Survey says 94% of Johnson County residents are satisfied with the county as a place to live

A recent survey indicates that residents of Johnson County are very satisfied with the county as a place to live, work and raise children.

ETC Institute, a market survey research company, presented the results of the 2026 Community Survey to the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners on April 9. Results indicated satisfaction with key county services and an overall feeling of safety within the county.

Information on satisfaction levels

Satisfaction with Johnson County as place to live, work and raise children is among the highest in the nation:

• Nearly all (94%) of residents surveyed said they viewed the county as a good or excellent place to live.
• The same amount (94%) considered the county as a good or excellent place to raise children.
• 90% of residents reported an overall feeling of safety in Johnson County.
• 90% said they have an overall positive image of Johnson County.
• 87% reported satisfaction with Johnson County as a place to work.

As part of its yearly survey, ETC conducts a random sample of 10,000 residents across the United States. Those results comprise a national benchmark in each category from which others can compare their results. Johnson County residents report notably higher satisfaction when compared to those national benchmarks, in some cases reaching as much as a 45% difference compared to benchmarks.

According to the survey, public safety is joined by K-12 education and well-maintained roads on the "top 3" list of important quality of life issues in Johnson County.

"A fundamental feeling of safety tops the list of why people choose to live in Johnson County, while our nationally recognized park system, first-rate libraries and strong infrastructure keep people here," said Board of County Commissioners Chairman Mike Kelly. "Our annual survey results once again affirm that residents recognize and appreciate the excellent quality of life that our county services create."

Top priorities for county residents

When asked what they think is most important for the county to provide, respondents picked these top five priority services:

• Department of Emergency Services (Med-Act, Emergency Preparedness)
• Election Office
• Parks
• Libraries
• Public Health

Residents feel the most critical roles for Johnson County Government in the next 10-20 years are making sure necessary health and human services are available, coordinating public safety and law enforcement and maintaining high quality emergency services. They also prioritize well-maintained roads.

"We recognize that for a community like ours to remain exceptional, we need input from residents, and the annual community survey is an invaluable tool to gain resident feedback," said County Manager Penny Postoak Ferguson. "From these results, our staff will work with the Board of County Commissioners to set our priorities for the best use of taxpayer dollars."

ETC distributed the survey to randomly selected households from each district. The survey was administered by mail, phone and online, and 1,256 respondents completed the survey, resulting in a 95% confidence level for the survey findings. More information about the results of this year's annual survey will be published on the county's website soon.