PPIC Statewide Survey: Special Survey of the Central Valley

Some findings of the current survey

• Seventy three percent of Central Valley residents rate their city or community as an excellent or good place to live-a positive rating that is found consistently in previous Central Valley surveys.
• In a ranking of the most important issues facing the region, pollution and air pollution (14%) top the list, followed by crime (12%), population growth (10%), the economy (9%), immigration (7%), and flooding (7%). The proportion of residents who say asthma or respiratory problems are a problem for themselves or a family member has grown in the past three years from 37 to 49 percent.
• More than twice as many Central Valley residents say traffic congestion is a big problem in their area today than did in 1999 (48% to 23%).
• While 82 percent of whites in the Central Valley region use computers often or sometimes, 55 percent of Latinos do not use a computer at all.

This is the 68th PPIC Statewide Survey and the sixth in a series of special surveys focusing on California’s Central Valley, in collaboration with the Great Valley Center.