2023 Community Survey Results

Annual Community Survey Records High Turnout

By Kashif Zahoor, Highlands Council Board of Directors

The results are in from our annual community survey. We received a significant amount of feedback (64% more responses than last year, thank you!) that will help us serve the needs of our community better.

We asked for your input on a variety of topics, including the best ways to stay connected with you, top community issues and concerns, and events and groups of interest to you. The survey also gauged your satisfaction with Highlands Fiber Network (HFN) as well as Issaquah Highlands Community Association (IHCA) staff, landscaping and maintenance.

When it comes to connecting with you, 54% of respondents prefer receiving community news through Connections, while 40% opt for the weekly E-News and the official Issaquah Highlands Facebook page.

The top issues that are most meaningful to our community are neighborhood crime/safety (72%), traffic and pedestrian safety (37%), property values (26%) and land development (26%).

It’s encouraging to note that 72% of the respondents believe Issaquah Highlands is a caring community, and 73% feel like they belong in the community.

Live music events for families and adults are the top choices for participation among residents, along with meetings related to crime and safety like Block Watch.

The survey showed that 71% of respondents are satisfied or very satisfied with HFN. Reliability of service, fast internet speeds and competitive pricing were highlighted as crucial factors for those utilizing the network. Half of the respondents want internet speeds of greater than 1 Gigabit as new features in the future.

Survey takers were generally satisfied with overall IHCA management (73%). Most respondents are also satisfied with the courtesy (80%) and responsiveness (70%) of the staff and the Architectural Review Committee (65%).

However, enforcement of the CC&Rs (55%) is an area where respondents would like to see improvement. Maintenance of common areas (80%), play structures (81%) and basketball courts (85%) are all well received.

Respondents are satisfied with landscaping in the community (79%), which includes open space parks and trails (86%), the goat program (90%) and the Bark Park (80%).

The survey results provide valuable insight into our community’s needs and preferences. We appreciate all of the feedback and will take steps to improve in areas where necessary. Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to serving you better in the future.