Special Survey of Orange County 2002

INTRODUCTION

The Orange County Survey - a collaborative effort of the Public Policy 
Institute of California and the School of Social Ecology at the University 
of California, Irvine – is a special edition of the PPIC Statewide Survey.

This is the second in an annual series of PPIC surveys of Orange County. 
Mark Baldassare, the director of the PPIC Statewide Survey, is the founder 
and director of the Orange County Annual Survey at UCI and a former UCI 
professor. The UCI survey was conducted 19 times from 1982 to 2000, so the 
Orange County Survey collaboration between PPIC and UCI that began in 2001 
is an extension of earlier survey efforts. The special survey of Orange 
County is co-sponsored by UCI with local support from Deloitte and Touche, 
Pacific Life Foundation, Disneyland, Los Angeles Times, Orange County 
Business Council, Orange County Division of League of California Cities, 
Orange County Register, The Irvine Company, and United Way of Orange 
County.

Orange County is the second most populous county in the state and one of 
California's fastest growing and changing regions. The county is home to 
almost 2.9 million residents today, having gained nearly one million 
residents since 1980. Three in four residents were white and non-Hispanic 
in 1980; today, nearly half are Latinos and Asians. The county’s dynamic 
economy has become one of the leaders in the high-technology industry. The 
county is a bellwether county in politics and the site of many important 
governance issues, including a county-government bankruptcy, public 
controversy over the reuse plans for the closed El Toro Marine Corps Air 
Station, and the use and expansion of toll roads. There are also housing, 
transportation, and environmental concerns related to development.

Public opinion findings are critical to informing discussions and 
resolving public debates on key issues. The purpose of this study is to 
inform policymakers by providing timely, accurate, and objective 
information about policy preferences and economic, social, and political 
trends.

To measure changes over time, this survey of 2,007 adult residents 
includes questions from earlier Orange County Annual Surveys. It also 
includes key indicators from the PPIC Statewide Survey for comparisons 
with the state and regions of California. We also consider racial/ethnic, 
income, and political differences. The following issues are explored in 
this Orange County Survey:

 County Conditions - What are the most important issues facing the county? 
How satisfied are residents with their local surroundings, local public 
services, and with life in Orange County in general? Compared to other 
regions of the state, how much of a problem are issues such as air 
pollution, the economy, growth, and housing in Orange County?

 Public Policy - What types of infrastructure and transportation projects 
are considered most important for Orange County, and how do local 
residents feel about taxes and other funding options? How do residents 
feel about the Great Park plan passed by the voters in March?

 Economic and Political Trends - What are the recent trends in consumer 
confidence, perceptions of the county’s economy, and the county’s real 
estate market? How do county residents rate their personal finances today? 
How many consider themselves among the have-nots?” How do they rate the 
performance of Governor Davis and President Bush?

Copies of this report may be ordered by e-mail (order@ppic.org) or phone 
(415-291-4400). Copies of this and earlier reports are posted on the 
publications page of the PPIC web site (www.ppic.org). For questions about 
the survey, please contact survey@ppic.org.