Quality of life in New York City reflects the collective experience of residents regarding the affordability, safety, and overall livability of their neighborhoods and the city at large. This page covers CBC’s work on resident satisfaction surveys, housing production and affordability, public safety, infrastructure maintenance, and the performance of municipal services.
This page was created with AICBC Insights uses AI to group, analyze and present data and recommendations from CBC's publications. Always reference the cited sources to verify important details..
City government needs to deliver a high quality of life, lest people leave.
The City and municipal unions should work together to modernize government.
The City should collaborate with nonprofit providers to focus resources on the most effective evidence-based services—scaling those that really improve lives, while shrinking those that do not.
The City must focus on what works most and trim what doesn’t, even if it’s popular.
The City must keep its fiscal house in order.
Key Data
According to an April 2026 report, domestic outmigration from New York City ticked up, with 114,000 more people leaving the city for other U.S. locations than arriving.
By April 2026, the average asking rent in New York City reached $3,800 per month, consuming half of the median household income and rising at 3.8% annually.
Reflecting demographic shifts, the number of school-age children in New York City dropped by nearly 109,000 over the past decade, with traditional public school enrollment declining by 158,000.
In a June 2025 resident survey, only 34% of New Yorkers rated the city's quality of life as excellent or good, representing a substantial decline from 51% in 2017.
The 2025 survey revealed that only 42% of residents rated neighborhood public safety as excellent or good, and only 22% felt safe riding the subway at night.
New York City faces significant economic and quality of life challenges, including rising rents that consume half of median household income and a population decline of 114,000 people in the last year. Despite a reduction in most crime categories, residents express dissatisfaction with government performance, with only 11% believing the city spends money wisely and 73% rating services as poor or fair.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
The mayor and City Council should adopt a sound budget that improves services, expands effective programs, eliminates ineffective ones, enhances affordability and holds the line on taxes.
Delivering a high-performing, affordable government and boosting housing production are essential.
Relief from Albany’s class size mandate could unlock $1.2 billion while preserving smaller classes where they matter most.
Aligning school budgets with declining enrollment could save $400 million.
Fixing procurement could yield $700 million.
Maintaining current city-funded housing vouchers would save $330 million.
Key Data
114,000
— Number of more people who left New York City for other places in the U.S. than came to the city last year.
3.8%
— Annual rate at which asking rents are rising, which is twice the pre-pandemic rate.
73%
— Percentage of New Yorkers who rated city services as poor or fair.
$3,800
— Average monthly asking rent, which consumes half of the median household income.
11%
— Percentage of New Yorkers who said the city spends their money wisely.
$42,000
— Amount the city Department of Education spends per student, which is twice the national average.
New York City's declining share of high-income residents and overall population outmigration are driven by a faltering value proposition characterized by high costs, housing shortages, and deteriorating public services. To reverse this trend and ensure long-term prosperity, the city must prioritize housing production, street safety, and efficient public services rather than relying solely on tax increases.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
Expanding housing production to improve affordability is paramount to ensuring that living in New York remains feasible and attractive for a broad range of residents.
Clean and safe streets are equally vital, providing the order and quality of life that residents, businesses and visitors deserve.
High-quality and efficient public services — from transit to education — support a prosperous city.
Stable public finances preserve services for all New Yorkers.
Focusing on the fundamentals strengthens New York City’s value proposition.
Key Data
34%
— of New Yorkers felt the quality of life was good or excellent in 2025.
27%
— of New Yorkers rated public services as good or excellent in 2025.
91,000
— more residents moved out of the city to other parts of the U.S. than moved in during 2024.
14.776%
— is the combined top marginal tax rate for the highest earners in New York State and City.
35%
— is the decline in the share of U.S. millionaires living in New York City between 2010 and 2022.
$2.5 billion
— is the amount of additional personal income tax revenue the City would have collected in 2022 if it had maintained its 2010 share of millionaires.
New York City faces a precarious budget situation where current revenues are insufficient to sustain spending, leading to dissatisfaction with the quality of life and government services. To ensure a bright future, the city must prioritize fiscal responsibility, modernize government services, and focus resources on the most effective, evidence-based programs.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
City government needs to deliver a high quality of life, lest people leave.
The City and municipal unions should work together to modernize government.
The City should collaborate with nonprofit providers to focus resources on the most effective evidence-based services—scaling those that really improve lives, while shrinking those that do not.
The City must focus on what works most and trim what doesn’t, even if it’s popular.
The City must keep its fiscal house in order.
Key Data
$453 million
— The amount of debt New York City had to repay 50 years ago, which it could not afford.
$120 billion
— The amount New York City currently spends annually, which should be used efficiently to deliver a high quality of life.
2,500 is the number of uniformed officers NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch moved from behind desks to patrolling NYC streets this summer. The move helped drive down serious crimes, and couldn't have come at a better time. In response to a CBC survey last winter, 42% of New Yorkers reported feeling…
New York City residents are increasingly dissatisfied with the city's quality of life, public services, and safety, with only one-third of the population rating their quality of life positively. To reverse the trend of residents leaving for other states, the city must prioritize fiscal discipline, improve service delivery, and focus on housing and infrastructure development.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
Leaders should choose to trim spending to sustainable levels, build up rainy day funds during good times, and negotiate labor deals that balance fair wages with fiscal reality.
Leaders need to choose management systems that deliver results and hold officials accountable to ensure New Yorkers receive the services they pay for.
The city should focus on evidence-based programs in education and mental health and make the hard choice to eliminate ineffective initiatives.
Policymakers must hold the line on taxes, pull out all the stops to boost housing production, make public spaces vibrant, and use only the tax incentives proven to grow our economy.
The city must choose to get roads, bridges, and buildings into good shape to ensure a foundation for the future economy.
Key Data
1/3
— Proportion of New Yorkers who rate the city's quality of life positively.
11%
— Percentage of New Yorkers who believe the city is wisely spending its $115 billion annual budget.
100,000
— Number of net residents New York City lost to Florida between 2018 and 2022.
$13.7 billion
— Amount of personal income lost to Florida due to net resident migration between 2018 and 2022.
New York City mayoral candidates were surveyed on their strategies to address the city's affordability crisis, public safety concerns, and the overall quality of life for residents. The responses highlight diverse approaches to tax policy, housing development, and capital investment priorities aimed at improving city services and economic stability.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
I will launch a platform to link residents to city resources, so they can apply for benefits, track request status, check payment timelines and request services with greater transparency and ease.
I’ll establish a framework for growth and affordability, & streamline ULURP for projects that advance that framework, including requiring a Council vote to reject a project, rather than to pass it.
The City must embrace equitable property tax reform & ensure the top 1% of NYers pay their fair share.
We must expand access and increase voucher amounts to meet reality.
I support lowering property taxes for homeowners & working families—not for big developers gaming the system.
I have proposed standardized reporting metrics for all agencies - QualitySTAT to ensure high performance from city agencies, find budget inefficiency, and ensure quality of life city-wide.
I favor significant changes to ULURP and streamlining of city approvals, with mandated deadlines.
Key Data
$1.2 billion
— Cost of the CityFHEPS housing voucher program in fiscal year 2025.
$111 billion
— The City’s five-year capital program.
50%
— Current share of capital spending on State of Good Repair.
24%
— Current share of capital spending on Programmatic Replacement.
26%
— Current share of capital spending on Program Expansion.
Residents' satisfaction with New York City's quality of life, public safety, and government services remains significantly below pre-pandemic levels, with only 34% of residents rating the city's quality of life as excellent or good. To address these concerns, residents prioritize city administration focus on safety, housing, infrastructure, and cleanliness, while 76% cite affordability as a primary reason for considering leaving the city.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
The City administration should focus on safety, housing, infrastructure, and cleanliness to address resident priorities.
The City must make smart fiscal, management, and investment choices to ensure public safety, improve services, and enhance quality of life.
The City should target improvement efforts, policies, programs, and resources toward areas of persistent dissatisfaction, especially in the Bronx and among Black and Hispanic New Yorkers.
The City should demonstrate responsiveness and a recommitment to the city’s foundational promise of a safe, livable, and opportunity-rich environment.
Key Data
34%
— of New Yorkers rate the city's quality of life excellent or good in 2025.
76%
— of New Yorkers cite affordability as a reason for considering moving out of New York City.
73%
— of New Yorkers cite safety as a reason for considering moving out of New York City.
60%
— of New Yorkers cite living space as a reason for considering moving out of New York City.
22%
— of New Yorkers feel safe in the subway at night.
55%
— of New Yorkers plan to remain in the city over the next five years.
New York City faces significant pressure from high taxes, high costs, and quality-of-life concerns that threaten to drive residents and businesses away. To remain competitive, the city must prioritize housing production, property tax reform, and the modernization of public housing to ensure a safe and affordable environment.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
The next mayor should hold the line on taxes to avoid pushing out residents and businesses who already pay the most.
The next mayor should clean up the city and make public spaces safe and vibrant.
The next mayor should reform property taxes to boost fairness and housing supply.
The next mayor should supercharge housing production and affordability by streamlining approvals, modernizing codes, and targeting vouchers.
The next mayor should modernize NYCHA to cut costs, speed up repairs, and quickly unlock capital through RAD/PACT and the Preservation Trust.
The next mayor should use tax incentives that work and scrap the ones that don’t.
$35 billion is how much of the MTA's 5-year capital plan remains unfunded. Investing in the MTA’s crumbling infrastructure is one of the most important decisions Albany will make this year; New York's economy, quality of life, and the region's competitiveness depend on it. At a recent CBC event, MTA…
The Mayor's Management Report currently focuses on inputs and outputs rather than outcomes, quality, and efficiency, failing to provide a clear picture of how well government services impact residents' quality of life. To improve accountability and management, the report should incorporate resident feedback, link performance metrics to granular spending data, and include more outcome-based targets.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
The City should incorporate a periodic, statistically valid, representative resident feedback survey that provides New Yorkers’ ratings on quality of life and government services.
The City should add outcome, quality, and efficiency metrics that demonstrate how well the City is doing its work.
The City should link performance metrics to more granular expenditure data, such as the budget function analysis.
The City should include more performance targets and a direction for the targets to move.
The City should utilize the DMMR to provide geographic data for select indicators.
Key Data
66.4%
— Share of restaurants inspected in fiscal year 2024, down from 99.5% in fiscal year 2019 and 83.4% in fiscal year 2023.
25%
— Percentage of indicators in the 2024 PMMR that include numerical targets.
16,919
— Target for the number of patients treated with buprenorphine, compared to 15,034 treated in fiscal year 2023.
3,026
— Number of deaths from unintentional drug overdoses in fiscal year 2023, up from 2,103 in fiscal year 2021.
$1.26
— Average amount spent per pound of food distributed in fiscal year 2023, down from $1.51 the year before.
350
— Number of new indicators included in the Fiscal Year 2024 Mayor’s Management Report.
New York City's persistent failure to build enough housing has created a severe shortage that drives up costs, limits mobility, and forces residents into overcrowded or inadequate living situations. This scarcity harms the city's tax base and economy, necessitating broad-based policy changes to increase housing supply across the city.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
The City must implement local zoning changes, such as the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal, to increase the capacity for development throughout the city.
The City should modernize its zoning ordinance to allow more housing everywhere to address the long-standing housing shortage.
The State should reform its environmental review laws to facilitate increased housing production.
The State should pass laws to encourage development in the downstate suburbs to help meet regional housing needs.
The State should repeal the Scaffold law to reduce construction insurance costs.
The State should modernize building codes to support increased housing construction.
The City should reform its property tax policy to improve housing affordability and supply.
Key Data
1.4 percent
— The rental vacancy rate in New York City, the lowest level since the City started tracking in the 1960s.
22 percent
— The increase in New York City rents from pre-pandemic levels as of April 2024.
1.1 percent
— The homelessness rate of New York City residents in January 2023, which was five times the national average.
160,000 residents
— The net loss of New York City residents from domestic outmigration in 2022.
$309 million
— The estimated reduction in New York City's tax revenue in 2022 due to domestic outmigration.
560,000 housing units
— The additional housing units New York City needs by 2030, according to a 2021 report by AKRF.
6,632 is the number of NYC households who responded to CBC's 2023 NYC Resident Survey: "Straight from New Yorkers." The survey provides the most comprehensive, statistically valid, post-pandemic view of how New Yorkers are feeling about the City's quality of life and the quality of government services. Among the many…
New York City's resident feedback survey, which tracks assessments of city services and quality of life, has shown a significant decline in ratings since 2017. To better understand and address these concerns, the City Charter should be amended to mandate the publication of a statistically valid resident feedback survey at least every five years, broken down by community board and key demographics.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
The City Charter should require the City to conduct and publish a statistically valid resident feedback survey at least every five years, with results at the Community Board level and by key demographics.
New Yorkers' perceptions of public safety have declined significantly since 2017, with fewer residents feeling safe in their neighborhoods, parks, and on the subway. City officials should integrate this resident feedback into their management and policy development processes alongside existing performance metrics to improve service quality.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
The City Council and the Administration should incorporate this type of in-depth, statistically valid feedback into management systems and policy development.
This data should complement and be viewed alongside City service performance metric and CompStat data to get a sharper picture of service quality and results to help drive the needed progress.
Key Data
37 percent
— New Yorkers rating public safety in their neighborhood as excellent or good, down from 50 percent in 2017.
22 percent
— New Yorkers who report feeling safe on the subway at night.
40 percent
— Decrease in the daytime subway safety positive rating since 2017.
52 percent
— Decrease in nighttime subway safety positive rating since 2017.
71 percent
— New Yorkers who report feeling safe in parks and playgrounds during the day.
28 percent
— Bronx residents who rate their neighborhood public safety as excellent or good.
New York City residents report a significant decline in satisfaction with the city's quality of life and government services, with only 30 percent rating quality of life as excellent or good compared to 50 percent in 2017. Residents expressed particular dissatisfaction with public safety, government spending, and the provision of public housing and homeless services, highlighting a need for more effective, high-impact policy interventions.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
The Administration should incorporate this type of standardized, statistically valid feedback into its management systems and policy development.
Efforts to fix these and service shortcomings should be continued and possibly intensified.
The City should prioritize spending on high-impact programs that deliver positive results and tackle the range of related policy challenges.
The City should consider how to reduce spending and offer tax relief to middle-income households, who are feeling the City’s unaffordability acutely.
The Administration should seek partnership from the State and federal governments to address unfavorable views regarding the provision of public housing and services for the homeless.
Key Data
30%
— of New Yorkers rate the quality of life as excellent or good, down from 50 percent in 2017 and 2008.
37%
— of New Yorkers rate public safety in their neighborhood as excellent or good, down from 50 percent in 2017.
24%
— of New Yorkers rate the quality of government services as good or excellent, down from 44 percent in 2017.
11%
— of New Yorkers believe the government is spending tax dollars wisely, down from 21 percent in 2017.
6,600
— adults across every borough participated in the resident survey.
44 million pounds of trash are generated by New Yorkers every day. The NYC Department of Sanitation not only collects residential waste, recyclables, and compostables, but it also removes snow, cleans streets and lots, removes graffiti, and fights rats. CBC Chair Marissa Shorenstein is joined by Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch,…
New York City's recycling efforts continue to lag behind goals, with the overall curbside diversion rate increasing only slightly to 17.0 percent in fiscal year 2022. Improving the city's waste management requires implementing volume-based fees, optimizing collection productivity, and pursuing alternatives to curbside organic collection like drop-off sites and in-sink disposers.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
The City should institute a volume-based fee for waste and tailor it to incentivize recycling, organic composting, and waste reduction.
The City should negotiate operational and work-rule changes with labor that would improve productivity of recycling and refuse collection.
The City should expand organic composting by increasing drop-off sites, encouraging use of in-sink disposers, and piloting on-site anaerobic micro digesters in buildings, instead of a citywide curbside collection program.
The City should reconsider conducting the study on how to implement a volume-based fee in New York City.
The City should use GIS technology to optimize collection routes to improve collection productivity.
Key Data
17.0 percent
— The City's overall curbside diversion rate in fiscal year 2022.
$615 per ton
— The cost of recycling collection in fiscal year 2021.
$342 per ton
— The cost of collecting refuse in fiscal year 2021.
34 percent
— The share of the waste stream comprised of organic waste.
149,000 tons
— The amount of organics that could be diverted per year by incentivizing in-sink disposal units.
50 percent
— The capture rate of recyclable material properly sorted according to the 2017 Waste Characterization Study.
Managing the City’s fiscal crisis well will be a critically important duty of the next Mayor and a primary determinant of how the city survives the current crisis, and ultimately thrives in the future. Managing NYC’s Fiscal Crisis: A CBC Mayoral Candidate Forum featured a 10-minute conversation with each candidate,…
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted New York City's public services, leading to increased noise and cleanliness complaints, shifts in waste collection patterns, and strained emergency medical services. While some areas like jail populations declined, the city's reliance on limited performance metrics highlights a need for more robust data collection to better understand and improve service delivery.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
The Fire Department needs to orient the structure of the department and its allocation of resources away from firefighting toward medical response.
The Department of Sanitation needs to implement more flexible routing and work rules to allow for the quick redeployment of resources to address rapid changes in waste generation patterns.
The City should prioritize the use of resident feedback surveys to collect high-quality data on key quality of life indicators.
The City must implement robust performance metrics to foster a better understanding of the effectiveness and efficiency of City services.
Key Data
295,000
— New Yorkers made over 295,000 noise complaints to 311 from July 2020 through September 2020, compared to 138,000 in the same period in 2019.
15,124
— In the first quarter of fiscal year 2021, the City received 15,124 complaints about missed garbage collection, a 44 percent increase over the first quarter of fiscal year 2020.
3,323
— Complaints for dirty conditions increased from 2,223 in May 2020 to 3,323 in September 2020.
25 percent
— The number of segment 1 medical incidents, the most severe category, increased by 25 percent from 26,231 to 32,821 during the pandemic.
9.5 percent
— The Department of Sanitation faced a higher sick leave rate among uniformed employees of 9.5 percent in fiscal year 2020 compared to 6.7 percent in fiscal year 2019.
26 percent
— The average number of individuals in jail custody dropped 26 percent, from 7,938 in fiscal year 2019 to 5,841 in fiscal year 2020.
Establishing commercial waste zones in New York City will reduce vehicle miles traveled, thereby decreasing street congestion, noise, and emissions to improve neighborhood quality of life. A non-exclusive zone model is recommended to maintain competition, protect customer choice, and minimize financial risks to the city and taxpayers.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
The City should establish commercial waste zones to increase collection efficiency and reduce negative externalities like noise and emissions.
New York City should create a non-exclusive commercial waste zone program to retain customer choice and maintain performance incentives.
The City's request for proposals should include detailed performance metrics to be tracked and made publicly available for robust program evaluation.
Key Data
50 percent
— Reduction in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) expected by moving from the current system to a zone model.
58 percent
— Overall reduction in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) under an exclusive zone model.
86 percent
— Portion of the potential vehicle miles traveled (VMT) reduction that could be achieved through non-exclusive zones.
8 percentage points
— Difference in overall vehicle miles traveled (VMT) reduction between exclusive and non-exclusive zone models.
The proposed Commercial Waste Zone program aims to improve urban living conditions by reducing truck traffic by 18 million miles, thereby decreasing noise pollution, air quality issues, and road wear. By restructuring waste collection into 20 zones with limited carters, the city expects to increase operational efficiency while maintaining competitive pricing and service options for businesses.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
The City should implement the Commercial Waste Zone program to reduce the miles driven by private trucks, which will decrease noise and air pollution.
The City should divide the city into 20 zones to rationalize collection routes and increase efficiency.
The City should limit the number of carters per zone to three to five to maintain competition while improving service standards.
The City should cap the number of zones in which any one carter can operate to prevent a monopoly in commercial carting.
The City should require carters to offer recycling and organic collection at a lower rate than refuse collection to incentivize sustainable waste management.
Key Data
18 million
— Reduction in miles of truck traffic resulting from the new commercial waste zone routes.
38 percent
— Difference in average rates paid by small businesses compared to large businesses for commercial waste collection.
90
— Number of licensed commercial carters currently operating in New York City.
3.5 million
— Tons of waste generated per year by the 108,000 customers served by commercial carters.
$20.76
— Current ceiling price per cubic yard for commercial waste collection set by the Business Integrity Commission.
20
— Number of zones the City proposes to divide into under the Commercial Waste Zone program.
New York City's official performance metrics often fail to align with resident satisfaction, as evidenced by low approval ratings for traffic, noise, and street conditions. To better understand the actual quality of life experienced by New Yorkers, the city should incorporate public feedback surveys into its management reporting and refine how it measures service effectiveness in areas like air quality and neighborhood cleanliness.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
The Mayor’s Management Report should be broadened to include citizen satisfaction measures, such as results from periodic surveys of City residents, to get a fuller and more accurate picture of the City’s performance.
The way some areas are assessed—particularly air quality, neighborhood cleanliness, and cultural activities—could be rethought so that indicators better capture what New Yorkers experience.
Key Data
19.6 percent
— of residents citywide were satisfied with traffic in fiscal year 2018.
113,222
— for-hire vehicles were on the City’s streets in fiscal year 2018, representing a 13.3 percent increase from the prior year.
8,276
— air quality complaints were received by the Department of Environmental Protection in fiscal year 2018.
61,342
— noise complaints were made to the Department of Environmental Protection in fiscal year 2018.
175,000
— pest control inspections were conducted in fiscal year 2018, a 19.9 percent increase from the previous year.
23.2 million
— visitors were recorded at cultural institutions in fiscal year 2018.
Legalizing sports betting in New York presents potential economic benefits, but it also risks cannibalizing existing gambling revenues and imposing significant social costs through increased problem gambling. Policymakers must carefully balance these fiscal opportunities against the regressive nature of gambling taxes and the potential for negative societal impacts like bankruptcy and crime.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
State leaders should ensure revenue estimates are conservative to avoid over-reliance on uncertain gambling income.
Taxes should be designed thoughtfully in a competitive marketplace to ensure the legal market can effectively compete with illegal alternatives.
Policymakers should consider sports betting’s potential impact on other gambling revenues to avoid cannibalizing existing state income streams.
Legislation should take into account that gambling taxes are regressive and that increased gambling prevalence imposes significant social costs.
Key Data
$150 billion
— Illegal sports betting market in the United States
$2.8 billion to $8.7 billion
— Estimated illegal sports betting market in New York
$155 million to $475 million
— Forecasted Gross Gaming Revenue in New York
8.5 percent
— Proposed state tax on gross sport wagering revenue
0.2 percent
— Proposed royalty fee on the handle
$10 million to $30 million
— Estimated annual tax revenue from GGR in New York State
New York City residents most frequently identify infrastructure, safety and crime, and housing as the top issues requiring increased attention from the city government. Across the Bronx, these concerns are even more pronounced, with safety and crime and housing consistently ranking as the primary areas needing improvement.
Key Data
29.9%
— Percentage of New York City survey respondents who cited infrastructure as an issue requiring more attention from the city government.
29.5%
— Percentage of New York City survey respondents who cited safety and crime as an issue requiring more attention from the city government.
29.3%
— Percentage of New York City survey respondents who cited housing as an issue requiring more attention from the city government.
38.7%
— Percentage of Bronx survey respondents who cited safety and crime as an issue requiring more attention from the city government.
34.3%
— Percentage of Bronx survey respondents who cited housing as an issue requiring more attention from the city government.
23.2%
— Percentage of Bronx survey respondents who cited schools and education as an issue requiring more attention from the city government.
Queens residents report satisfaction on 27 of 45 indicators regarding municipal services and quality of life, though satisfaction levels vary significantly across community districts. Residents identified infrastructure, safety and crime, and housing as the top three areas requiring greater attention from city government.
Key Data
27 of 45
— Queens residents are satisfied on 27 of 45 indicators regarding municipal services and quality of life.
34%
— Infrastructure is cited by 34% of Queens residents as a top issue needing greater attention from city government.
31%
— Safety and crime is cited by 31% of Queens residents as a top issue needing greater attention from city government.
22%
— Housing is cited by 22% of Queens residents as a top issue needing greater attention from city government.
32
— Residents in Community District 14 are dissatisfied on 32 of 45 survey indicators.
31
— Residents in Community District 12 are dissatisfied on 31 of 45 survey indicators.
Residents across the Bronx report lower satisfaction with their quality of life and government services compared to the citywide average, with particularly low ratings for services addressing homelessness and public housing. These survey results highlight significant disparities in resident feedback across different community districts, reflecting varying levels of satisfaction with safety, infrastructure, and essential public services.
Key Data
51.2%
— Percentage of residents citywide who rated the overall quality of life in NYC as excellent or good.
40.7%
— Percentage of residents in the Bronx who rated the overall quality of life in NYC as excellent or good.
13.7%
— Percentage of residents citywide who rated services for homeless people as excellent or good.
14.4%
— Percentage of residents in the Bronx who rated services for homeless people as excellent or good.
20.2%
— Percentage of residents citywide who rated public housing as excellent or good.
18.9%
— Percentage of residents in the Bronx who rated public housing as excellent or good.
Only 50% of New Yorkers are satisfied with the city's overall quality of life, with significant dissatisfaction regarding services for homeless people, public housing, and street maintenance. While only 44% of residents rate city services as excellent or good, there is a clear need for regular performance surveys and actionable improvement plans from city leadership to address these disparities.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
City government should conduct surveys gauging satisfaction with city services regularly to capture vital insights that can guide administrators in improving government performance.
The Mayor and City Council should create and make public a plan for improvement in the areas that city residents found wanting.
Key Data
44%
— Overall percentage of city residents who rate city services as “excellent” or “good.”
14%
— Percentage of positive ratings for services for homeless people.
20%
— Percentage of positive ratings for public housing.
23%
— Percentage of positive ratings for services protecting at-risk children.
39%
— Percentage of positive ratings for maintenance of streets and roads.
20%
— Percentage of residents who believe the City spends tax dollars wisely.
A 2017 survey of nearly 10,000 New York City residents reveals that while 62.6% rate their neighborhood as an excellent or good place to live, only 51.2% rate the overall quality of life in the city positively. Residents expressed varying levels of satisfaction across different metrics, with safety in parks during the day rated at 84.9% positive, while only 20.8% believe the city spends tax dollars wisely.
Key Data
62.6%
— Proportion of residents who rate their neighborhood as an excellent or good place to live.
51.2%
— Proportion of residents who rate the overall quality of life in New York City as excellent or good.
84.9%
— Proportion of residents who feel very or somewhat safe in a park or playground during the day.
81.5%
— Proportion of residents who feel very or somewhat safe riding a subway during the day.
70.1%
— Proportion of residents who feel very or somewhat safe walking alone in their neighborhood at night.
20.8%
— Proportion of residents who rate the city's management of tax dollars as excellent or good.
Regular, independent surveys are essential for gauging public perception of municipal services and neighborhood quality of life, as these metrics are as critical to city competitiveness as objective performance data. To ensure these views are captured, 72,000 randomly selected residents are being asked to participate in a comprehensive assessment of city services and living conditions.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
A citywide survey regarding municipal services and quality of life should be conducted every two years, or every four years at the least, and preferably by a non-governmental entity.
A citywide survey regarding municipal services and quality of life should be conducted early in every mayoral election year, when the public focuses especially on city government's performance.
New Yorkers who receive the citywide survey should fill it out and send it back so their voices will be heard.
Key Data
72,000
— New Yorkers selected at random from all five boroughs and each community district who will receive the quality of life survey in the mail.
2008
— The year the City of New York last conducted a comprehensive survey on municipal services and quality of life.
New York City remains a competitive destination for talent due to its transit, education, and cultural amenities, but it faces challenges from high rental costs and lengthy commutes. To maintain its economic edge, the city must prioritize an economic development strategy that addresses specific weaknesses in its quality of life.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
The city must implement an economic development strategy that addresses weaknesses in quality of life to maintain a competitive position.
Key Data
14
— New York City's rank for commute times among the 14 largest domestic metro areas.
11
— New York City's rank for rent affordability among the 14 largest domestic metro areas.
12
— New York City's rank for park space acreage per capita among the 14 largest domestic metro areas.
The 2016 Mayor’s Management Report indicates mixed results for city services, with improvements in housing production and recycling rates alongside concerning trends in public safety and homelessness. Major felony crimes rose by 1.7%, while the number of single adults in shelters increased by 12.3%, highlighting significant challenges in maintaining quality of life.
Key Data
1,742
— Increase in the number of major felony crimes committed in fiscal year 2016 compared to 2015.
12.3%
— Increase in the number of single adults in shelters per day.
26.5%
— Increase in the incidence of violence between inmates in city jails.
16.9%
— The city's recycling diversion rate in fiscal year 2016.
82%
— Increase in HPD housing unit completions compared to fiscal year 2015.
5%
— Increase in NYCHA response time to non-emergency requests.
New York City's Mayor’s Management Report provides a comprehensive assessment of agency performance across critical areas like public safety, health services, and housing, highlighting both progress and persistent challenges. While the city has increased resources for departments such as the NYPD and Department of Homeless Services, key indicators reveal ongoing struggles with jail safety, ambulance response times, and the effectiveness of employment assistance programs.
Key Data
74%
— The increase in the incidence of inmate-on-inmate violence in New York City jails from fiscal year 2009 to fiscal year 2015.
41%
— The decline in the number of clients the Human Resources Administration helped to gain employment between fiscal year 2009 and 2015.
13.9 days
— The average response time to non-emergency work requests at New York City Housing Authority developments in the first four months of fiscal year 2016.
70.5%
— The four-year graduation rate in New York City public high schools in fiscal year 2015.
$1.3 billion
— The total budget for the Department of Homeless Services in fiscal year 2016, representing a 13 percent increase over the previous year.
16.1%
— The diversion rate of recycled materials achieved by the Department of Sanitation in the first four months of fiscal year 2016.
The New York City Fire Department faces a significant mismatch between its resource allocation, which prioritizes firefighting, and its actual workload, which is dominated by medical emergencies. To improve efficiency and service, the department should rebalance its staffing and training models to better align with the high volume of medical calls.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
The FDNY should apply again to the NYC-REMSCO for permission to change ALS ambulance staffing to one paramedic and one EMT, which would yield about $5 million in savings.
The department should increase the medical training of firefighters so they can handle more situations without reliance on a separate ambulance and its staff.
New York should require EMT qualifications for new applicants for firefighter jobs, which would effectively create a career ladder for advancement among the EMS staff.
The department should fundamentally reorganize to redefine the relationships between the two services and rebalance the financial and human resources provided for each.
The department should subsidize the training for all current firefighters to ensure they are trained as EMTs.
Key Data
75%
— Percentage of 1.2 million incidents in 2014 that were medical emergencies.
5%
— Percentage of 1.2 million incidents in 2014 that were fire-related.
$3.8 billion
— Total FDNY budget in fiscal year 2015.
$5 million
— Estimated annual savings from changing ALS ambulance staffing to one paramedic and one EMT.
10,777
— Number of fire personnel in fiscal year 2015.
4,700
— Approximate number of emergency medical technicians and paramedics in fiscal year 2015.
This presentation was given by Maria Doulis, CBC’s Director of New York City Studies, at “The Measured City: Using Data to Improve New York City Government” Conference, on Oct. 30, 2013.
New York City faces stiff competition from other regions in attracting highly educated workers, with its weakest performance metrics centered on quality-of-life issues like rent affordability and commute times. To maintain its competitive edge, the city must implement policies that foster affordable workspaces, improve mass transit, and stimulate housing development.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
The city should support education in fields where the metro area lacks depth to enhance the local workforce's competitiveness.
Policymakers should foster affordable workspaces for startups to improve the city's business environment.
The city should improve broadband and Wi-Fi connectivity to bolster infrastructure and quality of life.
The city should advocate for visa protocols that allow foreign students to work and become residents to retain highly educated talent.
The city should improve mass transit to address quality-of-life concerns regarding commuting times.
The city should stimulate housing development to address quality-of-life concerns regarding rent affordability.
Key Data
2
— The New York metro area has about 2 times the number of people with master's degrees as the second-largest city, Los Angeles.
6
— There are 6 metro areas that have higher rates of business creation than the New York metro area.
14
— The competitiveness scorecard compared the New York metro area with the 14 other largest areas in the U.S.
New York City remains a highly competitive destination for talent, but it faces significant challenges in maintaining its status due to issues like lengthy commutes and high housing costs. To sustain its economic prosperity, the city must actively pursue policies that expand human capital development, foster emerging industries, and address these specific quality of life weaknesses.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
New York City must pursue policies to address weaknesses in quality of life to maintain a competitive position.
New York City must expand human capital development to maintain a competitive position.
New York City must foster emerging industries to maintain a competitive position.
Key Data
1
— New York City's rank for crime rates among the 14 largest domestic metro areas.
14
— New York City's rank for commute times among the 14 largest domestic metro areas.
9
— New York City's rank for rent affordability among the 14 largest domestic metro areas.
2
— New York City's rank for park space acreage as a share of city land among the 14 largest domestic metro areas.
3
— New York City's rank for entertainment and arts establishments per capita among the 14 largest domestic metro areas.
2
— New York City's rank for bars and restaurants per capita among the 14 largest domestic metro areas.
New York's Medicaid program for nursing homes is the most expensive in the nation, yet it fails to deliver superior care or better staffing ratios compared to national averages. The state should modernize its payment system to prioritize quality outcomes and adequate staffing rather than relying on an outdated, inefficient model based on historic costs.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
New York homes should be staffed at the federally recommended level of 4.1 hours of care per patient per day.
The nursing home industry should be held to the same accounting standards required of other industries that contract with government payers.
An auditing system should be developed to detail whether the level of staffing assigned to a patient meets the criteria required according to the patient’s RUG category.
Financial incentives to provide measurable quality outcomes should be built into the system.
New York State should develop a set of quality indicators such as those being used in other states and being tested by Medicare to assess patient outcomes.
A new payment strategy should address the problems in current rates by changing from a facility-specific to a standardized base rate system that varies primarily by differences in patient-specific characteristics and in geographic labor costs.
Key Data
$45 billion
— Projected cost of New York's Medicaid program in fiscal year 2008-09.
$1.2 billion
— Annual cost of avoidable hospitalizations for nursing home patients in New York.
4.1 hours
— Federally recommended level of total nursing care per patient per day.
98 percent
— Percentage of New York nursing homes that do not meet federally recommended staffing levels.
$187
— Average daily Medicaid payment rate for nursing homes in New York.
3.7 hours
— National average for direct care nursing hours per patient day.
New York State ranks in the top tier for public safety and tourism, with the lowest property crime rate among competitor states, but faces challenges in social welfare and fiscal policy. The state's recent performance indicates a need to address high tax and debt burdens, as well as lagging indicators in poverty reduction and health insurance coverage, to maintain its competitive standing.
Recommendations related to Quality of Life
New York would have to cut its state and local tax burden by about one-third, and its debt burden by about one-half, in order to be in the top tier.
Key Data
2,691
— The number of property crimes per 100,000 inhabitants in New York State.
589
— The number of violent crimes per 100,000 inhabitants in New York State.
15.4%
— The percentage of New York State's population living below the poverty threshold.
17.3%
— The percentage of New York State's population without health insurance.
10.7
— The electricity rate in cents per kwh for New York State.
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