Bay Area residents feel better about region, but agree nation’s outlook is dim

Bay Area residents are feeling more optimistic about the region, but the overwhelming majority agree the outlook is dim for the nation as a whole, according to a new poll by the Bay Area News Group and Joint Venture Silicon Valley.

The annual survey found that nearly half of residents think the Bay Area is headed in the right direction, up from 29% in 2023. The improvement comes as crime is largely on the decline after recent surges, some cities make progress on homelessness and new political leaders pledge fresh approaches to the region’s most pressing challenges.

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When it comes to the entire United States, however, just 27% of respondents said the country is on the right track.

While disdain for the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress almost certainly played a role in the liberal region’s pessimism, poll respondents held similarly negative views in past years. In 2023, when Joe Biden was still president, only 24% said the country was trending in the right direction, following a nationwide surge in inflation.

Still, the poll makes clear Bay Area residents are no fans of Trump. Large majorities of respondents agreed his policies would hurt the region, including tariffs (73%), Medicaid cuts (71%), limits on international work visas (66%) and immigration enforcement (64%).

As for California, 47% said the state is moving in the right direction, compared to 53% who said it’s on the wrong track, mirroring the results for views of the Bay Area.

At the same time, respondents were much more positive when evaluating their personal lives. Eighty-one percent said their life was on a positive trajectory, while just 19% said the opposite.