Community Surveys

Annual Surveys of the Community

Annual Surveys of the Community are conducted each spring (Jefferson County), summer (St. Lawrence County), and Fall (Lewis County). The results of these telephone surveys of the behaviors, attitudes, and perspectives of adult citizens of each County have been weighted toward known population characteristics of the adult populations in each county.  Annual statistical analyses of the survey data include trend analyses compiled from core questions asked in each previous Annual Survey in a county; thorough explanatory cross-tabulation analyses by key demographic variables of interest; and regional three-county comparisons. The final study reports for these Annual Surveys are available in PDF format via the thumbnails shown below.  Upon request the professional staff at the Center will provide public presentations of these survey results.

Annual Surveys

Community Sponsors for the three Annual Surveys of the Community

The Center for Community Studies would like to acknowledge and thank the following two Northern New York organizations for their generous financial support of these surveys.

"As a student, the Center for Community Studies at Jefferson Community College offered me a structured, yet fun and exciting opportunity to integrate community-based research and community engagement with academic coursework. This tangible experience complimented my work in the classroom and meaningfully allowed me to apply these teachings in a real way. This developed an intellectual foundation for understanding and appreciating research-based work did not end when I graduated from the college; rather it prepared me for a career that carries out community-based, data-driven action locally, regionally and across the state. As the Deputy Director of the Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization, I see our internal team and external partners being guided through critical thinking on a daily basis. We continually use data to drive decisions, understand community issues and assess the utility and relevance of research/evidence-based work to drive system-wide change. As a result of this experience with professor Joel Lalone and the Center for Community Studies, I feel competent, confident and well-prepared to facilitate and execute projects for impactful and sustainable change in our communities."Tracy Leonard

Biennial Regional Economic Survey

The biennial Regional Economic Tracking Survey is an inventory of the attitudes, opinions and behaviors of a representative sample of Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence County adult residents. The study has been completed and reported in 2013, 2015, and 2017.  Throughout the years of existence of the Center it has been frequently suggested by local community leaders that the Center undertake a consistent data collection and study process with a focus on economic indicators – attitudes and behaviors of North Country adult residents.  The suggestion included that these more qualitative measurements of human attitudes and behaviors collected via interviews might enhance the many more quantitative employment and business indicators that are measured by other labor, workforce and economic development and government agencies to provide a more complete assessment of local economic issues.  The primary goal of the economic survey is to collect data regarding behaviors and perceptions of local economic development activities and initiatives to augment the information provided about quality-of-life indicators already being measured in the annual county-specific quality-of-life surveys of the communities.

Over time the changes in the economic indicators measured in this survey study will provide important and useful information to economic planners, business owners, elected officials, potential entrepreneurs, and citizens. The final study reports for these Annual Surveys are available in PDF format via the thumbnails shown below.  Upon request the professional staff at the Center will provide public presentations of these survey results.

Community Sponsor for the Biennial Regional Economic Tracking Survey

The Center for Community Studies would like to acknowledge and thank the Development Authority of the North Country for their generous financial support of this biennial survey.

 To find out what we are working on or to receive copies of past reports, please contact us directly.

Contact the Center for Community Studies

Joel LaLone
Research Director, Center for Community Studies
Professor of Mathematics
Jefferson Community College
1220 Coffeen Street
Watertown, New York 13601
[email protected] 
(315) 786-2264

Larry Danforth
Research Coordinator, Center for Community Studies
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Jefferson Community College
[email protected] 
(315) 786-6553