Photo: Prince William County Government
If you've ever wondered whether county leaders actually listen to residents, look no further than the 2024 Community Survey. Feedback from that round of responses helped shape the priorities in Prince William County's current Strategic Plan — the roadmap guiding decisions on everything from services to spending. Now the county wants to hear from residents again, with its 2026 Community Survey launching this month.
Beginning Sept. 14, invitations will go out by mail to a randomly selected sample of households across the county, with paper surveys following on Sept. 21. If your household is one of them, your response carries extra weight: because participants are chosen at random, their answers are used to produce statistically valid results that represent the county as a whole.
Don't get an invitation? You'll still get your say. Starting Oct. 12, the survey opens online to every Prince William County resident, giving anyone who wants to weigh in on local services and quality of life a chance to do so before the window closes Nov. 2.
The county has been asking residents these questions since 1993, shifting to a biennial schedule in 2012. The results don't just sit in a file somewhere — they're used by the Board of County Supervisors, county departments and executive leadership to guide budget decisions, spot underserved communities and set priorities for what comes next.
"The Community Survey is an important way for us to hear directly from the people we serve, and every perspective helps us better understand our community," County Executive Christopher Shorter said in announcing this year's survey. "We saw the impact of that participation in 2024, when resident feedback helped shape the goals and priorities in our Strategic Plan. The more we hear from residents across Prince William County, the better we can understand what is working, where we need to improve and what matters most as we plan for the future."
Whether your household lands in the random sample or you catch the open survey window in October, the county is framing this year's effort the same way it has for decades: as a direct line between residents and the decisions being made on their behalf.
Read the full announcement on the county's website, or learn more about the survey and view results from previous years on the Community Survey page.