Dr. Timothy Bray presented the initial results of the North Texas Quality of Life Initiative during an event on campus last fall. The full results are available on dashboards on the project’s website.

University of Texas at Dallas researchers in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS) have published the first results of their North Texas Quality of Life Initiative, which is intended to help inform public policy with everyday perspectives and to improve lives for families in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The centerpiece of the initiative is the William C. Short North Texas Quality of Life Survey, which collected information in 2024 from about 3,000 residents in five geographic areas within the metroplex. The team at the UT Dallas Institute for Urban Policy Research, led by director Dr. Timothy Bray, compiled the survey results and put them on web-based dashboards that are available to the public.

“This survey brings stakeholders and decision-makers the information they need to shape policy.”

Dr. Timothy Bray, professor of practice of public policy and political economy

The survey provided helpful insights into North Texans’ opinions about local government, Bray said.

“At the margin, almost half of North Texans in our survey reported voting or intending to vote in their local elections. Just over 1 in 4 felt they had no influence on local government. In fact, 16% of those who voted didn’t feel they had any impact on local government,” he said.

Other findings include:

  • Three out of 4 North Texas residents were somewhat or very satisfied with where they live. Satisfaction was highest in Collin County (86%) and lowest in Tarrant County (72%).
  • Almost 1 in 3 North Texans believed that violent crime had increased over the last three years.
  • Almost half (46%) of North Texas residents believed that nonviolent crime increased “a little more” or “a lot more.” Only 20% perceived a decrease of any amount.
  • Nearly 30% of North Texans said they don’t know their neighbors.

“Leaders in communities are looking for data to help them improve public services,” Bray said. “This survey brings stakeholders and decision-makers the information they need to shape policy.”

More UTD News

To check out the latest stories, upcoming events and happenings in the Comet community, subscribe to the UTD Today newsletter.

The UTD quality-of-life project team, consisting of Bray, professor of practice of public policy and political economy; Dr. Karl Ho, professor of instruction in political science; and Dr. Marianne Stewart, professor of political science, worked with graduate and undergraduate students to produce an in-depth community report detailing the survey results.

Dr. Curtis Bram, assistant professor of political science, is also on the project team and offered expertise in survey design and development. Future results will include analyses of changes over time.

Researchers on the three-year project plan to conduct another survey this spring.

“Our team is hard at work updating the survey for the 2025 wave, slated for an early May data collection,” Bray said. “While last year’s survey focused on opinions about crime and homelessness, this year’s survey will focus on issues of affordability, including housing and food security.”