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County Perceptions The proportion of residents who believe the quality of life in the county is going "badly" is now 40 percent, while only 8 percent perceive things as going "very well." The largest group of residents, 52 percent, see the quality of life in Orange County as going "somewhat well." Since 1987, when we first asked this question, the number seeing the quality of life as going badly has swelled from 13 to 40 percent, while the proportion who view things as going well has plummeted from 37 to 8 percent. The one in two residents who see things going somewhat well is consistent with the results of the previous five surveys. Even among those earning $80,000 or more, 31 percent believe that the quality of life in the county is going badly. But for those with lower household incomes, an even greater number (40%) say things are going badly. The perception of a negative quality of life in Orange County increases with age, from 36 percent in the 18 to 34 age group, to 43 percent in the 35 to 54 group, and to 45 percent among those 55 and older. Interestingly, there are no differences by region. As for perceptions of the future of the county, opinions are evenly divided. Thirty-two percent say it will be a better place to live than it is now, 32 percent say it will be a worse place, and 36 percent expect that it will be about the same as today. Since last year, there has been an 8-point increase in those who expect no change, and a 7-point rise in the number who think Orange County will be a better place to live in the future. The number saying it will become a worse place to live has declined by 15 points since last year. This change in sentiment about the future may be more of a function of the gloominess about today's local economy than a new-found optimism about the county's future. Many people see Orange County as being in a serious recession today, while relatively few expect things to deteriorate even further. Thus, a drop in the "worse" ratings really reflects the fact that more residents are now seeing the county as a poor place to live. Since the question was first asked in 1983, there have never been more residents expecting to see no change in the county's future. Considering the current ratings of the local economy, this figure really indicates that many are not expecting a robust recovery from the recession. The number who expect things to be better is on a par with the historical average -- higher than in the recent 1989-91 period, but lower than the optimism of 1983-85. Residents of the South County (37%) are more likely than those living elsewhere (29%) to see the county as being a worse place to live in the future. South County residents (26%) are also considerably less likely than those in other regions (35%) to see the county as being a better place to live in the future. Household income and age do not influence perceptions of the future quality of life in Orange County. As for the most serious health and social issue facing the county, drug abuse (25%) and health care (24%) top the list, followed by the homeless (20%). Less-frequent mentions include child care (10%), AIDS (9%), race relations (8%) and others (4%). Compared to last year's survey, mention of drugs has dropped 10 points. Concern about health care has remained steady, while mention of the homeless (+5) and AIDS (+4) both increased. Mention of drug abuse has dropped by 29 points, or 10 points a year, since 1989, when a high of 54 percent named this the biggest health and social issue facing the county. Since 1988, mention of health care has risen by 14 points. This issue is 8 points higher today than it was in 1990. Mention of the homeless as the top issue is 4 points higher than in 1988. It has increased 8 points since 1989. There are no major differences in perceptions of the county's top health and social issues by income, age or region. |
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