For two years, we have been testing the new Community Conditions Survey, designed to monitor economic conditions of low-and moderate-income households. That culminated in releasing the first public External Linkreport in January 2024. We made it to that point due to the generous effort and patience of respondents who stuck with us through the many changes made to the survey over that time.
Now we have even more exciting news: the Community Conditions Survey has gone national. With the assistance of Community Development departments across the Federal Reserve System, we launched the Community Perspectives Survey in April 2024 to capture community conditions across the United States.
What changes can you expect from the (national) Community Perspectives Survey?
- We will continue to deploy surveys twice a year. The April survey will be the national Community Perspectives Survey, while the Community Conditions Survey will run in October and include the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s Tenth District only.
- We have added questions to capture organization health more fully.
- We have revised the survey to accommodate open participation (meaning participation is not limited to those signed up for the Community Conditions Survey).
Why is the national survey exciting?
- We can compare the perspectives of the Tenth District with those from across the country.
- Wider exposure increases the survey’s profile, both for who pays attention to the results and for the weight it brings to informing monetary policy.
- Wider exposure can also help recruit more people to participate in the survey.
Stay tuned for the national report and a report from the Kansas City Fed to follow later this summer.
If you have not signed up for the Community Conditions Survey, we are still recruiting for our fall survey External Linkhere. By signing up, you will also ensure you receive the link to the national survey in 2025.