightly more than 9-in-10 have a favorable view of Visalia as a place to live; only 8% are dissatisfied.
Three-quarters feel safe living in Visalia.
Conclusions; Continued
Serious Issues:
Homelessness, crime, traffic and unsafe driving, as well as public schools are among the most volunteered top-of-mind concerns.
When provided with a list of issues, the highest percentages indicate that homelessness; cost of living, most notably the cost of housing; traffic congestion of local streets; gang and juvenile violence; and property crime top the list of extremely or very serious problems.
More specifically, among public safety issues: unsafe driving/traffic, homelessness and crime are volunteered the most frequently.
After various issues are discussed in the survey, high percentages volunteer they would like the City to address homelessness, improve traffic regulations, repair roads, and lower crime rates.
Conclusions; Continued
City Services:
Close to three quarters are satisfied with the overall services the City provides.
Specifically, fire protection/paramedic services, management of City finances, and police protection/services top the list of city services considered to be very important.
Fire protection/paramedic services, trash and recycling, and police protection/services are the services residents were very satisfied with at the highest percentages.
Contact with Visalia Government:
Six-in-ten had contact with Visalia Government in the last two years, with close to 75% having reported they were satisfied with that contact.
Conclusions; Continued
Facilities:
Most residents use City Parks multiple times a year and a slight majority use city trails/walking paths multiple times a year. A majority indicated that they attended events at the Convention Center at least once in the last year.
A majority of residents perceive there are not enough aquatic facilities, including a community pool; and close to 1-in-2 perceive there are not enough community centers, walking and biking paths, and BMX bike pump track facilities.
Sources of Information:
Social media, particularly Facebook, are the most frequently/occasionally used City-related sources of information.