Evanston Equity Survey Results Released

EVANSTON, IL — Evanston released the result of an online equity survey conducted earlier this year showing that black residents are significantly more likely to participate in community events and attend city council meetings than their Hispanic, Asian or white counterparts. However, in a memo presenting the results of the survey to the Human Services Committee Monday, local government fellow Enith Sánchez and Equity and Empowerment Coordinator Patricia Efiom recommended that Evanston should conduct a new survey with a random sample.

The online survey was open to everyone, and because most respondents accessed the poll through a city-sponsored newsletter, it could have been skewed toward people already active in the Evanston community. Of the 800 responses received by the city, most were submitted online, with just 100 on paper and three in Spanish.

"Because the participants were not randomly selected and participation was completely voluntary it cannot be assumed that the findings of the survey are representative of the population," Sánchez and Efiom wrote. "Selecting a random sample would allow the City to understand better the needs of the community as a whole."

The survey's sample was notably older, richer and more female than the demographics of Evanston as a whole, according to census data. 76 percent of respondents were women, compared to 52.6 percent of the population. 63 percent of those that completed the survey were over the age of 55, compared to 49 percent of city residents overall. And 46 percent of surveys reported annual incomes above $100,000, while the most recent census data estimates 38 percent of Evanston households make that much.

Check out the full results of Evanston's online equity survey below:

Top photo via City of Evanston