UCI

Most Important Problems

Residents are most likely to name crime (31%) as the biggest problem facing the county today, followed by jobs and the economy (18%) and immigration (16%). The remaining one in three say the top county issues today are transportation and traffic (12%), growth and development (9%), schools (8%) and housing (4%).

The results have changed very little since the 1993 survey, when 29 percent mentioned crime, 20 percent named jobs and the economy and 19 percent mentioned immigration as the top problems.

Since the 1992 survey, however, the trend is toward increased mention of crime (17% to 31%) and less mention of the economy (26% to 18%).

Concerns about crime have doubled since 1986, when 15 percent called it the most important problem.

Crime is the top issue in all age groups. Mention of the economy as the biggest problem is similar across age brackets. Those 55 and older are more likely than younger adults to name immigration (20% to 15%) and less likely to mention schools (4% to 9%) as the number one public policy issue in Orange County.

Crime is the biggest problem in all income categories. Those earning $50,000 or below are more likely to mention the economy (22% to 14%) and less likely to mention traffic as the top problem (9% to 15%) compared to more affluent residents. There are no income differences in mention of immigration.

By region, crime emerges as somewhat less pressing in the South County (24%) than elsewhere in the county (35%). This is because 21 percent in the South County say that traffic is the top problem, compared to 8 percent in the rest of the county. There are no large variations by region in mention of jobs and the economy or immigration.

Chart: Most important public policy problem: 1994 (8K)