 Concern among Indiana residents centers around jobs, alcohol and drug abuse and public transportation. |
Most Hoosiers rate their counties positively as a place to live, but they are concerned about the availability of high-paying jobs, alcohol and drug abuse problems in their communities, and the lack of quality public transportation, according to state-wide survey results released this summer by the Center for Urban Policy and the Environment on the IUPUI campus in Indianapolis.
In an effort to assess quality-of-life issues in Indiana, the center surveyed nearly 3,900 households between June and September 2003. The 49-question survey asked respondents about community challenges and services, public safety, perceptions of community investments, civic engagement and other issues related to quality of life. Among the data, researchers found:
Seventy-six percent rated their county as a good or excellent place to live.
The issues that respondents most often identified as problems in their communities were the availability of high-paying jobs; alcohol and drug abuse; availability of quality public transportation; unsupervised children and teens; crime; the availability of arts and cultural events; the lack of infrastructure development or quality infrastructure; domestic violence and child abuse; and neglect and growth or uncontrolled development.
A large majority (66 percent) of respondents said they thought their local government leaders were effective or very effective.
Sixty percent of respondents have lived in their counties for more than 20 years, compared with only 38 percent nationally (according to the Knight Foundation Survey).
While 43 percent said they chose to make their home in their community because they were born or grew up there, 20 percent cited job or employment reasons as their primary motive.
In terms of safety, Hoosiers rated their communities highly. Eighty-six percent said they would feel safe or very safe walking alone in their neighborhood after dark, and only 14 percent thought the crime rate had increased in the previous six months. In contrast, in an October 2003 national Gallup poll, 36 percent of national respondents said there is an area near their home where they would be afraid to walk alone at night, and 40 percent of national respondents thought there was more crime in their area than a year before.
The 2003 Indiana Household Survey is the second in a series sponsored by the Center for Urban Policy and the Environment. John Krauss, center director, said that the survey was designed to tell researchers, policymakers and citizens what Hoosiers think about their communities and the state. The survey is a snapshot in time describing the challenges we face, said Krauss. We can use it as a tool to measure progress.
Access the complete report at this Web site:
http://www.urbancenter.iupui.edu
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