The Community Research Council, a Chattanooga-based non-profit policy and research organization, Monday announced the first findings from its State of Chattanooga Region Report (SOCRR) survey on Hamilton County views on resident quality of life.

In a phone survey of 1,000 Hamilton County residents conducted during April, 57% indicated that they were “very satisfied” with their life in the Chattanooga area: another 34% indicated that they were “somewhat satisfied.” The remaining 8% of respondents indicated that they were “not too satisfied” (5%) or “not at all satisfied” (3%).

Survey respondents believe that quality of life is also very important to efforts to create and attract jobs in Hamilton County. During the survey 86% of respondents indicated that “good quality of life” was either one of the most important factors or very important to job recruitment efforts.

When asked to identify factors that contributed to their quality of life in the Chattanooga area, more than 75% of all respondents ranked six factors as “very important” – safety from crime, quality health care and hospitals, clean streets and neighborhoods, clean air, availability of jobs that pay a living wage and quality schools.

Very Important
Safety from Crime 87%
Quality Health Care and Hospitals 86%
Clean streets and neighborhoods 79%
Clean air 78%
Availability of jobs that pay a living wage 77%
Quality schools 76%

The survey was conducted as part of the Community Research Council’s State of Chattanooga Region Report (SOCRR). Additional survey briefs will be released during May and June and the full SOCRR, including data on more than 100 indicators of quality of life in the Chattanooga area, will be released in the fall.

The next survey brief will be on issues related to economic development. Questions for the SOCRR survey were developed by CRC in consultation with civic and neighborhood leaders.

Results are based on a phone survey conducted during April on behalf of the Community Research Council by The Mellman Group. For the overall sample, the margin of error is +/- 3.1%%: margins of error are higher for subsamples.

SOCRR is funded by grants from the Lyndhurst Foundation, the Benwood Foundation, the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, the Public Education Foundation and First Tennessee Bank. SOCRR also receives funding through the United Way of Greater Chattanooga’s allocation to the Community Research Council.