Published on November 10, 2026
Link to survey results
Most Oklahoma City residents continue to rate the city positively as a place to live, work and raise a family, according to the 2026 Resident Satisfaction Survey conducted by ETC Institute.
More than eight in 10 residents (81%) rated Oklahoma City as an excellent or good place to live, while 74% rated the city as an excellent or good place to work and 68% rated it as an excellent or good place to raise children.
The annual survey helps City leaders measure resident satisfaction, identify priorities and evaluate the performance of City services over time. The full survey results are available at okc.gov.
Nearly seven in 10 residents (69%) said Oklahoma City is moving in the right direction. Residents also rated the overall quality of City services 20 points higher than the average for large communities nationwide and 18 points higher than the national average.
When asked which issues should receive the greatest emphasis from City leaders during the next two years, residents identified:
City services that received the highest satisfaction include
City services with opportunities for improvement
“This survey helps us understand what matters most to residents,” City Manager Craig Freeman said. “We're making historic investments in our street network through the 2025 bond program, and we're working closely with community partners through the Key to Home Partnership to expand housing and support for people experiencing homelessness.”
EMBARK
Residents identified the following as the most important public transit improvements:
Code Enforcement
Residents said the code enforcement issues that should receive the most attention over the next two years are:
Parks and Recreation
Nearly three out of four residents (73%) reported using an Oklahoma City park or participating in a Parks and Recreation program during the past year.
Residents reported the highest satisfaction with:
The parks-related priority identified most often by residents was maintenance of City parks (45%).
Police
Among residents who had contact with an Oklahoma City police officer, 88% said they were treated fairly, a rating 24 percentage points above the national average.
Additionally, 76% of residents said the City does not issue enough citations for traffic law enforcement. Residents' overall feeling of safety in Oklahoma City has increased each year during the past two years.
Survey methodology
A random sample of 1,309 residents completed the 2026 Resident Satisfaction Survey through mailed and online questionnaires. At least 150 surveys were completed in each of Oklahoma City's eight wards.
Survey results have a margin of error of ±2.7 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. This marks the 20th year the City has conducted the survey.