Johnson County learned today it is the first and only county in the nation to win three “Leading the Way” awards from survey company ETC Institute. The award was presented today at the Board of County Commissioners meeting.

"In honor of today's Chiefs home opener - let's celebrate this achievement as a 'three-peat' for Johnson County Government," said BOCC Chairman Mike Kelly. "This award affirms what we already know: Johnson County is one of the best places in the country to live, work and raise a family, and the data shows that. Thank you to the residents who participated in the survey and thank you to ETC for this recognition."

For a third year in a row, Johnson County ranked in the top 10% of 300 local cities and counties with more than 100,000 residents in three core areas measured by ETC Institute’s DirectionFinder® Survey:

• Satisfaction with overall quality of services.
• Satisfaction with customer service provided by employees.
• Satisfaction with the value residents think they receive for taxes and fees.

County Manager Penny Postoak Ferguson said the award continues to reflect the vision and leadership of the BOCC along with the teamwork, expertise and passion of the Johnson County Government workforce.

“This award recognizes local governments for outstanding achievement in delivering services to our residents, and I am very pleased to receive this recognition for our efforts three years in a row,” said Postoak Ferguson. “With the guidance and support of the Board of County Commissioners, we continue to provide the high level of service delivery necessary to achieve the results that we see year after year.”

To rank in the “Top 10% of Large Communities,” a city or county must have scored at least 192 total points. Johnson County scored 200 points, which was 78 points higher than average composite score for all communities in the United States.

Respondents to the 2024 community survey gave high marks for the county’s quality of life, services and programs, with 97% saying they were satisfied with the county as place to live.  According to the survey, 80% of respondents are satisfied with the quality of county services overall, far exceeding the national average of 49% satisfaction. Satisfaction with county services improved in 18 of the 25 major areas assessed on the survey since 2023.