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The National Citizen SurveyTM <br />Appendix B: Benchmark Comparisons <br />Comparison Data <br />NRC's database of comparative resident opinion is comprised of resident perspectives gathered in surveys from <br />over 5Oo communities whose residents evaluated the same kinds of topics on The National Citizen SurveyTM. The <br />comparison evaluations are from the most recent survey completed in each community; most communities <br />conduct surveys every year or in alternating years. NRC adds the latest results quickly upon survey completion, <br />keeping the benchmark data fresh and relevant. The communities in the database represent a wide geographic <br />and population range. The City of Ramsey chose to have comparisons made to the entire database and a subset of <br />similar jurisdictions from the database (communities in Minnesota and Wisconsin with populations io,000 to <br />50,000). <br />Interpreting the Results <br />Ratings are compared when there are at least five communities in which a <br />similar question was asked. Where comparisons are available, four columns <br />are provided in the table. The first column is Ramsey's "percent positive." <br />The percent positive is the combination of the top two most positive response <br />options (i.e., "excellent" and "good," "very safe" and "somewhat safe," etc.), <br />or, in the case of resident behaviors/participation, the percent positive <br />represents the proportion of respondents indicating "yes" or participating in <br />an activity at least once a month. The second column is the rank assigned to <br />Ramsey's rating among communities where a similar question was asked. <br />The third column is the number of communities that asked a similar <br />question. The final column shows the comparison of Ramsey's rating to the <br />benchmark. <br />In that final column, Ramsey's results are noted as being "higher" than the <br />benchmark, "lower" than the benchmark or "similar" to the benchmark, <br />Benchmark Database Characteristics <br />Region <br />Percent <br />New England <br />Middle Atlantic <br />East North Central <br />West North Central <br />South Atlantic <br />East South Central <br />West South Central <br />Mountain <br />Pacific <br />3% <br />5% <br />15% <br />13% <br />22% <br />3% <br />7% <br />16% <br />16% <br />Population <br />Percent <br />Less than 10,000 <br />10,000 to 24,999 <br />25,000 to 49,999 <br />50,000 to 99,999 <br />100,000 or more <br />10% <br />22% <br />23% <br />22% <br />i 23% <br />meaning that the average rating given by Ramsey residents is statistically <br />similar to or different (greater or lesser) than the benchmark. More extreme differences are noted as "much <br />higher" or "much lower." <br />19 <br />