The municipality ranks 207th out of approximately 11,000 municipalities in Germany
According to the latest municipal survey by the German Economic Institute (IW), Bickenbach is among the municipalities with the best public services in Germany. The study, entitled "Geographies of Dissatisfaction – Public Services," evaluated approximately 11,000 cities and municipalities nationwide based on various criteria.
The result is extremely positive for the Bergstrasse municipality: Bickenbach ranks 207th nationwide, placing it among the top two percent of all municipalities surveyed. Within Hesse, the municipality ranks 34th out of 425 cities and towns. In the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, Bickenbach comes in second place behind Alsbach-Hähnlein.
Strong performance in mobility, health and digitalization
A total of 17 indicators from the areas of digitalization, health, mobility, leisure, and education were evaluated. Bickenbach achieved particularly good results in the areas of mobility, leisure, health, and digitalization.
According to the municipality, Bickenbach benefits from its location on the Bergstrasse, its good rail connections, its proximity to Darmstadt and its efficient regional infrastructure.
Mayor Markus Hennemann sees the result as confirmation of the municipality's development: "This result is a strong confirmation for Bickenbach. Our municipality is not only very well positioned regionally, but also belongs to the top group nationwide in terms of municipal public services."
Placed in front of numerous neighboring municipalities
In the ranking, Bickenbach is ahead of several larger municipalities in the region, including Seeheim-Jugenheim, Pfungstadt, Griesheim, Weiterstadt, Dieburg, Reinheim, Groß-Umstadt and Mühltal.
According to the study, size or population alone are not decisive for good public services. Rather, important factors include the accessibility of services, the quality of infrastructure, and the reliability of public and private services.
High quality of life as a location factor
According to the municipality, Bickenbach's strengths include short distances in everyday life, good medical care, an active club life, cultural offerings, the work of the fire brigade and the strong voluntary commitment.
The report also makes it clear that, in addition to the objective state of services, public perception plays a crucial role. The municipality sees this as a mandate to further develop its strengths and communicate municipal decisions transparently.
Background to the IW community check
For the study "Geographies of Dissatisfaction – Public Services," the German Economic Institute analyzed the public service situation in German municipalities. The aim of the study is to reveal the connections between infrastructure, quality of life, and the satisfaction of the population.
According to the municipality, the result shows that Bickenbach has a very strong location profile and is among the best-rated municipalities within the Darmstadt-Dieburg district.
(BICKENBACH – RED/PSB)
