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User Guide to The National Citizen SurveyT"
<br />Appendix B: Benchmark Comparisons
<br />What Benchmarks Are
<br />Benchmarks are comparison data that provide context for your ratings. In Appendix B, your detailed
<br />benchmark results are displayed in a table of five columns. The first column is the survey item for which
<br />the comparisons have been provided. The second column is your community's percent positive. The
<br />third column is the rank assigned to your rating among communities where a similar question was
<br />asked. The fourth column is the number of communities that asked a similar question. The fifth and
<br />final column shows how your rating compares to the other communities in the benchmarking database.
<br />In that final column, your results are noted as being "higher" than the benchmark, "lower" than the
<br />benchmark or "similar" to the benchmark, meaning that the average rating given by residents of your
<br />community is statistically similar to or different (greater or lesser) than the benchmark. More extreme
<br />differences are noted as "much higher" or "much lower."
<br />National Benchmark Comparisons
<br />Table 1: Community Characteristics General
<br />We also provide a list of the communities included in your comparison with their population according
<br />to the U.S. Census Bureau. The communities in the national database represent a wide geographic and
<br />population range; many communities find a custom comparison that targets specific geographies or
<br />populations to be useful.
<br />Communities included in national comparisons
<br />The communities included in ABC's comparisons are listed on the following pages along with their population accordingto the
<br />2olo Census.
<br />Abilene city, KS .................... ...............................
<br />Percent
<br />posRnre
<br />Rank
<br />hkrmber of common Ries
<br />in comparison
<br />oomparcon to
<br />benchmark
<br />The overall quality of life in ABC
<br />83%
<br />98
<br />286
<br />Similar
<br />Overall image or reputation of ABC
<br />84%
<br />67
<br />315
<br />Much higher
<br />ABC as a place to live
<br />78%
<br />118
<br />255
<br />Similar
<br />Your neighborhood as a place to live
<br />89%
<br />80
<br />374
<br />Higher
<br />ABC as a place to raise children
<br />75%
<br />135
<br />325
<br />Lower
<br />ABC as a place to retire
<br />72%
<br />129
<br />298
<br />Much lower
<br />overall amearance of ABC
<br />70%
<br />168
<br />354
<br />Similar
<br />We also provide a list of the communities included in your comparison with their population according
<br />to the U.S. Census Bureau. The communities in the national database represent a wide geographic and
<br />population range; many communities find a custom comparison that targets specific geographies or
<br />populations to be useful.
<br />Communities included in national comparisons
<br />The communities included in ABC's comparisons are listed on the following pages along with their population accordingto the
<br />2olo Census.
<br />Abilene city, KS .................... ...............................
<br />6,644
<br />Adams County, CO .................... ........................
<br />441,603
<br />Airway Heights city, WA ......... ...............................
<br />6,114
<br />Albany city, G4 .................... ...... ........................77,434
<br />Albany city, OR ......................... .........................50,15B
<br />Albemarle County, VA ................. .........................98,970
<br />135,234
<br />Albert Lea city, MN ......... .....................................
<br />18,015
<br />Altoona city, IA ......................... .........................14,541
<br />Ambridge borough, PA ........... ...............................
<br />7,050
<br />Ames city, IA ............................ .........................58,965
<br />Andover CDP, MA ................. ...............................
<br />8,762
<br />Ankeny city, IA .............. .....................................
<br />45,562
<br />Cambridge city, MA ................... ........................105,152
<br />Cape Coral city, FL ............. ...............................
<br />154,305
<br />Cape Girardeau city, MO ............... ........................37,941
<br />Cartersville city, GA .................... .........................19,731
<br />Carver Co unty, M N ..................... .........................91,042
<br />Cary town, NC ................... ...............................
<br />135,234
<br />Casa Grande city, AZ ................... ........................48,571
<br />Casper city, WY ......................... .........................55,316
<br />Castle Pines North city, CO ........... .........................10,360
<br />Castle Rock town, CO .................. .........................48,231
<br />Cedar Falls city, IA ..................... .........................39,260
<br />Cedar Rapids city, IA .......... ...............................
<br />126,326
<br />What Benchmarks Are Not
<br />Benchmarks do not tell you what you need to fix. In this way, benchmarks are not like blood tests that
<br />carry a range, often narrow, within which you are considered to be healthy and outside of which you
<br />could be sick. A local score that is lower than scores typically seen in other places may indicate nothing
<br />more than community sentiment that resonates. For example, a suburb located near a large
<br />metropolitan center many not be seen to have as strong an economy as other places. This residential
<br />suburb's commercial areas are not seen to be as vibrant as other places, may have a higher cost of living,
<br />fewer jobs and may have ceded downtown activities to a nearby metro area that has much higher
<br />density and more entertainment opportunities. A lower benchmark rating for "economy" simply offers
<br />specifics to the community identity which residents and leaders may feel no need to ameliorate. Instead
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