Expert-Led National Benchmarking Surveys
Polco provides gold standard survey research for local governments.
Developed by National Research Center survey experts, our scientific benchmarking surveys deliver results local governments can rely on. Benchmarks provide comparisons with hundreds of communities around the nation. Representing the perspectives of millions of Americans, our resident opinion database is the largest of its kind. Our research is used for decision-making, budgeting, planning, performance measurement, and more.
The National Community Survey
The nation's preferred community survey, The NCS™; stands as the gold standard in community assessments.
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The National Business Survey
The NBS™ assesses local business owners’ or managers’ perspectives about the economic environment of a community or district.
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The National Employee Survey
The NES is a customizable, turn key survey for local governments and other organizations to assess the work climate of their employees.
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The National Police Services Survey
The NPSS™ provides a comprehensive and accurate picture of resident opinions related to community police services.
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Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults
CASOA™ is a unique scientific survey of older adults’ perceptions about their communities and future needs.
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Made-to-Measure Research
Discover a broad range of research and evaluation services, tailor-made to assist government and nonprofit sector clients.
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How Black and White Americans See Law Enforcement Differently
Protests against race-related police violence highlights a disparity between how black and white Americans experience the police. So what does survey research say about how ratings of law enforcement differ between races?
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Connecting with the Nation’s Largest Generation
Census data show that Millennials have surpassed Baby Boomers as the largest generation in the United States. But how do Millennials engage with their communities? What do they think of their city government? And how do they communicate?
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COVID-19 Research Reveals Insights on to Plan for the Future
COVID-19 has drastically altered our local governments and the communities they serve. So what does research tell us about challenges and opportunities for residents, local governments, and businesses?
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