A recent study from the University of California, Riverside reveals that the well-being of residents in Southern California’s Inland Empire is below the national average.
Conducted by the university’s Center for Community Solutions, the research surveyed over 3,300 people in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The study found that only 41% of participants were “thriving,” compared to 53% nationwide, placing the region on par with countries like Brazil and Slovakia.
The study used a method called Cantril’s Ladder, which asked respondents to rate their current and future lives on a scale from zero to ten. More than half of the respondents, 53%, described themselves as “struggling,” while 6% reported “suffering.” Those in the thriving category typically had higher incomes, more education, were married, and attended church.
A companion study focused on 1,000 women in the region revealed even greater disparities. In Riverside County, over one-third of women expected their lives to worsen in the next five years, compared to just 9% in San Bernardino County. Healthcare emerged as a critical gap, with nearly 40% of uninsured women citing cost as a barrier. Additionally, only 30% of pre-kindergarten-aged girls were enrolled in early education programs, and 16% of adult women lacked a high school diploma, earning a median income of $26,000.
Despite these challenges, the study found that about one-third of Inland Empire residents reported a strong sense of community belonging. Justine Ross, executive director of the Center for Community Solutions, noted that “belonging and civic engagement are just as strongly correlated” with well-being as income. The findings suggest opportunities for policy intervention, such as expanding access to education, improving healthcare, and increasing civic engagement.
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