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ORANGE
COUNTY IN 2020
Will Orange County be a better or a worse place to live 20 years in the future? While residents are highly positive about current conditions, they are evenly divided between thinking that in 2020 the county will be better (31%), worse (32%) or the same as it is now (31%). Views of the county's future are brightest among Latinos, of whom 44% think the county will be a better place in 20 years. By contrast, in the South County, and among non-Hispanic whites, four in 10 think Orange County will be a worse place to live in 2020. Mixed views of Orange County's future also surface in specific predictions. Most expect improvements in economic conditions (61%), race relations (61%) and public schools (58%), but many also think the gap between the rich and the poor will grow (64%), the environment will deteriorate (57%) and the crime rate will increase (49%). As for economic conditions and job opportunities, South County residents have higher hopes than do those in the North County. Optimism about the county's public schools is considerably higher among Latinos than non-Hispanic whites. However, Latinos are less positive than non-Hispanic whites about the future of race relations. Non-Hispanic whites are much more likely than Latinos to think there will be a wider gulf between the rich and the poor in 2020. Views of the environment in the future are significantly more negative in the South County and among non-Hispanic whites. Expectations for the crime rate are similar across regions and demographic groups.
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