Rising costs for housing and groceries has lowered the quality of life for Los Angeles County residents over the course of the last year, according to a survey conducted by UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs.
The school’s Quality of Life Index measures a combination of county residents’ satisfaction in nine different categories on a 10-100 point scale. Interviews were conducted with 1,686 L.A. County residents between Feb. 22 and March 14, both in English and Spanish.
The results for 2024 tied the lowest score in the survey’s nine-year history with a rating of 53. It was just the second time the result has been below the scale’s midpoint of 55, matching a 53 in 2022. Last year, the survey produced a 55 rating.
Outrageous housing costs contribute to lower quality of life
In a result that may not be shocking to most, there was a disparity in concerns between home owners and renters.
The survey found that 61% of homeowners were optimistic about their economic future in L.A. County, while 51% of renters were pessimistic. Renters made up nearly half of the survey’s respondents.
“Housing costs have gone up,” said Zev Yaroslavsky, the study’s director. “And incomes have not gone up anywhere near commensurate with what’s happened to housing.”
According to data released by the National Association of Realtors earlier this year, parts of L.A. County rank 8th highest in the nation for highest housing prices. Just 23% of the renters that responded to the survey believed that they’d be able to buy a home in an area they find desirable in the future.
Homelessness problems are worsening
About 60% of respondents said that homelessness in their area has gotten worse over the past year. Just 10% reported that it has improved.
“We discovered very little optimism about whether the current programs and efforts to eradicate homelessness will work,” Yaroslavsky said.
Those earning less than $60,000 per year expressed a fear that they could become unhoused themself at a clip of 44%. Renters in general were worried at a rate of 37% and 33% of African American responders said they had anxiety about becoming homeless.
Dissatisfaction with the government
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was viewed favorably by 42% of respondents and unfavorably by 32%, the survey found. Her favorability rating dropped 4% from last year’s.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna’s ratings were 34% favorable and 26% unfavorable.
“It feeds an overall sense that things aren’t working well,” said Yaroslavsky. “At some fundamental level, people think our governmental institutions are letting them down.”