UCI

Crime tops the list of most important problems in Orange County, just as it has every year since 1993. This year, one in four Orange County residents (24%) name crime as the most serious problem, followed by schools (17%), the El Toro Airport controversy (15%), traffic (11%), housing (6%) and growth (5%). Other issues receiving fewer mentions include immigration, the economy, the environment, race relations, poverty, drug abuse, health care, values, taxes, and government.

Mentions of crime as the most important problem are down slightly from the number naming it as the top problem last year (27% to 24%), while mentions of the El Toro Airport controversy increased by 6 points (9% to 15%). The other county issues listed in the table below are statistically unchanged from a year ago.

Concerns about crime are greater in the North County than the South (29% to 12%). North County residents are also relatively more concerned about their schools. The El Toro Airport is by far the top concern of residents in the South County (31%), while it is mentioned by fewer than one in 10 in the North County. Compared to a year ago, mentions of El Toro have increased in both the North County (4% to 8%) and the South County (20% to 31%).

Nearly half of Latinos (40%) say that crime is the most important issue facing Orange County today, similar to last year. In contrast, non-Hispanic whites are divided between naming crime, schools and the El Toro Airport as the biggest problems facing the county. They are significantly less likely than Latinos to mention crime as the most important issue, and are more likely to name the El Toro Airport controversy.