Survey Reveals What Sonoma County Residents Are Most Concerned About

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A recent survey of Sonoma County residents revealed they were divided about the direction the county is headed, but a majority were content with their quality of life, particularly within their own neighborhoods, according to the survey results presented Tuesday to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors.

The survey found 51 percent of residents believe the county is headed in the right direction, up 2 percentage points from 2021. Most residents say Sonoma County is a welcoming place to live and were excited about the future of the county. A majority also believe county government services were convenient and easy to access. Nevertheless, 47 percent said the county was on the wrong track, up 1 percentage point from 2021. Most residents were worried that homelessness, the cost of living and a housing shortage threatened the quality of life in the region.

“We conducted this survey to take the pulse of the community,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “While we still have some big issues to deal with, the results show the people of Sonoma County are seeing the same problems we are, and we are determined to address those concerns.”

A total of 1,019 adult residents took the survey either online or over the phone between March 28 and April 7 in English or Spanish. The survey was developed by EMC Research in partnership with county staff. Results were demographically and geographically representative of the county’s adult residents — with a margin of error of plus/minus 3.1 percent.

The most pressing issues in the community were homelessness and affordability, followed by mental health and addiction. When asked to identify “serious” and “very serious” problems facing Sonoma County, residents listed homelessness (95 percent), the cost of living (92 percent), mental health and addiction (89 percent), the danger of wildfires (87 percent), a lack of available housing for all income levels (84 percent), and the economy (79 percent) most frequently.

Most residents thought the county was doing an excellent or good job on fire services (88 percent), emergency and disaster response (79 percent), parks, playgrounds and recreational areas (70 percent), preservation of natural areas (68 percent), public safety services (59 percent) and programs for seniors (52 percent). A majority of residents thought the county was doing only a fair or poor job on road maintenance (82 percent), services for people experiencing a mental health crisis (78 percent) or homelessness (74 percent), and maintenance of sidewalks and walking paths (58 percent).

Other key results included:

• 85 percent were concerned about family and friends being able to find an affordable place to live in Sonoma County.
• 62 percent were concerned about finding an affordable place for themselves to live in Sonoma County.
• 68 percent were unhappy or worried about changes in Sonoma County.
• 75 percent believed the county is a place that is welcoming to people of all backgrounds.
• 56 percent were excited about the future of Sonoma County.
• 55 percent believed government services provided by the County of Sonoma were convenient and easy to use.

Results were generally consistent across demographics, with a few exceptions. White residents were more likely to say homelessness worsened in recent years, while Hispanic or Latino residents were more likely to express concerns about affordable housing, according to a racial equity analysis of the survey.

About 78 percent of Hispanic or Latino residents agreed with the statement “I am concerned about finding an affordable place to live in Sonoma County for myself,” compared to 60 percent of white residents and 64 percent of residents who are Black, Indigenous and people of color. Income inequality was a “very serious” issue for 54 percent of Hispanic or Latino residents, compared to 36 percent of their counterparts.

Below is a PDF presentation of the survey results:

The county said it conducts a similar survey every two years to evaluate trends in community satisfaction and priorities. Improving community engagement and outreach is an objective in the Organizational Excellence pillar of the county’s five-year Strategic Plan, which seeks to make the county government an innovative, effective, engaged and transparent organization focused on quality programs and services.