Poll Reveals Critical Issues to Guide Community-Supported Solutions
At Greater Spokane Inc. (GSI), we’re committed to helping our region grow and thrive by making sure our community’s voice is heard loud and clear. That’s why we’re excited to announce the release of The Pulse, a groundbreaking series of comprehensive, scientific polls that dive into the critical issues affecting Spokane residents and businesses.
This is the first poll of its kind in the region, offering Spokane decision-makers a reliable snapshot of voter sentiment on key policy issues such as public safety, homelessness, housing, economic growth, and workforce development.
What is The Pulse?
The Pulse is designed to measure Spokane County’s outlook on a variety of issues, providing both a Quality of Life Index and insights into Policy Sentiment. The Quality of Life Index gives us a clear picture of how people feel about living in Spokane and provides an issues-agnostic benchmarking tool. Additionally, the policy sentiment section identifies the community’s priorities and measures preferences for solutions in areas like public safety, housing, infrastructure, growth, and more.
With over 600 registered voters surveyed and a scientifically rigorous methodology, The Pulse is a resource for policymakers, business leaders, and community organizations who need data-driven insights to make informed decisions. This is not a poll focused on elections or candidates; instead, it is about understanding the issues that matter most to Spokane residents taken at critical political decision point. The Pulse is about understanding why voters take action and what they care about.
The Pulse will be taken every fall and every spring to give our community clear longitudinal trends on quality of life and changing sentiments around policy choices at all levels of government.
Key Findings from the first release of The Pulse
There is significant room for improvement on our Quality of Life Index. Measuring at just 3.6 on a scale of 10, it’s clear that voters are seeing substantial challenges that need addressing. Here are some highlights from areas where GSI is engaged:
- Public Safety is a Top Priority: 93% of voters believe that downtown Spokane cannot fully recover until homelessness and public safety issues are addressed. Without prompting, half of voters cited homelessness and 2 in 5 cited crime or public safety as the top issue facing Spokane.
- Support for Local Businesses: Spokane voters are concerned about the impact of public safety on businesses with 86% agreeing that helping local businesses deal with public safety concerns would be impactful to their quality of life.
- Community Concerns on Quality of Life: The Quality of Life Index revealed that 63% of respondents feel the Spokane region is on the wrong track, and 56% have considered moving out of the area. This highlights the urgent need for policies that focus on improving residents’ overall satisfaction with their community.
- Economic Growth and Infrastructure: 90% of voters agree that a thriving downtown is critical for Spokane’s economic future. Voters also want to see the city prioritize basic services like road maintenance, park upkeep, and public safety, with 93% supporting greater investment in these areas.
Why This Poll Matters
The Pulse offers a transparent, issues-based approach, giving everyone—from policymakers to business owners—access to data that represents the whole community. GSI is bringing the voter’s voice to the table by connecting policymakers to reliable data on the needs and concerns of Spokane’s residents.
A Path Forward for Spokane
The Pulse isn’t just a one-time poll. It’s designed to be a benchmark that we’ll use over time to track progress and changes in community sentiment. We’ll continue conducting The Pulse every spring and fall to ensure that Spokane’s leaders have the data they need to stay informed and respond to the evolving needs of our community.
Next Steps
We are sharing this information widely, with complete transparency. The full results, including crosstabs and a comprehensive presentation, are available at GreaterVotes.org. Stay tuned as we continue this important work, with the next installment of The Pulse expected in Spring 2025.
To learn more about the poll results and what they mean for Spokane, please join us for an all-member briefing on November 1.
Let’s work together to create a Spokane that is safe, vibrant, and full of opportunity!
