The Virginian-Pilot
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Old Dominion University's second annual "Life in Hampton Roads" survey presents a paradox.
Only 59.2 percent of respondents rated the overall quality of life in the region as good or excellent, a precipitous drop from 80.5 percent last year.
Yet when asked if they were satisfied with their own lives, 92.8 percent of those polled said yes - up from 84.7 percent last year.
"It is kind of hard to wrap your head around," said Tancy Vandecar-Burdin, associate director of ODU's Social Science and Research Center, which conducted the survey.
She speculated that local residents' perception of the region's general well-being is tied to the sluggish economy. Three-quarters of those polled rated economic conditions in Hampton Roads as only fair or poor, and they named unemployment as the biggest problem facing the region.
"The economic woes have lasted so long, it's finally permeated people's perception of the quality of life," Vandecar-Burdin said.
She noted that the closure of the U.S. Joint Forces Command was a big local news story over the past year. The shutdown of that Norfolk-based military command cost the area nearly 2,000 jobs.
Yet the overall level of military spending in the region remains high, buffering Hampton Roads from the worst effects of the weak economy.
For most local residents, life isn't so bad, hence the high score for self-satisfaction, Vandecar-Burdin said: "It's what's going on in my household as opposed to what's going on outside."
The latest survey also revealed shifting attitudes on several hot-button political issues.
The tea party movement, for instance, seems to be losing its luster. Nearly 50 percent of respondents disagreed with the statement, "The Tea Party is the kind of grassroots movement that we need to reform the political system in the United States," up from 35.4 percent last year.
Support for gay marriage rose modestly, from 41.9 percent to 44 percent.
Global warming was termed a serious environmental problem by 49 percent of respondents, up from 42.4 percent in 2010. On the other hand, a significant minority - 26.2 percent - still regard it as a hoax.
The survey findings, released this week, are based on 730 telephone interviews with randomly selected residents of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Portsmouth and Suffolk from the end of May through early July.
The poll is intended to provide data for research by ODU faculty members and to assist local and regional planners and other organizations.
Bill Sizemore, (757) 446-2276, bill.sizemore@pilotonline.com
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POLL | THE FULL RESULTS
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region name
What you refer to this region as depends on how you got here.
If you're in the Navy you call it Norfolk
If you're a tourist you call it Virginia Beach
If you were born here a long time ago you call it Tidewater (and become angry when others don't)
If you're a politician you call it Hampton Roads
Otherwise most people either call it Southeast Virginia or the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area
I have a land line
because they were the only phones that worked when 911 happend and more recently the earthquake we just experienced here in Virginia.
Is our very existence
Is our very existence dependent on the "almighty" dollar? if so, we are in big trouble. We better find a more solid foundation; money should not drive "EVERY SINGLE FACET" of our being. Think about something/anything that does not somehoe run into a money road-block; He got us just where he wants us.
No, but having money
No, but having money relieves stress. You need money to pay rent or a mortgage or pay in full for a house (unless one was gifted.) You need money to buy food and feed the economy.
It's not just money though. Companies in other areas are doing better things and rewarding their employees.
But it's a raw deal having to pay so much for housing because people either paid too much using loans, or the slumlords lock the rents to housing allowances from the gov't. That's money that could go to local businesses.
faulty sample
It appears they only spoke to people who have landline telephones. I haven't had one in 8 years. I think surveying only people with home phones (and not just cell phone) significantly skews the demographic they surveyed and makes the results questionable.
How many of you still have a landline at home?
I got rid of mine. But with
I got rid of mine. But with number portability who knows which is which? I know a few people that still have them, it wouldn't invalidate the survey.
Actually, I pay about $2 a month for one that I forgot about. So I guess I do have one.
I'm trying to buy pay phones. Looking to buy an AT&T Public Phone 2000 and a normal payphone. Plan to get land line numbers (via VoIP) for them. Also trying to get a few pay phones from around the world to mount at our place in Norfolk, and then terminate phone numbers around the world to those payphones (in Norfolk!) Russian payphone in Norfolk with a phone number in Russia, just because. (Not taking money on these phones.)
Ummmm.....
I'm not sure that "being satisfied with my life" is an endorsement of this area or any other locality....your life is what YOU make it. What does the satisfaction of "living here" mean? If it is the quality of life, then that can be correlated with employment, cultural & educational opportunities, recreation, etc.
The number of female respondents in the 2011 survey was 10% higher than in 2010, & over 20% of the respondents made over $100,000. It would be interesting to see the responses broken down by gender, ethnicity, & economic status. The job opportunities for many, including women, in this area are minimal. My guess is not many of those making $100,000 or more were women or a minority....and this could present a bias to the survey.
Too much to say to fit it in a few paragraphs
http://www.blackperception.com/2011/09/life-in-hampton-roads-outsiders.html
Thumbs up!
Thumbs up!
This is a great place to
This is a great place to live and raise a family. We are close to the beach and relatively close to the mountains. There is always some festival or event going on for the public. Housing prices are high however that means you are just building more equity if you stay long enough. We have colleges very close by. As far as the cities go I think Portsmouth and Norfolk need to be cleaned up. Run down houses and apartments in blighted neighborhoods should be torn down for new family oriented neighborhoods. The old cities need updating.