UCI

Resident Satisfaction

While many are concerned about the effects of traffic, growth and housing affordability on quality of life in Orange County, most residents are satisfied with their personal circumstances. Two in three report they are very satisfied with their homes (65%) and neighborhoods (66%). Three in four (77%) express at least some satisfaction with their daily commutes to and from work, while 47 percent say they are very satisfied.

How does resident satisfaction in Orange County compare with the state? Based on the findings of the November 2002 Statewide Survey, Orange County residents are more likely to say they are very satisfied with their neighborhood (66% to 57%), a little more likely to say they are very satisfied with their housing (65% to 62%), and less likely to say they are very satisfied with their daily commute (47% to 54%).

Satisfaction with housing and neighborhood increases with education, income, and homeownership, with at least half of the respondents in all of these groups reporting high satisfaction. South County residents are more likely than North County residents to say they are very satisfied with their housing (73% to 61%) and neighborhoods (79% to 61%), and whites are more likely than Latinos to express a high degree of satisfaction with their housing (71% to 52%) and neighborhoods (72% to 53%). Latinos are more likely than whites to report that they are not satisfied with their residence (12% to 7%) or neighborhood (13% to 7%).

Eighty percent of Orange County’s employed residents report driving to work alone – a number that has changed very little since the first Orange County survey in 1982. Driving alone tends to be more prevalent among whites (84%) than Latinos (68%) and increases with age, education, and income. Residents in the North County and South County are equally likely to drive alone to work (both 80%), but satisfaction with commute is higher in South County than North County (52% to 44%). Commuting satisfaction is similar across income and racial/ethnic groups and increases with age.