tHRive’s Quality of Life Poll Results Released
Young professional program of the Hampton Roads Chamber releases results of 2018 Quality of Life Poll
Norfolk, VA – tHRive, the young professional program of the Hampton Roads Chamber, is excited to release the results of the first in a series of monthly polls. Questions in the March 2018 Quality of Life Poll, covered a range of topics from entertainment to residency in search of the motivations and factors that determine residence and overall happiness in the region. The 240+ members who completed the poll gave insight into how young professionals view the Hampton Roads region and how they rate their overall quality of life here.
In line with the region’s outdoor offerings, outside entertainment was the highest-rated choice among entertainment options, with live performances and local attractions also ranking favorably. On the other end of the spectrum, sporting events ranked as the lowest-chosen entertainment option, indicating either a lack of options or a lack of interest in the options available.
While 66% of respondents primarily seek out entertainment in the same locality in which they reside, Norfolk and Virginia Beach attract young professionals from all seven cities in Hampton Roads. 86% of respondents say that the two hub cities are their primary destination for entertainment regardless of home zip code. tHRive believes this trend will impact responses on an upcoming transportation poll.
The majority of young professionals who responded live in Virginia Beach (33%) and Norfolk (32%) followed by 12% of respondents who live in Chesapeake. Half of poll respondents’ work in the same city in which they reside, while a little over 3% of respondents consider their jobs to be mobile and work across the region; 4% respondents commute between the Peninsula and the Southside.
Regarding the respondents’ communities, those living in Suffolk rated their communities as the safest among all localities, followed very closely by Chesapeake. Hampton residents rated their communities the least safe. Three quarters of respondents own or plan to own a home in the next five years with 46% currently owning and 30% planning to purchase. Considering all of the individual factors that go into determining one’s housing situation, respondents rated availability/affordability as the highest factor followed closely by financial investment and long-term plans, such as work and family. The lowest-rated factor in determining one’s housing was pride of ownership.
Career opportunities seem to attract many young professionals to the region with 41% of respondents stating that they came to the Hampton Roads region for a job opportunity. Poll results showed that respondents work in a variety of careers. Marketing and communications ranked the highest at 18%, followed by finance and banking at 16%. Energy/technology and non-profit also ranked as popular careers in the region at around 8%, respectively. Among the individual careers, non-profit and sales/retail ranked the lowest in terms of career opportunities and competitiveness of pay, with hospitality rated among the highest.
Overall, poll results show that a vast majority (93%) of the region’s young professionals believe that the Hampton Roads region is a desirable place to live. Further, 70% believe Hampton Roads to be a desirable long-term home; 23% find it desirable in the short-term.
tHRive believes the Quality of Life poll and future tHRive polls will continue to provide key insights about young professionals in the region. These polls also allow tHRive to fulfill an important aspect of their mission — giving a voice to the region’s young professionals, who continuously prove themselves to be an essential demographic in the Hampton Roads community. The April 2018 Poll on Education is open today through April 25th and is available here.
“We’re excited about the poll results,” says Britni Kawalkiewicz, tHRive Regional Engagement Chair. “It affirms that Hampton Roads is a great place for young professionals to live and work, which motivates us to further engage the development of the region.”
About tHRive: tHRive, a program of the Hampton Roads chamber, provides a platform to advance and empower young professionals in the region. tHRive has numerous signature events throughout the year and various monthly events spread across the region. These events promote an attractive and dynamic community by engaging in the development of the region, and will focus on tHRive’s three main goals: Professional Development, Cultivating Relationships, and Community Engagement. Visit www.tHRive.org.
