According to the 10th annual “Quality of Life Index” (QLI) survey released by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) on April 16th, residents of Los Angeles County are generally concerned about the high cost of living. Additionally, the survey also revealed that the wildfires in January have caused significant trauma to the people of Los Angeles.
Conducted by “FM3 Research,” the survey interviewed 1,400 residents of Los Angeles County from February 23rd to March 9th, finding that people are frustrated by the rising cost of living, especially in terms of food and household goods prices.
The survey indicated that 3/4 of the respondents consider the high cost of living to be the most important factor affecting their quality of life. While housing costs remain a top concern, the importance of expenses on food, household goods, and taxes has significantly increased.
According to the survey results, concerns about the high cost of living have kept Los Angeles’ Quality of Life Index at 53 points, unchanged from the previous year, marking the lowest score in the history of the survey. In 2016, the QLI index for Los Angeles County stood at 59 points.
Paul Maslin, a polling and public opinion expert at “FM3 Research,” stated, “Our overall satisfaction with the QLI remains stagnant, primarily due to the high cost of living. This has been the most highly regarded factor over the past decade and also the lowest scoring item in terms of satisfaction.”
The survey focused on the January wildfires as well. Over 2/5 of the respondents indicated that they knew people who had lost homes or businesses in the wildfires, with 23% of residents stating that they knew victims, even if these respondents lived in distant areas such as northern Los Angeles County or the South Bay. Additionally, 14% of respondents reported significant income losses due to the fires, while 13% experienced minor losses.
More than half of the residents mentioned wearing masks due to smoke, making donations, volunteering for disaster relief, or worrying about evacuation.
While the proportion of those whose income was affected is lower compared to other impacted groups, the data still represents millions of Angelenos. The impact was notably higher among the Latinx community, youth, low-income groups, and part-time workers.
Regarding the issue of housing reconstruction, 89% of respondents believed that property owners who lost homes should be allowed to rebuild on the same site. This is a notable increase from 76% of respondents who held the same view after the 2019 Woolsey Fire.
The survey findings reflect the severity of the January wildfires, with a wider impact leading to a stronger empathetic response from more Angelenos. According to data from the California Department of Forestry, the Palisades and Eaton Canyon fires together destroyed over 16,000 structures, whereas the Woolsey Fire in 2019 destroyed 1,600 structures.
52% of residents expressed willingness to accept tax increases to enhance wildfire response capabilities, with young people, Latinx, and Asian Americans showing the greatest support while opinions among White and African American residents varied on this issue.
The wildfires also affected perceptions of the Los Angeles mayor. Only 37% of respondents had a favorable opinion of Mayor Karen Bass, while 49% held a negative view. In 2024, these figures were 42% positive and 32% negative, indicating a significant decline in support for Mayor Bass.
Director of the UCLA Los Angeles Initiative, Zev Yaroslavsky, expressed that the catastrophic events of January left severe physical and psychological trauma in their wake. Apart from the immediate victims (those who lost lives, homes, and properties), millions of Angelenos were impacted to varying degrees by the wildfires, creating a collective trauma across geographic, economic, and racial boundaries.
44% of Los Angeles County residents expressed concern that their family or friends may face federal deportation. Among Latinx residents, 54% shared this worry, with 57% of respondents aged 18 to 29 expressing concerns, and 52% of those aged 30 to 39. These age groups were also the most opposed to government cooperation with federal deportation policies.
Homelessness remains one of the most worrying issues for residents, although there are signs of a slight decrease in concern compared to the previous year. In 2025, 52% of respondents believed the situation was worsening, down from 60% in the previous year. However, only 10% felt that the situation had improved, a statistic consistent with 2024.