The Morning Call /
Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion
THE 2009 LEHIGH VALLEY
QUALITY OF LIFE SURVEY
KEY FINDINGS REPORT
May, 2009
KEY FINDINGS:
1. Lehigh Valley residents continue to give positive ratings to the area, overall, as a place to
live and raise a family.
2. There is evidence of growing pessimism about the future direction of the region. The
percentage of those who believe that life is getting better in the Lehigh Valley is at its
lowest in the six years of this study.
3. The state of the economy contributes to this sense of pessimism as a majority of
individuals now rate the local economy in a negative manner.
4. Positive views about local law enforcement are at their highest level in the six years of
this study, despite increasing the anxiety of residents about becoming victim to crime.
5. The overall quality of the environment in the Lehigh Valley was given high ratings
despite increasing concern about the water-quality in the community, and continued
unease over the loss of open spaces to land development.
6. Ratings of recreational opportunities in the region were at their highest ever level, in the
six years of this study.
METHODOLOGY: The following key findings report summarizes data collected in a
telephone survey of residents of the Lehigh Valley between April 7 and May 6, 2009. Individual
households throughout Lehigh and Northampton counties were selected randomly for inclusion
in the study. The sample of phone numbers used in the survey was generated by Genesys
Sampling Systems of Ft. Washington, PA. Interviewing was conducted by the staff of the
Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion, with 405 surveys completed. This number of
completions results in a margin of error of +/- 5% at the 95% confidence interval. However the
margin of errors for sub groups (i.e. women, college educated, parents, etc.) and select questions
is larger due to smaller sample size. Percentages throughout the survey have been rounded
upward at the .5 mark, thus many totals in the results will not equal 100%. The survey
questionnaire was designed by Christopher Borick, Ph.D. of the Muhlenberg College Institute of
Public Opinion in consultation with staff members of the Morning Call. Analysis and report
writing were completed by the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion under the
direction of Dr. Borick.
QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY
This survey marks the sixth in a series of annual observations of citizen views on life in
the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania. Over the six years of this project the Lehigh Valley has
emerged as one of the fastest growing areas in the Northeastern United States. With that growth
have come many changes to the local landscape and cultures. From major developments in the
areas of commerce and recreation to the diminishing amount of open space in the area, it is clear
that the Lehigh Valley is undergoing a transformation. This study attempts to measure how
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residents of the Valley view their lives here, and how those views are evolving over time.
Through this process the Morning Call and Muhlenberg College hopes to provide the broader
community with a deeper insight in to attitudes and behaviors of local residents.
OVERALL PERCEPTIONS OF QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY
The survey findings indicate that Lehigh Valley residents continue to rate the region
positively as a place to live. Overall, 91% of valley residents identified the Valley as a positive
place to reside, with 27% giving the region an “excellent” rating and 64% a “good” mark.
Conversely, only 9% of Lehigh Valley residents viewed the overall livability of the region
negatively. These findings are consistent with the ratings Lehigh Valley residents gave to the
region in 2007, when 91% of Valley adults rated the area positively overall. A full breakdown of
ratings for the quality of life of the region over the last six years follows in Table One below:
Table One
`
“Rating of the Lehigh Valley as a Place to Live”
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Excellent
24%
29%
26%
28%
27%
30%
Good
69%
61%
64%
65%
64%
61%
Not So Good
5%
8%
7%
5%
6%
7%
Poor
1%
1%
2%
2%
2%
2%
30%
63%
6%
1%
While citizens generally view the area as a good place to live, the study reveals an
increasingly pessimistic outlook regarding the direction of the Lehigh Valley. More than half
(54%) of those surveyed expressed the view that life in the Valley is getting worse compared to
only 25% who see improvement in quality of life in the area, representing the most pessimistic
outlook in the six years of this study. A number of areas of concern that are identified in this
study may underlie the negative attitudes of area residents. These include concerns about crime,
environmental quality and transportation. These issues will be examined in greater detail later in
the study.
Table Two
“Is Life in the Lehigh Valley Getting Better or Worse”
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Getting Better
32%
38%
28%
32%
29%
Getting Worse
48%
39%
43%
52%
48%
2
Staying the Same
11%
16%
22%
12%
17%
Not Sure
9%
8%
7%
4%
6%
25%
2008
2009
54%
28%
15%
51%
6%
14%
7%
PERCEPTIONS OF FAMILY LIFE IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY
The Lehigh Valley continues to be perceived by its citizens as a positive place to raise a
family. 88% of those surveyed rated the area as either an excellent (28%) or good (60%) place to
raise a family. However, this year there was an increase from previous years in the percentage of
residents who believe that the Lehigh Valley is a negative place for families.
Table Three
“Rating of the Lehigh Valley as a Place to Raise a Family”
Year
2006
2007
2008
2009
Excellent
28%
26%
28%
Good
62%
64%
60%
34%
57%
Not So Good
4%
5%
8%
7%
Poor
3%
3%
4%
1%
PERCEPTIONS OF THE ECONOMY AND EMPLOYMENT IN THE LEHIGH
VALLEY
Coinciding with the national economic downturn, perceptions of the local economy
significantly decreased in this iteration of the study, with more slightly more people rating it as
negative (50%) than positive (49%) for the first time since 2003.
The increasing satisfaction with the vibrancy of the Lehigh Valley economy has been quite
striking since 2003. With a recession lingering during 2002 and early 2003, a majority (55%) of
locals maintained a negative view about the local economic scene. But in every year until this
one, since 2003 the percentage of local residents with positive views on the Valley economy has
increased. This trend is clearly represented in Table Four.
Table Four
“Ratings of the Economy”
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Excellent
2%
4%
2%
5%
6%
2%
3%
Good
41%
50%
53%
58%
61%
47%
Not So Good
40%
33%
31%
27%
26%
35%
35%
46%
3
Poor
15%
9%
10%
9%
5%
15%
15%
Not Sure
2%
3%
4%
2%
2%
1%
1%
Concern regarding becoming unemployed, a key indicator of the economic health of the
region has also increased in 2008. 24% of local residents indicated that they were very or
somewhat concerned about becoming unemployed during the next year up 9% from 2007.
Table Five
“Levels of Concern of Becoming Unemployed”
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Very
Concerned
15%
15%
13%
11%
8%
15%
13%
Somewhat
Concerned
13%
12%
10%
8%
7%
9%
14%
Not too
Concerned
19%
17%
19%
17%
19%
16%
15%
Not at all
Concerned
38%
50%
48%
44%
49%
42%
33%
Not Sure /
Refused
15%
9%
10%
20%
6%
19%
19%
Individual satisfaction with income levels is also consistent with the decreasing
perceptions of the Lehigh Valley economy. 74% of those surveys report being satisfied, while
18% were dissatisfied to some degree with their family income. This overall percentage of
satisfaction is also down from satisfaction levels shown in the studies from 2003-2007, in which
approximately 8 in 10 residents were satisfied with their income levels
Table Six
“Individual Satisfaction with Income Level
Among Lehigh Valley Residents”
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Very
Satisfied
32%
40%
29%
38%
29%
27%
31%
Somewhat
Satisfied
51%
42%
51%
43%
51%
47%
495
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
11%
11%
11%
11%
7%
11%
7%
Very
Dissatisfied
3%
5%
4%
6%
5%
7%
8%
Not Sure
1%
2%
5%
4%
6%
2%
2%
Despite, these increasingly negative perceptions about the economy, Lehigh Valley
residents continue to maintain high personal satisfaction levels with their current jobs. In 2008,
62% of residents were satisfied with their jobs, of which 40% were very satisfied and 22% were
somewhat satisfied with their jobs. Conversely, only 7% of residents were dissatisfied with their
jobs, of which 3% were somewhat dissatisfied and 4% were very dissatisfied with their jobs.
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Table Seven
“Satisfaction with Current Job”
Year
2006
2007
2008
2009
Very
Satisfied
42%
39%
40%
40%
Somewhat
Satisfied
27%
23%
22%
19%
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
4%
5%
3%
3%
Very
Dissatisfied
2%
3%
4%
3%
Not Sure /
Not Working
25%
27%
31%
35%
PERCEPTIONS OF PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY
In 2008, local residents continued to rate Lehigh Valley law enforcement positively. The
highest ever number of residents 81% viewed their local law enforcement positively, with 14%
viewing it as excellent and 67% viewing it as good. In contrast, only 16% of residents view local
law enforcement negatively, with 12% viewing it as not so good and 4% viewing it as poor.
Table Ten
“Ratings of Law Enforcement”
Year
2006
2007
2008
2009
Excellent
10%
14%
14%
15%
Good
68%
64%
67%
70%
Not So Good
16%
16%
12%
9%
Poor
4%
4%
4%
4%
Not Sure
3%
3%
3%
3%
Despite favorable views on local law enforcement, individual concern with becoming a
victim of a crime has been increasing over the past few years. The results of this latest survey
show that 64% of local residents are concerned about becoming a crime victim up from 63% in
2007 and 54% in 2006. The increase in the number of violent crimes in a number of the Valley’s
urban centers may help explain this dramatic change in the perceptions of residents. .
Table Eleven
“Citizen Concern with Becoming a Victim of a Crime”
Year
2003
Very
Concerned
19%
Somewhat
Concerned
36%
Not too
Concerned
30%
5
Not at all
Concerned
16%
Not Sure /
Refused
1%
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
19%
31%
28%
21%
1%
22%
33%
26%
17%
2%
21%
33%
31%
13%
2%
26%
37%
21%
13%
<1%
31%
33%
20%
14%
1%
28%
33%
25%
14%
<1%
PERCEPTIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY IN THE VALLEY
Residents of the Lehigh Valley continued to rate the environment positively. 78% percent
of perceived the environmental quality as either excellent or good, down slightly (2%) from last
year’s survey. Despite some minor fluctuations year to year, overall perceptions of the local
environment are fairly consistent between the first study in 2003 and the most recent one in
2008.
Table Twelve
“Ratings of Lehigh Valley Environment”
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Excellent
9%
8%
5%
6%
7%
7%
9%
Good
65%
66%
63%
67%
71%
69%
69%
Not So Good
19%
19%
23%
20%
17%
19%
19%
Poor
5%
5%
7%
5%
3%
4%
3%
Not Sure
3%
3%
1%
2%
2%
1%
1%
While most individuals in the Lehigh Valley offered generally positive appraisals of the
region’s overall environmental quality, many in the area indicated significant concern regarding
the Lehigh Valley’s water quality. The percentage of residents who indicated some degree of
concern for the safety of their drinking water was 51%. This figure is an increase of 3% from last
year’s study and marks the highest level of concern for this issue since the 2003 survey.
Table Thirteen
“Levels of Citizen Concern with Safety of Drinking Water in their Community”
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Very
Concerned
20%
22%
22%
19%
21%
27%
Somewhat
Concerned
31%
26%
28%
30%
27%
24%
Not too
Concerned
23%
23%
19%
25%
23%
24%
6
Not at all
Concerned
26%
27%
28%
26%
28%
23%
Not Sure /
Refused
1%
1%
3%
1%
0%
1%
2009
17%
25%
22%
33%
2%
Citizen concern with the safety of air quality in their community decreased slightly in
2008 with 56% either very (26%) or somewhat (30%) concerned. While in 2003, 59% of
respondents expressed concern with the safety of air quality, this percentage has subsequently
remained around 56%, with the exception of 2006 representing the lowest levels of concern
(54%) in the past six years.
Table Fourteen
“Levels of Citizen Concern with Safety of Air Quality in their Community”
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Very
Concerned
23%
24%
24%
23%
21%
26%
21%
Somewhat
Concerned
36%
32%
32%
31%
36%
30%
33%
Not too
Concerned
21%
22%
21%
27%
20%
23%
22%
Not at all
Concerned
20%
51%
21%
18%
22%
20%
24%
Not Sure /
Refused
1%
1%
2%
1%
<1%
1%
<1%
Another indicator of the environmental quality is the loss of open spaces, including forests and
farms. This is particularly relevant in the Lehigh Valley, which has seen a massive influx of new
residents over the last ten-to-fifteen years, and countless new housing and commercial
development on farm-land or other open spaces to meet the new demands. In this present study,
82% of citizens expressed some level of concern over this issue, which is a 4% drop from 2006,
but identical to the level of concern in 2005, when this question was first asked in the study.
Table Fifteen
“Levels of Citizen Concern with the Loss of Open Spaces”
Year
2005
2006
2008
2009
Very
Concerned
55%
60%
54%
56%
Somewhat
Concerned
27%
26%
28%
32%
Not too
Concerned
7%
5%
9%
6%
Not at all
Concerned
8%
7%
6%
6%
Not Sure /
Refused
3%
3%
3%
<1%
PERCEPTIONS OF EDUCATION and HEALTH CARE IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY
7
Two of the most consistent indicators for the quality of life in the Lehigh Valley have been in the
areas of education and health care. In 2008 69% of residents rated public schools in the region as
either excellent or good, which is identical to the results in 2007. In fact since the first study in
2003, roughly 7 out of 10 individuals have continually given the public schools these positive
ratings.
Table Sixteen
“Ratings of Public Schools in the Lehigh Valley”
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Excellent
12%
14%
16%
15%
14%
11%
13%
Good
58%
56%
52%
56%
55%
58%
56%
Not So Good
15%
14%
17%
13%
17%
15%
18%
Poor
5%
5%
6%
6%
7%
9%
6%
Not Sure
9%
10%
10%
10%
7%
7%
8%
The perceived quality of healthcare services has remained strong, but is down slightly from past
years. The 2008 data indicates that 82% of local residents have a positive view of health care in
the Lehigh Valley in 2007, with 29% of them reporting that health care service in the region is
excellent and 53% reporting that health care service is good. This year’s results mark a 4% drop
from the 86% positive rating that was seen from 2003-2007.
Table Seventeen
“Ratings of Health Care Services”
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Excellent
30%
28%
34%
34%
31%
29%
43%
Good
56%
58%
52%
52%
55%
53%
46%
Not So Good
7%
7%
7%
6%
8%
9%
7%
PERCEPTIONS OF RECREATION
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Poor
4%
5%
5%
6%
4%
6%
3%
Not Sure
1%
2%
2%
2%
2%
2%
1%
During the last year the Lehigh Valley has experienced a boom of openings and announcements
of major recreational venues in the Lehigh Valley. From new upscale shopping complexes like
the new addition to the Lehigh Valley Mall, to the opening of Coca Cola Park and the America
On Wheels Museum in Allentown, the region has been active in the expansion of recreational
opportunities. The results of this year’s survey show that just as in 2007, 81% of residents give
positive marks to the area’s recreational opportunities. In fact, 28% of these individuals believe
that the recreational opportunities are excellent, marking the highest ever percentage for that
category.
Table Eighteen
“Ratings of Recreational Opportunities”
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Excellent
21%
27%
21%
21%
20%
28%
28%
Good
54%
53%
54%
56%
61%
53%
54%
Not So Good
17%
13%
15%
15%
11%
13%
14%
Poor
5%
4%
5%
5%
2%
5%
2%
Not Sure
2%
3%
4%
2%
4%
<1%
2%
PERCEPTIONS OF HOUSING
In terms of perceptions about the Valley’s housing we find that 72% rate it positively, consistent
with 2006 and 2007. While quite positive, the results do show an 11% increase in negative
ratings of area housing since 2003, with 26% of respondents saying housing in the Valley is not
so good or poor, which is the highest negative mark in the history of this study. This may be
caused by the sharp increase in housing prices in the region and the number of homes in
foreclosure, and the impact on the ability of individuals to afford housing options that they
desire, all issues reflecting the national housing market crisis that is occurring.
Table Nineteen
“Rating of Housing in the Lehigh Valley”
Year
2003
2004
2005
Excellent
12%
15%
11%
Good
70%
66%
64%
Not So Good
12%
12%
18%
9
Poor
3%
3%
4%
Not Sure
3%
4%
3%
2006
2007
2008
2009
11%
10%
11%
9%
61%
62%
61%
65%
21%
18%
20%
17%
4%
6%
6%
5%
2%
4%
2%
3%
PERCEPTIONS OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY
The views of Lehigh Valley residents on the services provided by their local or county
governments have also remained consistent over time. 68% gave a positive and 25% gave a
negative rating to the government services of the area, virtually unchanged from 2007 when 76%
and 25% of residents had positive or negatives views respectively.
Table Twenty
“Ratings of Government Services”
2006
2007
2008
2009
Excellent
5%
7%
5%
6%
Good
62%
60%
63%
68%
Not So Good
16%
18%
18%
18%
Poor
5%
5%
7%
3%
Not Sure
11%
9%
6%
5%
VIEWS ON RACE RELATIONS IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY
Another important issue in the Lehigh Valley, with its significant racial and ethnic diversity,
particularly in urban areas, in which have sought to gain insight on was race relations. On this
issue, positive perceptions have slightly increased over the past few years, with 63% now
offering an excellent or good rating up from 61% last year and 60% in both 2003 and 2004.
Conversely, 29% of citizens gave negative marks down 5% from 2003.
Table Twenty-One
“Ratings of Race Relations”
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Excellent
3%
5%
4%
3%
4%
5%
Good
57%
55%
54%
58%
57%
58%
Not So Good
26%
24%
21%
22%
25%
24%
10
Poor
8%
6%
8%
7%
5%
5%
Not Sure
6%
9%
13%
10%
9%
8%
2009
4%
61%
24%
4%
6%
TRANSPORTATION
The views of local residents on transportation in the Lehigh Valley have continued to decline
over the last few years. Only 47% now believe that transportation is excellent or good, a decline
from 55% in 2007 and considerably down from the 65% level in 2003. Most significantly, 16%
of residents now rate the transportation in the region as poor, which is a 6% increase from last
year’s results and twice that of 2003.
Table Twenty-Two
“Rating of Transportation in the Lehigh Valley”
Year
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Excellent
5%
7%
3%
5%
5%
5%
5%
Good
60%
45%
49%
46%
50%
42%
45%
Not So Good
21%
26%
28%
25%
29%
31%
31%
Poor
8%
14%
12%
10%
10%
16%
10%
Not Sure
6%
9%
9%
14%
6%
6%
4%
CONCLUSION
Corresponding with the national economic situation, the economy in the Lehigh Valley has seen
the sharpest decline in any quality of life indicator in this year’s study. As a result, residents are
more pessimistic about the direction of the region, despite improvements in other areas,
including recreation and law enforcement and continued high ratings for healthcare and public
schools. It will be important to continue to assess the quality of life of the region on an annual
basis, to confirm whether this negativity is a temporary issue related to the economy slowdown,
or whether there are more deeply rooted problems that are making residents less optimistic about
the future.
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