"This survey gives Houstonians a clear, data-backed picture of what their neighbors are thinking. It shows where city services are working well — and where they're falling short. It also highlights meaningful differences in how white, Black, and Latino residents experience neighborhood conditions. That kind of information helps you ask better questions of local leaders and understand what's at stake in upcoming city decisions."
Most Houston voters say the city offers a good quality of life — but they also see serious room for improvement. A new survey from the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston found that poor streets, crime, and traffic congestion are the top three concerns. Housing costs, homelessness, and rising property taxes also made the list. The findings reveal real gaps in how different communities experience city life.
The Hobby School surveyed 1,400 registered Houston voters between March 29 and April 4, 2025, in both English and Spanish. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.62%. Key findings include: 49% rank poor street conditions as a top concern; 41% cite crime; 37% point to traffic congestion. About 31% flag the high cost of housing, and 28% each name homelessness and rising property taxes. Satisfaction with city services ranges widely — 81% rate fire and emergency medical services favorably, while only 28% say the same about public works. Residents are nearly evenly split on a proposal to let the city exceed its revenue cap by up to $40 million a year to fund public safety. Meanwhile, 77% support doubling the city's budget for BARC, Houston's city-run animal shelter, to $32 million annually. Racial and ethnic gaps stand out: 67% of white registered voters rate city quality of life as good or better, compared to 56% of Black voters and 47% of Latino voters. Similar gaps show up in how residents experience violent crime, street conditions, and other neighborhood issues.
Use these findings as a starting point for civic action. If streets in your neighborhood are in bad shape, you now have data backing up what you already know — and that can strengthen any complaint or request you bring to your city council member. If you care about housing costs or property taxes, look for public comment periods or community meetings where those topics are on the agenda. And if the revenue cap proposal moves forward, you'll already understand what's being debated.
The survey touches on topics that connect to several ongoing Houston conversations: the condition of city streets and public works funding, the debate over the city's revenue cap, housing affordability, and how city services reach different communities. Future Hobby School reports will look at the 18th Congressional District race and Houston's arts, entertainment, and sports scene.
