A new survey of residents of the capital city shows that while 91 per cent of those asked feel a sense of belonging in St. John’s, results show there are areas that many respondents say require improvement.

Quality of life is down from 2024, with residents of Ward 2 – which includes the downtown area – reporting the lowest quality of life rating with just 58 per cent of respondents in that ward reporting a good quality of life. That contrasts dramatically with other wards, where results ranged from 70 to 85 per cent.

Housing was another key area of concern among respondents. 27 per cent of those asked identified the creation of affordable housing as the most important issue facing the community in 2024. That was followed by 17 per cent who felt safety related to crime and violence was the top concern.

Meanwhile, only 38 per cent of respondents indicated that they were pleased with the Metrobus service, although only one-third of city residents use the service.

MQO Research conducted the survey of 601 by phone between September 10th and October 8th.

Methodology: The survey maintains statistical validity with a margin of error plus or minus 4.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.