UCI

County Conditions Today
Orange County residents are considerably more upbeat about quality of life and economic conditions now than they were 10 years ago. Thinking about the quality of life in the county today, 90 percent say things are going very well (32%) or somewhat well (58%). Positive ratings of the county’s quality of life have climbed 30 points since 1993 and have remained near 90 percent for the sixth year in a row. However, things seem more positive to some groups than to others: Whites are more likely than Latinos (38% to 19%), and South County more likely than North County residents (45% to 26%), to say things are going very well in Orange County.

As for the future, residents are about evenly split among those who think the county will be a better (33%) than a worse (28%) place to live or that there will be no change (33%). Latinos (47%) are more optimistic than whites (25%), while North County and South County residents are almost equally optimistic (34% to 31%) about the future.

Although the percentage of residents who rate the Orange County economy as excellent or good (57%) is about the same this year as last, it is 37 points higher than it was a decade ago. Today, the percentage of positive responses on the county economy rises with income and is higher among whites than Latinos (67% to 41%) and among South County than North County residents (70% to 53%).

The specter of recession does not loom large in Orange County. The majority of residents (55%) believe that the county is not in a recession. However, 36 percent believe it is experiencing a mild (10%), moderate (19%), or serious (7%) recession. These perceptions are about the same as in 2002. The county’s economic troubles are seen as worse among those with incomes below $40,000 than those making $80,000 or more (35% to 15%) and among renters than homeowners (35% to 19%).

“Thinking about the quality of life in Orange County, how do you think things are going?”

“In general, how would you rate the economy in Orange County today?”

Source for Orange County from 1993 to 2000 is the Orange County Annual Survey at UCI by Mark Baldassare and Cheryl Katz.