NORTHWEST AREA FOUNDATION SOCIAL INDICATORS SURVEY SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2003 Data weighted to states Figure 1: Positive Feelings about Community: Summary i Frequency of Positive Feelings, by State OREGON SURVEY RESEARCH LABORATORY 5245 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON EUGENE, OR 97403-5245 TELEPHONE: 541-346-0824 FACSIMILE: 541-346-5026 Email: osrl@uoregon.edu Internet: http://osrl.uoregon.edu/ 39% 38% 31% 32% 38% 10-12 42% 45% 38% 3 7-9 4-6 1 7% 7% 7% 7% 8% 1 3% <4 Figure 2: Negative Feelings about Community: Summary Frequency of Negative Feelings, by State 8% 7% 1 11% 1 9% 11% 27% 3-12 2 1 52% 52% 57% 49% 39% 48% 45% Zero OREGON SURVEY RESEARCH LABORATORY PAGE 1
Figure 3: Positive Opinions about Community: Summary ii Frequency of Positive Community Opinions, by State 7% 11% 9% 9% 9% 5 25% 4 27% 31% 3 25% 2 9% 1 17% 9% 1 1 11% 8% 7% 5% 4% 0 Figure 4: Negative Opinions about Community: Summary Frequency of Negative Community Opinions, by State 5% 1 11% 8% 8% 11% 9% 1 1 32% 32% 2 3-5 1 54% 54% 48% 57% 53% 51% 55% 0 OREGON SURVEY RESEARCH LABORATORY PAGE 2
Figure 5: Positive Opinions about Local Government: Summary iii Frequency of Positive Opinions about Local Government 3% 3% 3% 4% 4, 5 44% 5 49% 42% 51% 32% 53% 3 25% 1 1 1 11% 9% 9% 7% 5% 2 1 0 Figure 6: Negative Opinions about Local Government: Summary Frequency of Negative Opinions about Local Government 2% 1% 3% 3% 4% 4% 27% 27% 4, 5 3 37% 45% 44% 52% 42% 45% 41% 41% 2 1 1 8% 5% 5% 11% 5% 0 OREGON SURVEY RESEARCH LABORATORY PAGE 3
Figure 7: Quality Ratings for Local Government and Community Local Government and Community Ratings, by State Local gov't services and investment: Excellent, good Community as a place to live: Excellent, good 67% 9 92% 9 77% 78% 65% 85% 75% 88% 89% 88% 87% 74% 68% 62% Figure 8: Civic and Community Participation: Summary iv Frequency of Civic and Community Participation, by State 8% 8% 8% 1 7% 7% 9% High (13-17) 5 54% 47% 54% 59% 5 57% 49% Medium (7-12) 37% 41% 25% 37% 31% 42% Low (1-6) 4% 4% 4% 5% 4% 3% 3% None OREGON SURVEY RESEARCH LABORATORY PAGE 4
Figure 9: Community Leadership Skills: Summary v Frequency of Leadership Skill, by State 17% 4 17% 17% 17% 17% 1 3 1 17% 1 2 17% 17% 17% 1 32% 32% 27% 0 Figure 10: Community Feelings Sense of Community, Duty, and Collective Efficacy, by State "Very important" to feel part of one's community Feels "a great deal" of duty to help people in need Feels community can do something effective about problems 7 65% 67% 52% 48% 43% 32% 27% 27% 72% 61% 55% 5 42% 48% 41% 47% 65% 53% 5 5 41% OREGON SURVEY RESEARCH LABORATORY PAGE 5
Figure 11: Community Involvement I vi Community Problem-solving and Years of Residence, by State 7 Worked with neighbors to solve problem 30 Mean years lived in community 24 23 23 25 Worked with neighbors (% "yes") 5 19 47% 4 18 51% 19 52% 16 16 55% 57% 49% 20 15 10 Years 1 5 0 Figure 12: Community Involvement II Frequency of Neighborhood Reliance 31% 44% 3 31% 31% 5 32% 31% 25% 27% 4 3 25% 11% 11% 9% 5% 9% 5% 3% 7% 2 0, 1 OREGON SURVEY RESEARCH LABORATORY PAGE 6
Figure 13: News and Information about Public Affairs I News Opinions and Values, by State 9 77% 7 74% 7 Very important to get news Very easy to get news Trust news "always" and "most of the time" 75% 68% 59% 59% 5 55% 65% 61% 51% 62% 54% 62% 53% 1 34% 34% 3 38% Figure 14: News and Information about Public Affairs II Main News Source, by State Daily newspaper Weekly/monthly paper Television Word of mouth Radio 32% 32% 3 31% 37% 1 8% 11% 11% 8% 1 4% 7% 7% 7% 8% 5% OREGON SURVEY RESEARCH LABORATORY PAGE 7
Figure 15: Respondent Voting Behavior Voting Behavior, by State Voted in last presidential election Votes in local elections "always" or "almost always" 9 7 5 78% 77% 58% 82% 78% 81% 62% 63% 65% 77% 74% 78% 62% 44% 1 Figure 16: Respondent Happiness and Financial Situation Happiness and Financial Satisfaction, by State Very happy with personal situation Very satisfied with financial situation 9 7 5 1 58% 49% 5 5 34% 52% 5 5 51% OREGON SURVEY RESEARCH LABORATORY PAGE 8
Figure 17: Respondent Religious or Spiritual Identification Percent Identifying with a Religious or Spiritual Group, by Sex, by State 5 57% 59% 62% 67% 68% 68% 7 71% 73% 77% 81% 82% 82% 83% 84% Male Oregon Male Washington Male Montana Male Idaho Female Washington Female Oregon Male Minnesota Figure 18: Respondent Demographics I Educational Attainment, by State 11% 9% 1 Female Montana Female Idaho Male Iowa 8% 11% Male So Dakota Female Iowa Female So Dakota 8% Female Minnesota Male No Dakota Female No Dakota Graduate degree Bachelor's degree 39% 42% 34% 32% 39% 37% 38% Some college AA degree, training cert. 27% High school. diploma or GED 8% 7% 8% 8% 7% 9% 9% 5% No high school diploma or GED OREGON SURVEY RESEARCH LABORATORY PAGE 9
Figure 19: Respondent Demographics II Race-Ethnic Composition, by State 4% 8% 4% 2% 2% 4% 3% 9% Hispanic 8 94% 91% 92% 91% 88% 9 81% Non- Hispanic white Non- Hispanic nonwhite 5% 7% 7% 7% 1 2% Figure 20: Respondent Labor Force and Employment Characteristics I Employment and Labor Force Status, by State 69% 67% 72% 68% 6 65% 69% 65% Employed 1 1 8% 8% 1 4% 3% 3% 5% 4% 2% 2% 2% Out of labor force: Retired Out of labor force: Other Unemployed OREGON SURVEY RESEARCH LABORATORY PAGE 10
Figure 21: Respondent Labor Force and Employment Characteristics II Class of Worker, by State (for employed persons only) 53% 5 54% 4 49% 49% 54% 52% 17% Private, for profit Government 1 25% Self employed/ Family business 5% 9% 11% 9% 8% Nonprofit Figure 22: Respondent Labor Force and Employment Characteristics III Employment Location (employed persons) and Internet Access, by State 36 Internet access - work, home, school Works in community 40 Works elsewhere: Mean miles away 35 Percent "yes" 79% 26 64% 75% 21 18 78% 78% 45% 4 7 75% 18 20 85% 73% 58% 28 6 84% 17 5 30 25 20 15 10 Mean miles to workplace outside community 5 0 OREGON SURVEY RESEARCH LABORATORY PAGE 11
Figure 23: Household Demographics I Mean Number of Persons and Children's Presence in Households, by State 3.0 2.8 2.6 39% # Persons Children 37% 38% 3 45% Mean number persons 2.4 2.2 2.0 1.8 1.6 2.8 2.5 2.7 2.6 2.4 2.7 2.6 2.7 25% Percent households with children 1.4 1 1.2 5% 1.0 Figure 24: Household Demographics II Household Income from All Sources, by State 7% 8% 11% 7% >$100,000 1 1 $70,000- $100,000 31% 34% 32% 27% $40,000- $70,000 1 9% 8% 8% 9% 11% 1 9% $25,000- $40,000 $18,000- $25,000 <$18,000 OREGON SURVEY RESEARCH LABORATORY PAGE 12
Figure 25: Household Demographics III vii Financial Marginalization and Assets Under $70,000, by State Most marginalized Somewhat marginalized Slightly marginalized Assets under $70,000 25% 63% 61% 57% 59% 63% 57% 68% 55% 7 Financial marginalization 1 25% 5 Assets under $70,000 5% 8% 8% 5% 4% 9% 1 4% 3% 11% 1 9% 1 Figure 26: Household Characteristics Home Ownership and Multiple Telephone Lines, by State Homeowner Two or more phone lines 74% 73% 77% 74% 74% 69% 74% 67% 1 1 1 1 OREGON SURVEY RESEARCH LABORATORY PAGE 13
Endnotes: Many graphs in this document contain count variables. To create a count variable, the researcher identifies certain answers to survey questions that reflect a common underlying concept. The endnotes below describe these count variables specifications. i The positive community feeling count comprises always and most of the time answers to survey questions about how often respondents felt hopeful, proud, enthusiastic, safe in daytime, safe at night, a sense of belonging, and that their community can effectively solve its problems, plus rarely and never answers to how often they felt bored, worried, angry, barriers between rich and poor, and left out. The negative community feeling count comprises essentially opposite answers to the same questions. That is, always and most of the time answers to questions about how often respondents felt to bored, worried, angry, barriers between rich and poor, and left out, plus rarely and never answers to how often they felt hopeful, proud, enthusiastic, safe in daytime, safe at night, sense of belonging and community can effectively solve its problems. Both range from zero to 12 with higher scores indicating greater intensity of feeling. ii The positive community opinion count comprises always and most of the time answers to questions about their community s good youth opportunities, good business opportunities, having an impact, different races/ethnicities getting along, and different races/ethnicities feeling welcome together in the same groups, activities and organizations. The negative count comprises rarely and never answers to the same items. Both range from zero to five, with higher scores indicating greater intensity of opinion. iii The positive local government opinion count comprises always and most of the time answers to questions about people s ability to get involved in local government affairs, local officials caring about what happens to people, local government being run for the benefit of all, and trusting local government to do what is right, plus rarely and never answers to questions about local government playing favorites and local government being run by a few big interests. The negative opinion count involves opposite answers to the same questions. Both range from zero to five, with higher scores indicating greater intensity of opinion. iv Civic and community participation summarizes yes answers to 17 questions about community involvement in the preceding 12 months. It includes items about volunteering; displaying a community symbol; publicly voicing an opinion; contacting a local official; attending a local celebration, parade or sports competition; attending local events or meetings related to art, culture, politics, political parties, government, civics, sports, hobbies, and youth/parents; involvement in local projects or environmental, job, service groups; or serving on a local group s or organization s committee. It ranges from zero to 17, with 17 indicating greater community participation. v Community leadership skills are estimated by a count of yes answers to questions about participating in decision-making at a local meeting, writing a letter or email on others behalf, helping plan or lead a meeting, and giving a speech to a group in the last 12 months. It ranges from zero to four, with four indicating higher skills. vi Neighborhood reliance counts yes answers to questions about respondents capacity to borrow a cup of sugar from neighbors, ask a neighbor watch their home while vacationing, share chores, work with neighbors to solve a community problem, and borrow $200 from a neighbor. It ranges from zero to five, with five indicating a higher potential to rely on neighbors. vii Financial marginalization contains counts answers to three survey questions. For the question about respondents satisfaction with their financial situation, it includes not very and not at all answers. It also includes yes answers to ever having experienced difficulty obtaining a loan, credit or financial services, as well as yes answers to being unable to pay basic living costs in the last 12 months. Most marginalized reflects a count of three, somewhat marginalized represents two, and slightly marginalized represents one. OREGON SURVEY RESEARCH LABORATORY PAGE 14