City Government
Survey: Two-Thirds of Pensacola Residents Say City Is Headed in the Right Direction
UWF Haas Center annual survey of 1,815 residents finds strong marks for waterfront access and public safety—but housing costs and homelessness remain the city’s most pressing challenges.
Two-thirds of Pensacola residents believe the city is moving in the right direction, according to the 2025-2026 Resident Satisfaction Survey released this week by the UWF Haas Center. City Administrator David Stafford highlighted the findings at Wednesday’s press conference.
- “Thanks to the UWF Haas Center for their diligence in this survey,” Stafford said. “66% of residents believe the city’s moving in the right direction. Top pros regarding quality of life are high appreciation and care for waterfront access, feeling safe in the community and arts, culture and festivals. Top concerns—cost of housing, reduction of homelessness—remain the top priorities. Future jobs in aviation and hospitality and tourism tied at 21% for the most promising prospects. 46% of participants agreed that neighborhood safety has improved. Gun violence at 39% remains top safety concern among those surveyed, and certainly grateful for all the citizens who took part in that survey.”
The survey was conducted from Feb. 23 through April 3, 2026, drawing 1,815 valid responses from city residents 18 and older. The Haas Center distributed the survey through social media, email, and postcards mailed to 20,777 households, weighting results by gender and race to better reflect the city’s population.
What Residents Love—and What They Want Fixed
When asked what they valued most about living in Pensacola, residents pointed to waterfront access (29%), feeling safe in the community (26%), and arts, culture, and festivals (24%). Quality of schools and sporting events each drew just 1%.
- On the priority side, addressing the high cost of housing topped the list at 20%, with reducing homelessness close behind at 19%—a slight shift from the previous year, when homelessness held the top spot. Increasing walkability and bikeability and creating more job opportunities each landed at 16%.
The survey also exposed a significant gap in fiscal awareness: 66% of respondents did not know that Local Option Sales Tax revenue collected within city limits is shared across all of Escambia County, with Pensacola receiving only one-sixth of the total.
Public Safety: Progress Noted, Gun Violence Persists
Nearly half of respondents—46%—agreed or strongly agreed that neighborhood safety has improved over the past year, the highest-rated public safety category. Violent crime rates (39%), traffic safety (38%), and non-violent crime rates (37%) also saw net positive scores, though “neutral” was the most common response across all safety categories.
- Gun violence remained the top public safety concern at 39%, down slightly from 42% in the prior survey. Theft and burglary ranked second at 21%. Concerns about illegal drug use and human trafficking each ticked upward since the previous study.
Both public safety departments drew strong customer service ratings from residents who had direct contact. The Fire Department earned a good or excellent rating from 91% of respondents; the Police Department received a 76% positive rating—both slightly below last year’s figures of 98% and 79%, respectively.
City Initiatives: Palafox Recognized, Childcare Program Less Known
The New Palafox streetscape project was the most recognized city initiative, with 82% of respondents reporting familiarity, and 63% viewed it favorably. It also drew the highest unfavorable rating of any initiative at 22%, making it the most polarizing project on the list.
The Mayor’s Childcare Access Program registered the lowest awareness, with 69% of participants unfamiliar or very unfamiliar with it. Of those who did weigh in, 24% expressed support and 60% were neutral.
- Residents were also asked how parking revenue—generated primarily by non-city visitors—should be directed. Half chose green spaces such as parks and community gardens, while 30% favored a new downtown parking garage.
Department Ratings and Economic Outlook
Sanitation Services led all city departments in resident engagement at 64%, followed by the Airport (60%) and Parking (52%). The Airport earned the highest customer service marks, with 88% rating their experience as good or excellent. Housing and Planning & Zoning drew the most critical feedback, with poor or very poor ratings reaching 31% and 28%, respectively.
- Looking at economic growth, residents identified aviation and aerospace and hospitality and tourism as the industries with the greatest potential to grow the local economy, each cited by 21% of respondents. Defense and homeland security drew just 4%—a notably low figure given the region’s military presence.
Satisfaction with efforts to attract new businesses led all infrastructure categories at 47%. Affordable housing was the clear low point: 47% of residents reported being dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the city’s efforts there, compared to just 16% who were satisfied.
Social media remains the dominant channel through which residents learn about city government, cited by 65% of respondents. The city’s own website and online print media each drew 47%. Notably, 41% said they would prefer to receive information via city text or email subscriptions—nearly double the 24% who currently use those channels.
The full 2025-2026 Resident Satisfaction Survey is available here.