Survey: Life is Good in Santa Cruz County

If you were unemployed two years ago, it's more likely you found a job. You may have avoided a foreclosure, or your rent decreased. If you're a teenager, it's less-likely you or one of your friends had a baby.

The annual Santa Cruz County Community Assessment Project was released Monday.

Satisfaction with area schools hit a 10-year high from survey respondents and unemployment was on the decline everywhere but Watsonville.

The United Way of Santa Cruz County has conducted the survey every year for the last 18 years.

This year, some of the data was broken down by ethnicity and showed deep divides between whites and Latinos in Santa Cruz County.

Ethnicity Snapshot Issue Whites Latinos Measurement Affordable Housing 46% 85% Percent of those surveyed who spent more than 30% of take-home pay on housing Unemployment Rate 9.5% 14.9% Percent of those surveyed by phone who were jobless High School Dropout Rate 8.8% 16.5% Santa Cruz County dropouts Higher Education 58% 27% Cabrillo College degrees and certificates awarded Health Insurance 90% 51% Percent of those surveyed with health insurance Teen Births 9% 89% Teen births, ages 19 and under Obesity 70% 54% Percent of those surveyed who are overweight or obese Prison Population 57% 35% Santa Cruz County inmates Juvenile Arrests 36% 58% Rate of arrests per 1,000 youth ages 10-17 Child Abuse 9.8% 11.7% Rate of substantiated cases of child abuse per 1,000 children ages 0-17 Acceptance of Marijuana 60% 20% Percent of those surveyed who are OK with recreational marijuana use Basic Needs Unmet 10% 26% Percent of those surveyed going without basic needs (food, health care, child care) Homelessness 63% 23% Homelessness breakdown at 2011 point-in-time count Quality of Life 80% 48% Percent of respondents who enjoy their lives "to a great extent" Water Pollution 73% 67% Percent of those surveyed who are taking steps to reduce water pollution Alternative Transportation 42% 26% Percent of those surveyed who never commute by taking a bus, carpooling or riding a bike