Community Assessment - Health & Quality of Life in San Mateo
[Table of Contents] [ Back ] [ Next ]
           

         
evaluations of the community as a place to live
  • Seven out of 10 San Mateo County respondents in the 1998 San Mateo County Quality of Life Survey give their community high scores, with 70% saying it is an "excellent" or "very good" place to live. At the other end of the scale, however, 7.4% of residents say their community is a "fair" or "poor" place to live. "Fair/poor" indications rise to 22.3% among those living below the 185% poverty threshold. 231

["Mean scores" are also presented in the following and subsequent charts. Mean scores attempt to achieve a composite score by "weighting" the responses, then averaging to arrive at a single score. In this case, the responses were weighted so that "excellent"=100, "very good"=75, "good"=50, "fair"=25, and "poor"=0.]

wpe31.jpg (24323 bytes)

  • Three-fourths (75%) of survey participants believe life in San Mateo County is better than in other places across the United States. Only 3.8% believe it is worse. Also, one-third (31.6%) hold an optimistic view that the quality of life in San Mateo County will only improve over the next few years; a plurality (48%) believe it will stay about the same. The remaining 20.4% believe quality of life will worsen. 232

 

perceived attributes & challenges

  • According to 1998 survey participants, the "best things" about living in San Mateo County include:
  1. Convenience to amenities
  2. Quiet, rural or small-town feel
  3. The people
  4. The weather
  5. Low crime
  6. The environment
  7. Community services
  8. The economy 233

The top "number-one" perceived problems facing the community include:

  1. Traffic and transportation problems
  2. Crime and violence
  3. Growth and overcrowding
  4. Cost of living
  5. Housing 234
  • Nearly three-fourths (72.8%) of San Mateo County adults believe that they are able, as individuals, to affect the quality of life in their community. One-fourth, however, do not (this perception increases to 34.6% of those with a high school education or less).235

 

231  1998 San Mateo County Quality of Life Survey. Healthy Community Collaborative of San Mateo County. September 1998.

232  Ibid.

233  1998 San Mateo County Quality of Life Survey. Healthy Community Collaborative of San Mateo County. September 1998.

234  Ibid.

235  Ibid.
 

[Table of Contents] [ Back ] [ Next ]