Results from the City of Sterling Heights’ 2025 Resident Satisfaction Survey show overwhelming approval of the community as a place to live and raise a family, along with significantly higher satisfaction with City services compared to regional and national averages.
According to the survey conducted by Kansas-based ETC Institute and presented to City Council on Dec. 16, 83% of respondents are satisfied with Sterling Heights as a place to live, and 78% of residents are satisfied with Sterling Heights as a place to raise children.
The survey found that Sterling Heights performs exceptionally well when benchmarked against other communities across the country:
- Sterling Heights rated above the U.S. average in 39 of 41 service areas.
- Overall satisfaction with City services was rated 20% above the national average.
- Satisfaction with the value residents receive for City taxes and fees rated 21% above the U.S. average.
Residents also reported feeling safe in their neighborhoods and having positive interactions with City employees.
“The survey results confirm my belief that Sterling Heights is a great place to live, and that residents truly appreciate the quality public services our employees deliver every day,” said Sterling Heights Mayor Michael C. Taylor. “Ranking so highly compared to municipalities across the United States reinforces that our focus on quality public services and placemaking makes a meaningful difference for our residents. We will continue to use these results to guide City Council’s decision-making moving forward.”
“These strong survey results reflect the exceptional work of our City employees,” said Sterling Heights City Manager Mark Vanderpool. “They also help identify where we can keep focus on continuous improvement, including increasing police visibility and enforcement of traffic laws, strengthening code enforcement for property maintenance and continuing improvements to City streets. We’ll continue to evaluate theses key areas, and we’ll be sharing details on how we plan to address them at the City’s annual strategic planning session on Jan. 27, 2026.”
Compared to the City’s 2021 survey, notable increases in satisfaction were seen in:
- Library programs for children
- Library reference services
- Responsiveness and accuracy of City employees
- Sterlingfest Art & Music Fair
The 2025 Resident Satisfaction Survey was the City’s third such survey conducted by ETC Institute, a national leader in local government research. The seven-page survey was distributed by mail and online to a random sample of residents, with 522 completed responses, exceeding the target sample size. The results carry a margin of error of ±4.3% at the 95% confidence level and reflect the City’s overall population.
City leaders will use the survey results to set priorities, measure long-term trends, and ensure Sterling Heights continues to deliver high-quality services that residents value.
The full survey results and report from ETC are available on the City’s website at sterlingheights.gov/survey.