SAN BERNARDINO – (INT) – Those who reside in this county are still giving a thumb’s up to a region they call home.

A majority of county residents who answered an annual quality of life survey say San Bernardino County is a “very good” place to live. Residents’ evaluations of the county’s economy and personal finances have improved, and people still have trust in their local elected officials (although confidence is down). Commute time is improving, but crime continues to be a worry.

The Institute of Applied Research and Policy Analysis at Cal State San Bernardino randomly selected 1,052 residents for its survey by telephone.

Libraries were rated the highest among all evaluated services, followed by ratings of police/sheriff, shopping, and parks and recreation. Street/road maintenance was rated lowest on the list of services, as has been the case in previous surveys.

Corruption at both the county and city level is in the rear-view mirror. But, confidence in elected officials is down. The annual findings found a majority of respondents still report having a “great deal” or “some” confidence in their local elected officials, but San Bernardino County figures remain below national figures from the Gallup organization. There is a strong relationship between confidence and variables for ratings of the county as a place to live, ratings of the economy, and fear of crime.

Air quality has virtually dropped off the charts as a major negative of life in the county, and concerns about poverty and homelessness have increased.

Story Date: September 4, 2018