INLAND EMPIRE, CA — A majority of Inland Empire residents report they are struggling to get by and are feeling hopeless — at rates higher than found in most American communities. Still, many locals feel a strong sense of community cohesion, according to a pair of recent studies from the University of California, Riverside.
“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 UCR’s Center for Community Solutions.
The research from the center is based on two surveys.
Following a research method called Cantril’s Ladder, more than 3,300 IE survey respondents in the “Insights on Vital Conditions in the IE” were asked to rate their current and anticipated future lives on a scale of zero to 10. The scores 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, according to the research.
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 10 women reported feeling they were thriving, according to the research.
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.
About half of Riverside County residents are on Medi-Cal, and another 186,850 IE residents were enrolled in the Covered California health insurance exchange as of March 2025. Both programs, which are federally funded, are expected to see sharp cuts starting January 1. For many, health insurance will become too expensive to obtain.
Education and economic opportunity also remain challenges in the IE. 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 in the research. Among women surveyed, 93% reported having stable housing, and 88% said they felt safe in their neighborhoods.
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.
“We often talk about income as if it is the strongest factor linked to well-being, but our study shows belonging and civic engagement are just as strongly correlated,” Ross said.
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, according to the research.
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.
