UC Riverside studies reveal low well-being but highlight paths for improvement
RIVERSIDE, CA— A pair of UC Riverside studies paints a revealing picture of life in Southern California’s Inland Empire—a fast-growing region east of Los Angeles where a majority of residents report they are struggling to get by.
The research, conducted by UCR’s Center for Community Solutions, is based on two surveys of more than 3,300 residents and uncovers both troubling disparities and hopeful signs of community cohesion. While the levels of well-being fell below national averages, Inland residents were more likely than other Americans to feel a sense of belonging in their communities.
“Overall, the IE lags behind the U.S. with respect to self-reported well-being, but the region’s unusually strong sense of local connection offers hope and a foundation to build upon,” said Justine Ross, executive director of the center, which is part of UCR’s School of Public Policy.
Following a research method called Cantril’s Ladder, survey participants of the “Insights on Vital Conditions in the IE” study were asked to rate their current and anticipated future lives on a scale of zero to ten, which were then combined to place respondents into one of three well-being categories.
The results were sobering. Just 41% of Inland Empire respondents are thriving—the highest well-being category—compared with 53% nationwide. The region’s score places it on par with countries such as Brazil, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Slovakia.
Those reported to be thriving tended to have higher incomes, higher levels of education, be married, and belong to churches.
More than half of respondents—53%—said they were struggling, and another 6% reported suffering, meaning they saw little hope for the future.
A companion study focusing on 1,000 women across Riverside and San Bernardino counties revealed even starker challenges. Among them, 58% said they were struggling, and 6% were suffering. Fewer than four in ten women reported feeling they were thriving.
In Riverside County, more than one-third of women surveyed in the “Women and Well-Being” study said they expected their lives to be worse in five years—a sharp contrast to just 9% of women in neighboring San Bernardino County.
Healthcare stood out as a major gap. Nearly 40% of uninsured women said cost was the main barrier to coverage, and overall access to care lagged behind nearby counties. Education and economic opportunity also remain challenges. Only 30% of pre-kindergarten-aged girls in the region were enrolled in an educational program, and 16% of adult women lacked a high school diploma. Those without a diploma earned a median of just $26,000 annually.
Yet despite these barriers, signs of resilience emerged. Among women surveyed, 93% reported having stable housing, and 88% said they felt safe in their neighborhoods.
The surveys also had hopeful findings. About one-third of Inland residents reported a strong sense of belonging in their local communities, surpassing national rates. And that sense of connection proved to be a powerful factor in well-being.
In fact, the boost in well-being associated with higher levels of community engagement and belonging was comparable to the benefit of earning $190,000 annually.
The findings point to clear opportunities for policy intervention. The reports identified opportunities to expand access to early childhood education, improve healthcare services, increase civic engagement, and invest in initiatives that build social connections. Ross described belonging as “the connective tissue that holds communities together.”
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About UC Riverside
The University of California, Riverside is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California’s diverse culture, UCR’s enrollment is more than 26,000 students. The campus opened a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual impact of more than $2.7 billion on the U.S. economy. To learn more, visit www.ucr.edu.
