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Executive Summary This twelfth report of the Orange County Annual Survey, UCI spotlights two areas of top concern to Orange County residents -- jobs and the economic outlook, and the emerging issue of crime. In addition, we continue to track topics from previous years. The 1993 survey was conducted from August 20 to 29 and included interviews with 1,007 adult residents. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percent. Here are the highlights of the findings from this year's survey: Assessments are as negative this year as last -- today only 20 percent rate the local economy as "excellent" or "good," 49 percent call it "fair" and 30 percent say "poor." Two years from now, 41 percent expect the economy to be better, 33 percent expect no change and 23 percent anticipate a worse economy. The number expecting a worse local economy in the future is up 7 points from last year. A majority (55%) have little or no confidence that local government will come up with a conversion plan for the El Toro Marine base that will help the local economy. Only 9 percent have "a lot" of confidence and 30 percent have "some" faith that local leaders can devise an effective re-use plan. Confidence is slightly higher in the South County. As for converting the site to a commercial airport, 48 percent favor this use, 42 percent oppose it and 10 percent are undecided. Opposition is highest in the South County (49%). Thirty-six percent worry about themselves or a family member losing their job in the next year, with 19 percent worried "a lot" and 6 percent having already experienced job loss. Fears are greatest in the Central County (42%) and among residents earning less than $36,000 (46%). Satisfaction with personal finances continues to be lower than in pre-recession years, with 14 percent "very" satisfied, 52 percent "somewhat" so and 34 percent dissatisfied. But this year saw no drop in satisfaction from 1992. The Orange County Consumer Confidence Index is now at 73, marking another new low and again falling below the national index. Thirty percent say they are better off than last year, while 36 percent are worse off. Forty-one percent expect to be better off next year. Fifty-eight percent expect bad times nationwide in the next year and 60 percent expect bad times for the next five years. Still, a majority (52%) think now is a good time to make major purchases. The median annual household income is now $47,000 -- up 4 percent from last year. This year, residents named crime as the most important problem (29%), followed by jobs and the economy (20%) and immigration (19%). Traffic now stands at 11 percent, while 10 percent named schools, 7 percent said growth and 4 percent mentioned housing. Mentions of crime rose 12 points since last year and have nearly doubled since 1986. Crime is mentioned most often by those earning less than $80,000 (31%), and least often by South County residents (23%). Thirty-six percent of residents feel unsafe walking
in their neighborhoods at night, up 18 points since 1982. Fifty-one
percent in the Central County consider their neighborhoods unsafe, compared
to 19 percent in the South County. Half earning less than $36,000 feel
their neighborhoods are not safe at night, compared with 15 percent
of those with incomes of $80,000 per year or more. Nearly half of residents
(47%) believe the crime rate in their neighborhoods has been rising
in the past few years. Today, 28 percent report that they or someone in their immediate family were the victim of a crime in their neighborhood in the past year, compared to 18 percent in the 1982 survey. Twenty-one percent in the South County and three in 10 elsewhere say they have had a crime committed against themselves or a family member. Thirty-five percent of those earning less than $36,000, compared to 21 percent with incomes of $80,000 or more, have recently experienced a crime first-hand. Four in 10 residents now rate the quality of life in the county as going "badly," while only 8 percent perceive things as going "very well" and 52 percent see the quality of life in Orange County as going "somewhat well." As for the county's future, 36 percent say it will be a worse place to live, 35 percent think it will stay about the same and 29 percent say it will be a better place to live. Since last year, the number thinking the county will be a worse place has risen by 4 points. Over the past 10 years, the number expecting the county to become a better place to live has declined by 11 points. As for the most serious health and social issue facing the county, drug abuse (27%) and health care (25%) top the list, followed by the homeless (18%). There has been no change since last year in mentions of drug abuse, health care and the homeless. Since the 1988 survey, the biggest changes are a drop in mention of drug abuse and an increase in the naming of health care. Fourteen percent are satisfied with the freeway system in Orange County, while 51 percent think more lanes are needed for existing freeways and 35 percent support building new freeways. Fifty-three percent are in favor of building three public tollroads in Orange County, with 39 percent opposed and 8 percent unsure. Support is stronger in the South County (58%). As for commuting trends, 78 percent drive alone now, compared to 84 percent in 1989 and 82 percent in 1982. Solo driving is less common among those earning less than $35,000 (69%) and Central County residents (70%). Fifty percent of employed residents describe traffic congestion as a problem for them, compared to 64 percent in 1989 and 53 percent in 1982. Forty-two percent say their commute has gotten worse over time, compared to 60 percent in 1989 and 39 percent in 1982. Forty-one percent say their cities and communities have been growing rapidly over the past few years, a 13-point decline from last year and 23 points lower than two years ago. In the 1982 survey, 57 percent perceived rapid growth in their locality. Forty-five percent believe the government regulations in their cities and communities aimed at controlling growth are not strict enough, down 5 points from a year ago and 12 points in two years. In the 1982 survey, 40 percent had perceived local growth controls as not strict enough. Today, 43 percent consider environmental problems like air and water pollution to pose a "very serious" threat to their health and well-being, compared to 48 percent last year and 60 percent in the 1990 survey. This year, 43 percent say they would be willing to accept higher unemployment in the county so that industry could better protect the environment, while 48 percent are unwilling and 9 percent are undecided. These numbers are virtually unchanged from last year. Six in 10 homeowners (59%) and 53 percent of renters say buying a home in Orange County is a good or excellent investment. The median mortgage payment is now $940, and the median rent is $740. In 1992, the median mortgage was $900 and median rent was $720. Both mortgages and rents are basically unchanged from last year. As in the past, housing prices continue to be higher in the South County, where 64 percent pay more than $750 a month in rent and 76 percent pay more than $750 in mortgage. The rate of homeownership (62%) has not changed from past years. The median donation reported in 1993 is $226, up $80 from the median reported last year. This year, 30 percent gave more than $500. In 1992, 22 percent gave more than $500 to charity. Of residents earning more than $50,000, 47 percent gave more than $500 this year. In households earning $80,000 or more, 59 percent made donations of more than $500, and 49 percent gave $1,000 or more. Forty-three percent of college graduates made donations of more than $500, compared to 21 percent of those without college degrees. Twenty-eight percent of voters call themselves "liberals," while 28 percent say they are "middle-of-the-road" and 44 percent are "conservative." Sixty-four percent of Republicans call themselves middle-of-the-road or somewhat conservative, 15 percent say they are liberal and 21 percent say they are very conservative. Among Democrats, 49 percent say they are middle-of-the-road or somewhat conservative, while 47 percent describe themselves as liberals and 4 percent say they are very conservative. These profiles are unchanged over time.
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The Orange County Economy