Poll Finds Things Aren’t So Peachy in Orange County

Orange County residents--weary of traffic, congestion and high-priced housing--are increasingly pessimistic about the future. In fact, one in six entertains thoughts of moving elsewhere, according to the 1989 Orange County Annual Survey released this week.

Almost half of those polled--47%, compared to 38% in 1988--said they fear that the county will become a worse place to live in the coming years.

The increasingly gloomy view of the future represents a return to a pessimistic trend that began in 1985, but was interrupted last year by more optimistic results, said Mark Baldassare, the UC Irvine social ecology professor who directed the survey.

One of the main reasons for the current pessimism is an increasingly somber view of the county on the part of its wealthiest residents. Last year, 42% of respondents who earn $50,000 or more said the quality of life in the county was still very good; this year, only 29% felt that way.