Survey Finds a Polarization in County’s Neighborhoods

In both income and attitudes, south and central Orange County are growing apart, UC Irvine Prof. Mark Baldassare concludes in his 1985 Orange County Survey.

The survey shows that neighboring communities are fast becoming “distinct social worlds which touch but do not interpenetrate,” Baldassare, an associate professor of social ecology at UCI, said Tuesday.

The south county--defined by the survey as the area south of the 55 Freeway stretching from Newport Beach to San Clemente--has the highest median income in the county, $43,000 a year, the survey showed. Meanwhile, the central county--an area comprised of Tustin, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa and Garden Grove--has a median income of $32,000 a year, well above the national norm but the lowest for any section of Orange County.

Also, there are nearly double the number of overcrowded homes (homes with more than 1 person per room) in the central county (11.9%), compared to the south county (5.8%, the lowest percentage in the county), the survey showed.

‘High-Status Residents, Jobs’

“South county is increasingly the home of high-status residents and jobs, while central county has the concentration of low-status residents and jobs,” Baldassare wrote in a report accompanying his statistics.

Not only is the demographic makeup of the south and central counties markedly different, the communities increasingly have “different agendas,” he said. A follow-up survey for United Way of Orange County that will be published next month revealed that south county residents’ key concerns are transportation and the environment, while central county residents are most worried about drug and alcohol abuse, public schools and refugee problems, Baldassare said.

Although there doesn’t seem to be friction between the neighboring areas at the moment, “as the distinctions become sharper, there will be friction over resources and public policies,” Baldassare predicted.

“It’s very much a case between the haves and the have-nots. It’s also a case of racial and cultural segregation” with a low-income, racially mixed population in the central county and a white, upper-middle-class population in the south county, he said.

North and west Orange County did not show the same dramatic differences, Baldassare said. The north county (defined in the survey as Orange, Buena Park, Anaheim, Fullerton, Placentia, Yorba Linda, Brea and La Habra) “has many of the characteristics of the central county but it has some distinct communities like Villa Park and Yorba Linda that are very affluent,” Baldassare said.

Stability in West County

Meanwhile, the west county--Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, Fountain Valley, Westminster, Cypress, Midway City and Los Alamitos--appears to be an older, stable, slightly less affluent version of the south county, Baldassare said.

Still, Baldassare said, what is clear is that the south county is increasingly different from the rest of Orange County. Further, he said, all of Orange County can no longer be easily defined.

“Orange County can no longer be viewed as a simple homogeneous area. At its current stage of mature development, it must be considered a large and complex region with varying landscape, residents, beliefs and life styles,” Baldassare wrote.

In his fourth annual poll on Orange County, Baldassare offered a statistical picture of trends for “Orange County at mid-decade.”

The survey consisted of a random telephone poll of 1,008 county residents conducted between June 10 and 26. Its statistical margin for error was plus or minus 3%, Baldassare said. About 38 agencies and businesses, including The Times, paid the $57,000 in polling costs.

Overall, most Orange County residents said they wanted their affluent, suburban life to stay the way it was, the survey reported. They wanted more high-technology jobs, more commercial development and more assistance so they could buy single-family homes. They didn’t want oil drilling, more apartments or a merger of local and county governments, the survey showed.

According to Baldassare, attitudes on two issues in particular--welfare and transportation--give a view of what he calls “the Orange County mind set,” a philosophy of self-interest in which residents “don’t want to do anything themselves.”

Builder Fees Disdained

On transportation, county residents favored car-pooling (86%) and new lanes for buses and car pools (69%) over developer fees for new freeways (56%). They also strongly opposed new toll roads (79% opposed).

Baldassare interpreted this as meaning that residents “don’t want to spend more money (on transportation), but they think more money should be spent. They don’t want to trust government, but they’re willing to let government (build new freeway lanes) because they don’t want to do it themselves.”

As for welfare, Orange County residents generally favored increasing funding to the needy, although they believed many welfare recipients were ineligible for welfare, the survey showed.

Explained Baldassare: “They recognize the problem. They think more money should be spent on it. They don’t trust government, but they’re willing to let government do it because they don’t want to do it themselves.”

On other issues, the poll found that median income in Orange County had risen 70% since 1980, to $39,000 from $23,000. The cost of living has risen just 30% in that period, he said.

Home Size Shrinks

The number of rooms in the median Orange County home shrank slightly (4.8 in 1985 compared to 5.2 in 1980), slightly more homes were overcrowded (7.4% in 1985 compared to 5.6% in 1980) and there were fewer single-person homes (15.5% in 1985 compared to 21% in 1980).

The latter finding did not indicate a decline of single people, Baldassare said, but rather fewer people living alone because of rising housing costs. While in 1980 the median rent was $336 and the median mortgage payment $341, by 1985 those costs had risen sharply to $578 for the median rent and $542 for the median mortgage payment.

On transportation, the survey reported growing dissatisfaction with freeway congestion. In 1982, the survey reported that 32% of county residents were satisfied with their freeways; this year, the figure was 18%. In contrast to previous surveys, south county residents for the first time favored the building of new freeways, Baldassare said.

On recent trends, residents supported high technology employment (82%) and commercial development (60%) and wanted fewer people to move into the county (57%). Views were mixed on whether home prices should remain stable (51%), whether the area’s racial and ethnic mix should change (47%) and whether there should be more elected Republicans (46%).

Attitudes Toward Race

Residents of the racially mixed central county were least likely to favor a greater ethnic mix, Baldassare pointed out, and added: “South county residents think a racial and ethnic mix is OK--but, of course, they’re not experiencing any racial and ethnic mix.”

Other answers indicated strong support for the suburban life style of Orange County, Baldassare said. The survey showed that 59% of residents favored assistance to new home buyers, only 20% wanted larger downtowns built and 44% favored more apartment construction.

“Half the renters did not desire more apartments,” Baldassare said. “They’re not even thinking of being apartment dwellers in the future . . . . The pattern for the future of Orange County is a continuation of the suburban-style environment.

“They (residents) want a continuation of high tech and commercial development, but within the confines of a suburban community,” Baldassare said. “They want continued economic growth and rise in income, without any dramatic social or land-use changes in Orange County.” What Orange County thinks about: LOCAL GOVERNMENT: Satisfied with current local government; opposes any merger of city and county administration.

Local government system is effective Yes 56% No 29% Merger of city and county governments Favor 29% Oppose 63% Who should have more responsibility City 58% County 28%

Orange County in the future

Better place Worse No change 42% 34% 22%

RECENT TRENDS: Strong approval of more high-tech employment; nearly half are happy with more Republicans in office.

Better Same Worse High-tech employment 82% 7% 6% Commercial development 60% 12% 23% Fewer people moving in 57% 12% 25% Home prices fairly stable 51% 12% 32% Racial and ethnic mix 47% 23% 24% More Republicans in office 46% 27% 16%

FUTURE POLICIES: Most want more local programs for toxic waste disposal; majority against offshore oil drilling. Toxic Waste Disposal: 79% No Offshore Oil Drilling: 60% New Home Buyer Assistance: 59% Apartment Construction: 44% No Growth: 31% Build a Large Downtown: 20% FREEWAYS: A growing dissatisfaction with current freeways in county; support grows for building new roadways. How Orange County differs by area:

North Central South West Median income $38,000 $32,000 $43,000 $40,000 Over $50,000 24% 20% 37% 27% Number of rooms 4.7 4.3 5.1 5.0 Overcrowded homes 7.1% 11.9% 5.8% 5.9% One-person homes 18.0% 17.0% 15.0% 12.3%

How Orange County has changed since 1980:

1980 1985 Median income $23,000 $39,000 Over $50,000 income 9% 27% Number of rooms 5.2 4.8 Overcrowded homes 5.6% 7.4% One-person homes 21% 15.5%