A new devastating survey has shown that only half of New Yorkers intend to stay in the city for the next five years. The Citizens Budget Commission (CBC), a non-profit think tank, conducted a poll on Tuesday that found that resentment has soared over the quality of living, particularly since the pandemic. According to poll results published by numerous US outlets, only 30% of respondents claimed they were satisfied in New York.
The think tank conducting the 2023 Resident Survey visited 6,600 residences in New York City in the second half of 2023, according to the New York Times (NYT).
Only 37% of New Yorkers thought public safety in their neighborhood was excellent or good
This time, the poll found that only 37% of New Yorkers thought public safety in their neighborhood was excellent or good, down from 50 percent six years ago.
The study also revealed significant declines in satisfaction with the level of education, government services, and municipal cleanliness.
According to the New York Times, only 37% of residents are satisfied with their neighborhood’s public safety, and only 34% are satisfied with its cleanliness.
Less than a quarter of respondents were satisfied with the overall quality of government services.
“The drop is stark. In 2017, New York City was “seven years into a really robust recovery,” Andrew Rein, president of the Citizens Budget Commission, told NYT.
According to the poll, 43% of residents earning more than $200,000 per year and 45% of those earning more than $100,000 per year preferred to live in their neighborhood.
Only 30% of New Yorkers making less than $35,000 felt the same.
Reacting to the survey, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander said, “These survey results provide our leaders with a roadmap to stronger management of city services – starting with investments that will help make New Yorkers feel safe and confront our City’s affordability crisis and uneven recovery from the pandemic. We look forward to digging into the data and commend the CBC for engaging New Yorkers directly on the critical challenges we face. It’s how we can build a city where New Yorkers want to live, work, and raise their families for generations.”