The Future of Ventura County

A Los Angeles Times Poll of Ventura County families found that most are satisfied with their lives and expect at least as bright a future. Many parents harbor a fear of change. Yet many more parents hope to stay in the county when their children are grown.

On Sunday, The Times concluded a six-part series, “KIDS: Family Life in Ventura County,” with a look at the challenges and problems facing the county’s families in future years. A Times Poll published with the series found that most local families feel the future is at least as bright as the past. But a graphic breakdown of the poll’s findings about the future was omitted from Sunday’s report. It appears below.

BETTER OR WORSE

A sizable minority of parents say they like their communities and expect them to remain about the same for the next decade. But about one-third of parents think their communities will become worse places to raise children. Only a small minority think their communities’ changing racial makeup will affect the quality of life.

Parents

Q. Do you think that over the next 10 years, your community will be a better place to raise children, a worse place or will be just about the same place as it is today?

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WHITE LATINO WEST EAST ALL Better 16% 26% 19% 17% 19% Worse 33% 29% 31% 34% 32% Same 45% 35% 42% 45% 43%

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Q. Do you think the changing racial and ethnic makeup of your community will make it a better place to live, a worse place or will make no difference?

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WHITE LATINO WEST EAST ALL Better 13% 17% 17% 10% 14% Worse 18% 8% 13% 18% 15% No difference 38% 47% 42% 41% 41% Not changing 22% 19% 20% 23% 21%

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MOVE OR STAY

Parents revealed both concern for the future and an optimism about it. For example, while 39% of parents say they want to move out of the county once they raise their children, only 18% want their children to live outside the county when they grow up. The children are more interested in staying than their parents.

Parents

Q. Would you like to be able to pick up stakes and move outside of Ventura County once your children are raised, or would you be perfectly happy to live out your life where you now live?

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WHITE LATINO WEST EAST ALL Move 41% 34% 40% 38% 39% Stay 52% 59% 52% 54% 53%

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Q. Would you want your children to live in Ventura County after they grow up?

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WHITE LATINO WEST EAST ALL Yes 62% 68% 60% 68% 6% No 19% 16% 20% 16% 18%

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Kids

Q. When you are an adult would you like to live in Ventura County or would you move some place else?

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WHITE LATINO WEST EAST ALL Move 51% 63% 55% 54% 55% Stay 39% 27% 34% 37% 35%

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A BETTER LIFE

Generally optimistic, many county teen-agers believe in the traditional American promise of a better life. West county and Latino children are more upbeat than their east county and white counterparts.

Kids

Q. Do you think when you grow up and start raising a family, you will have a better standard of living than your parents have today?

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WHITE LATINO WEST EAST ALL Better 25% 45% 37% 19% 30% Worse 9% 5% 7% 9% 8% Same 65% 50% 55% 71% 61%

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How The Poll Was Conducted

The Los Angeles Times Poll contacted 4,848 adults living in Ventura County by telephone July 29 through Aug. 7. Interviews were conducted among 1,224 parents and 460 children between the ages of 12 and 17. Telephone numbers were chosen from a list of all exchanges in the county. Random-digit dialing techniques were used so that listed and unlisted numbers could be contacted. Interviews were conducted in both English and Spanish. The sample was weighted slightly to conform with census figures for sex, race, age and education. The margin of sampling error for parents is plus or minus 3 percentage points and for children, plus or minus 5 percentage points; for certain sub-groups the error margin may be somewhat higher. Poll results can also be affected by other factors such as question wording and the order in which questions are presented.

Some columns do not add up to 100% because of multiple responses or “not sure” and declined responses. Also, only the top answers are listed for some questions.