Community Survey

survey (1) The Village has partnered with POLCO, a leader in the field for municipal based surveys, to issue Arlington Heights' first National Community Survey. For a limited time, the survey is open to all residents and community members to participate. You do not have to sign up for anything, however your email address and zip code will be required in order to submit your survey responses. 

Data will be compiled and shared in a report by POLCO to the Village, which will be shared with the the community on www.vah.com, and the Village's social media pages. 

10-Key Facets of Community Livability 
facets of livability The data collected will rate the Arlington Heights Community's 10 facets of livability including: 
  • Safety
  • Natural Environment
  • Parks & Recreation
  • Health & Wellness
  • Education, Arts & Culture
  • Inclusivity & Engagement 
  • Economy
  • Mobility
  • Utilities
  • Community Design 


Did You Receive a Post Card or Letter About This Survey? 
In addition to the online survey, 2,600 residences were selected by POLCO to participate in the survey. Blue postcards were mailed to selected residences in early 2023, followed by a letter, in efforts to increase responses. If your residence was selected, we highly encourage you to complete the survey. Your feedback is extremely important to the Village and we appreciate your responses. If you have received this postcard, please complete the survey as the directions describe. Please do NOT utilize the general link for all residents. Surveys may be completed by paper, or online through the link provided in the mailed materials. 

About POLCO and the National Community Survey
POLCO’s National Community Survey (NCS):
  • Is a standardized, scientific survey;
  • Is Endorsed by the International City/County Management Association, ICMA, of which the Village of Arlington Heights is a member;
  • Is used by hundreds of local government agencies throughout the Country, including 30 nearby Illinois communities. Some neighboring communities that have issued the NCS include Buffalo Grove, Highland Park, Niles, Palatine, Park Ridge, Schaumburg, Skokie, St. Charles, Vernon Hills, and more;
  • Offers benchmark data comparisons with all previous National Community Surveys that have been issued, allowing the Arlington Heights to compare our survey results to similar, or neighboring communities that have also issued the NCS;
  • Provides an overview presentation of data collected;
  • Allows the Village to include its own internally developed and customizable questions; and
  • Allows the Village to track trends of our future NCS survey data regarding specific topics.

About the Community Survey Project
The Village’s 2022-2023 Business Plan directed the Integrated Services Department to introduce scientifically valid community survey to residents, to be issued by a 3rd party every two years, or on a regularly occurring basis. The survey would be used to collect a snapshot of resident satisfaction with Village services and to identify resident priorities. Data collected will be used to help inform future biannual Strategic Priority planning, which in turn guides the Business Plan and Budget processes.