STERLING HEIGHTS – Sterling Heights residents overwhelmingly rated metropolis providers and operations within the newest public opinion survey.
The outcomes of the seven-page survey, carried out in July and August 2025, replicate robust satisfaction with the standard of life in Sterling Heights and echo the optimistic perceptions reported in earlier surveys from 2021, 2018 and 2012.
Eighty-three % of respondents had been glad with Sterling Heights as a spot to dwell, whereas 78% stated they had been glad with the town as a spot to boost youngsters. The analysis was carried out by the Kansas-based ETC Institute and offered to the Metropolis Council on December 16.
“It is truly our scorecard to see how we’re doing with all our providers in all disciplines,” says Metropolis Supervisor Mark Vanderpool. “Police, hearth, code enforcement, parks and recreation, library, and many others.”
The examine discovered that Sterling Heights performs exceptionally nicely in comparison with different communities throughout the nation. The outcomes confirmed that Sterling Heights scored above the U.S. common in 39 of 41 service areas; that total satisfaction with metropolis providers was 20% above the nationwide common; and so they expressed satisfaction with the worth residents obtain for metropolis taxes and costs, which was 21% above the U.S. common.
“The survey outcomes verify my perception that Sterling Heights is a good place to dwell, and that residents actually recognize the standard of public providers our workers present every single day,” stated Michael Taylor, Mayor of Sterling Heights. “Our rating so extremely in comparison with municipalities throughout the USA reinforces that our give attention to high-quality public providers and placemaking makes a significant distinction for our residents. We are going to proceed to make use of these outcomes to information Metropolis Council decision-making transferring ahead.”
Jason Morado, director of neighborhood outreach for the ETC Institute, advised council members that the survey was distributed through e-mail and on-line to a random pattern of residents and generated 522 accomplished responses. He stated the survey paints an correct image of citizen sentiment, with a 95% confidence degree and a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3%.
“Primarily, because of this if we ran this examine the identical means 100 occasions, the outcomes could be 95 occasions plus or minus 4.3% of what we report,” he stated. “So the outcomes are by no means excellent, even for a statistically legitimate examine, however the margin of error is small.
“And we additionally made certain whereas administering the survey that the demographics and respondents of the survey replicate the precise inhabitants of the town,” Morado stated.
Within the space of public security, 88% of respondents reported that they’re “very glad” or “glad” with the general high quality of native police safety. Comparable figures got for hearth safety (92%) and emergency medical providers (89%).
Wanting forward, respondents say police visibility in neighborhoods is the highest precedence the town ought to emphasize over the subsequent two years, adopted by crime prevention and visitors enforcement.
For parks and recreation and metropolis occasions, 91% of respondents had been glad with the upkeep of metropolis parks and 82% with park services. Town’s in style Music within the Park live shows, in the meantime, scored 84% satisfaction. Residents had been least glad with particular recreation packages (61%).
As for the general public library, 80% of survey respondents had been very glad or glad with the establishment’s print collections and 73% had been glad with its audio/video collections. Residents had been least glad with homebound/house supply providers (56%).
Constructive tendencies that emerged between the 2021 and 2025 surveys embrace a 9% enhance in satisfaction with the library’s youngsters’s and reference packages, and a 4% enhance for each grownup and teenage packages.
The Sterlingfest Artwork & Music Truthful’s satisfaction rating reached a degree of 83% in 2025, a rise of 5% from 78% in 2021. Satisfaction with snow elimination in residential areas and main metropolis streets was 67% and 85% respectively in 2025, every 4% larger than in 2021.
Prime priorities for enchancment, derived from the 2025 survey outcomes, embrace: waste, recycling and disposal; visitors and congestion administration; enforcement of native visitors legal guidelines; imposing the elimination of litter and particles from houses; upkeep of neighborhood streets; and imposing the mowing and pruning of grass and weeds on residential properties.
Total, the survey provides metropolis leaders a statistical snapshot of how Sterling Heights residents view their metropolis and the way they need to transfer ahead in assembly expectations.
“You by no means know precisely how residents really feel,” stated Mayor Professional Tem Liz Sierawski. “Generally you get a small group of them telling you what they suppose, however to map the whole metropolis scientifically and precisely is nice for us.”
Vanderpool referred to as the survey an essential device to construct on the town’s success and pursue steady enchancment.
“These robust survey outcomes replicate the distinctive work of our metropolis workers,” he stated. “In addition they assist decide the place we will give attention to continued enchancment, together with growing police visibility and enforcement of visitors legal guidelines, strengthening property upkeep code enforcement and continued enhancements to the Metropolis’s streets. We are going to proceed to judge these key areas and we are going to share particulars on how we plan to handle them throughout the Metropolis’s annual strategic planning session on January 27, 2026.”
The complete survey outcomes and ETC’s report can be found on the town’s web site at sterlingheights.gov/survey.
