PPIC Statewide Survey: Special Survey of the Central Valley, June 2006
Mark Baldassare

June 2006

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.