Mayor Eric Adams’ Job Performance, March 2022

Marist New York City Poll

NYC Mayor Eric Adams Off to a Good Start but Many New Yorkers Need to be Convinced City Will Improve

More than six in ten New York City residents approve of the job Mayor Eric Adams is doing as mayor. Majorities approve of how Adams is handling many of the pressing issues facing the city, including crime, the coronavirus pandemic, public schools, and the relationship between police and the community. Residents also view Adams favorably and perceive him as possessing the qualities needed to be successful as mayor. Despite these high marks, a plurality of adults in New York City rate the job Adams is doing as “fair” and are not overwhelmingly convinced that he is changing the city for the better.

Eric Adams' Approval Rating
Do you approve or disapprove of the job Eric Adams is doing as mayor?
Source: Marist Poll New York City Adults. Interviews conducted March 1st through March 8th, 2022, n=891 MOE +/- 4.1 percentage points. Totals may not add to 100% due to rounding.
  • Many New York City residents (61%) approve of the job Eric Adams is doing as mayor. 24% disapprove. However, residents do not have strong feelings about Adams’ job performance. Only 16% strongly approve, and 8% strongly disapprove. A notable 15% are unsure. Many city residents (62%) also have a favorable opinion of Adams. His popularity is right-side up among key groups across the city.

  • When compared with previous mayors, 38% of city residents, including 40% of registered voters, think Adams is an excellent (9%) or good (29%) mayor. 14% rate him poorly. A plurality (37%) rates his governance as “fair.” 10% of adults citywide are unsure or have never heard of Adams. Of note, by more than two to one, people who view him as “fair” approve of the job he is doing as mayor. Adams’ rating among registered voters is comparable to former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s first score (39%) after taking office. However, he underperforms the ratings of previous mayors — Michael Bloomberg (50%), Rudy Giuliani (51%), and David Dinkins (56%) — at the start of their administrations.

  • More than six in ten adults citywide approve of how Adams is handling the coronavirus pandemic (64%) and the relationship between police and the community (61%). Majorities also approve of how Adams is handling the public schools (55%) and crime (53%). The latter two issues draw partisan differences.

  • 72% of city residents say Mayor Adams understands the problems facing New York City. 66% think he cares about people, and a similar 64% report he is a good leader for New York City. Fewer, but still a majority, say Adams is making New York City a safer place to live (55%).

  • Despite mostly high marks for Mayor Adams, only 47% of city residents think he is changing the Big Apple for the better. Eight percent say he is changing it for the worse, and 34% think he is not having any impact on the city. 12% are unsure. Nearly identical proportions of registered voters share these views. Of note, Adams does better on this question than former Mayor Bill de Blasio shortly after de Blasio took office in 2014. 20% of registered voters thought de Blasio was having a negative impact on the city. 43% said he was having a positive one, and 25% thought he was not making a difference.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams enjoys a 61% job approval rating among New York City residents. Residents approve of how Adams is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, police-community relationships, the public schools, and crime. Adams is also perceived as a likable mayor who understands the challenges facing New York City, is a good leader, cares about the average person, and is working to make the city safer.

"Mayor Adams has broad appeal at this early point in his administration," says Lee M. Miringoff, Director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. "Unlike his predecessor, Adams is not coming across as a polarizing figure to most city residents."

Direction of NYC

49% of city residents think New York City is moving in the right direction, and 43% report it is moving in the wrong one. When last asked in October 2017, 46% thought the city was on track, and 43% thought it was off track. 11% were unsure.

City Residents Optimistic About End of COVID-19 Pandemic

79% of residents citywide are optimistic that the city has turned the page on the coronavirus pandemic. 18% are pessimistic.