Earlier this year from June through August, the Worthington Together Initiative ran a survey and polled the citizens of Worthington, asking them the question: "What do you treasure most about Worthington today?"
You can view the official summary PDF here but you'll notice it's especially light on the analysis of these survey results, see slides 10 and 11. So, I downloaded the 1,056 responses and ran some data analysis of my own against the responses to get a sense of what people love about Worthington. Below are my findings.
Analysis
The bottom line: Residents overwhelmingly love Worthington. The sense of community, walkable downtown, quality schools, and green spaces came up again and again. Only 6 responses (0.6%) expressed any concerns (although in fairness the survey was not about critical feedback).
What Residents Said
Top Themes
| What People Treasure | How Many Mentioned It |
|---|---|
| Community & Neighbors | 590 (56%) |
| Downtown/Village Charm | 374 (35%) |
| Walkability | 315 (30%) |
| Parks & Green Space | 309 (29%) |
| Schools & Education | 296 (28%) |
| Events & Activities | 234 (22%) |
| Restaurants & Shops | 174 (17%) |
| Recreation (pool, trails, etc.) | 149 (14%) |
| Safety | 116 (11%) |
| Family-Friendly Environment | 108 (10%) |
Note: Responses often mentioned multiple themes, so percentages add up to more than 100%.
Stay connected to what's happening in Worthington, Ohio.
Most Frequent Phrases
These exact phrases appeared most often:
- "farmers market" — 87 times
- "sense of community" — 63 times
- "city services" — 50 times
- "community center" — 43 times
- "green space" — 34 times
Visual: What Words Appeared Most
![[wordcloud]](https://gdyjsqmpybjcsrevmlmq.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/sign/worthingtonpulse/wordcloud.png?token=eyJraWQiOiJzdG9yYWdlLXVybC1zaWduaW5nLWtleV81ZDA4MTA3Ny1jZWZjLTQxYzYtYjc4NS0wMTlhODc2ODE1OTgiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJ1cmwiOiJ3b3J0aGluZ3RvbnB1bHNlL3dvcmRjbG91ZC5wbmciLCJpYXQiOjE3NjY1MDQwMzAsImV4cCI6MTg1MjgxNzYzMH0.4FP8GThmT0PdcPv_iP0jxtZEsI_cSOIk8EqckTx_fYk)
The larger the word, the more often it appeared in responses.
Specific Places & Amenities
When residents named specific locations, these came up most:
| Place | Mentions |
|---|---|
| Downtown/Old Worthington | 275 (26%) |
| Schools | 243 (23%) |
| Parks | 140 (13%) |
| Restaurants | 94 (9%) |
| Farmers Market | 89 (8%) |
| Olentangy Trail/River | 81 (8%) |
| Library | 81 (8%) |
| Community Center/Rec Center | 66 (6%) |
| Village Green | 60 (6%) |
| Pool | 31 (3%) |
Note: The UMCH/Methodist property was mentioned only 6 times (0.6%). Despite being a topic of debate, it's not what comes to mind when residents think about what they treasure.
Stay connected to what's happening in Worthington, Ohio.
In Their Own Words
Here are some of the most compelling responses:
"I treasure that Worthington is a safe suburb with small-town charm. It has the best year-round farmers market, and the parks are always beautifully maintained. The great restaurants and the walkable charm of Old Worthington make it a truly special place to live."
"Historic charm of the city with easy walkable access to the Olentangy Trail, pools, parks, and downtown Worthington. This, combined with the great location within Columbus and the neighborly community make it a true gem of central Ohio and a wonderful place to live!"
"I absolutely cherish our vibrant downtown, the scenic bike paths, the beautiful parks, and the wonderful schools. Each element adds so much to our community's character and charm!"
"I love the access to the Olentangy Trail and the walking paths, the integration of the schools into the neighborhood, and that the downtown is walkable and a great place to spend time. I also love the diversity of our community."
"I treasure our bustling community centered around radical acceptance and love for our neighbors. Worthington is a great community to grow up in because of how safe and welcoming it is, to people of all creeds, colors, and experiences."
Overall Sentiment
Since this survey asked what people treasure, virtually all responses are favorable. However, there were a levels of emotional intensity:
| Tone | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Enthusiastic ("I love", "wonderful", "amazing") | 406 | 38% |
| Matter-of-fact ("Schools, parks, library") | 644 | 61% |
| Critical | 6 | 0.6% |
99.4% favorable — only 6 responses contained any criticism.
After reviewing each response individually, the concerns that did appear were primarily about:
- Housing development decisions (3 responses)
- Taxes/affordability (1 response)
- School system size (1 response)
- Downtown maintenance (1 response)
Key Takeaways
Community is #1 — More than half of all responses mentioned community, neighbors, or the sense of belonging. This is Worthington's defining characteristic in residents' eyes.
Walkability matters — The ability to walk to shops, restaurants, schools, and the farmers market came up repeatedly. Residents value this and want to preserve it.
The Farmers Market is beloved — It was the single most-mentioned specific thing in the entire survey.
Schools remain a draw — Nearly 30% of responses mentioned schools or education as something they treasure.
Concerns are rare and varied — The few concerns that exist aren't unified around one issue. Some want less development, one wants more. It's individual perspectives.
About This Analysis
- Data source: Worthington Together survey results published at worthingtontogether.org
- Time period: June 13 – August 19, 2025
- Total responses: 1,056
- Method: Responses were categorized by theme and reviewed for sentiment
I'm thankful to be a part of this community and share it with all you fine folks. Here's to a bright future for Worthington now and into the future. Make sure to stay informed about what's going on in Worthington and be a part of it's future planning by subscribing to Worthington Pulse!