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Social Well-Being
Sangamon County residents rate the county
less positively in the 2015 survey compared
to the 2013 Sangamon County Citizen
Survey. The percentage of residents who
think Sangamon County is an “excellent”
place to live, raise children, work, and retire
has decreased while the percentage who
rate it is a “poor” place to work, live, and
retire has increased (see figure below). In
addition, Sangamon County residents were
asked whether they thought things in
Sangamon County are generally on the right
track or if things are going in the wrong
direction. The 2015 survey found a smaller
percentage of individuals who report that
things are on the right track. In 2015, 53
percent report that things are on the right
track, which is a decrease from 60 percent
in 2013. However, there is also a decrease
in the percent of individuals who report
that things are headed in the wrong
direction.
In 2013, 31 percent of Sangamon County
residents reported that things were headed in
the wrong direction. In 2015, this decreases to
28 percent (with more individuals reporting
that they “did not know” or were “unsure.”)
This results in a net favorable/unfavorable
change from +29 in 2013 to +25 in 2015, which
indicates that overall ratings in 2015 are still
favorable, yet not as favorable as they were in
2013.
When asked about their immediate area as a
place to live, 16% report that it is getting
better, 16% report that it is getting worse, and
66% report that it is staying the same. These
results are consistent with the 2013 survey.
Interestingly, in the 2015 survey, there are no
significant differences among demographic
groups which were present in the 2013 survey.
Place to live
Place to raise
children
Place to
work
Place to
retire
Ratings of Sangamon County...
23%
Poor
Excellent
6%
10%
7%
Poor
Excellent
27%
11%
10%
13%
5%
4%
Poor
Excellent
19%
13%
3%
Poor
5%
Excellent
16%
11%
0%
5%
2013 survey
10%
15%
20%
2015 survey
25%
30%