The vast majority of Greater Des Moines residents feel a strong affinity to the region, believe it is a good community for raising a family and believe their colleagues act with integrity, according to results of the 2017 Human Capital Survey released today.

Ninety percent agreed that Greater Des Moines is a good place to raise a family, while 87 percent said individuals in their workplace act with integrity. In addition, 89 percent of respondents would recommend the metro to others.

The Human Capital Survey was conducted by the Greater Des Moines Partnership, the Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University, and the Institute for Excellence and Ethics. It focused on the beliefs and experiences of residents to assess the level of connectedness to their fellow residents and the community, and their ability to find their purpose here. 

About 2,600 Greater Des Moines residents took part in the survey, which was also conducted in 2013 and 2014. 

“The Human Capital Survey reiterates that DSM residents are highly engaged and connected to the community and to their workplace,” Mary Bontrager, the Partnership’s executive vice president of talent development, said in a statement. “The results of this survey will provide direction to community and business leaders to determine what more we can do to improve quality of life, which will result in increased talent attraction and retention.” 

Scott Raecker, the Ray Center’s executive director, said the survey was designed to measure community connectedness, talent embeddedness and workplace culture. “Greater Des Moines residents have again responded with high marks in critical areas that indicate we have vibrant communities and an engaged workforce,” he said in the statement. 

During a preview of the latest results in October, Raecker said there have been noticeable changes in feelings about safety and civility since the last survey. The percentage of Central Iowans who believe their community is safe — 85 percent — is down 7 points from the 2014 survey. And 80 percent said they feel they’re treated with civility and respect, a “very high” figure in comparison with the rest of the country, but a 10-point decrease from the previous survey, he said.