Our Poll

In January 2024, Thrive LA engaged esteemed pollster John Fairbank of FM3 to conduct a citywide poll to take the pulse of Angelenos on issues critical to Los Angeles voters in advance of the 2024 elections. Below is a summary of the key data and conclusions.

Full poll data can be downloaded here.

Mood of LA City Voters

By two to one, LA Voters believe that things in the City of Los Angeles are HEADED OFF ON THE WRONG TRACK.

55% Wrong Track
28% Right Direction
16% Don't Know

More than half have “seriously considered” leaving LA recently with cost of living and crime as the primary factors of why they would move away.

53%
35%
Considered moving out of LA
Not considered
Reasons cited:
Cost of living including cost of housing
23%
Crime and public safety
18%
Taxes
4%
Other reason
4%
Lack of good paying jobs
3%
Quality of local public schools
1%

LA Mayor Karen Bass is rated favorably by a solid majority, but the public holds negative impressions of DA Gascon, the City Council and Board of Supervisors.

Karen Bass

57%
36%

LA County Board of Supervisors

22%
45%

LA County District Attorney George Gascon

26%
53%

LA City Council

22%
57%
Favorable
Unfavorable

The Urgent Homelessness Crisis

Nearly all Angelenos believe Homelessness is an extremely serious or very serious problem in the City of LA.

80% Extremely Serious
16% Very Serious
4% Somewhat Serious

Other issues that relate to homelessness and lawlessness also rank high, such as cost of housing/living, encampments in public spaces, drug abuse, and property crimes.

Angelenos also believe the following to be extremely or very serious problems:
Cost of housing
89%
Homeless encampments in public spaces
86%
Cost of living
83%
Lack of affordable housing
83%
Abuse of drugs
77%
Inflation and rising prices
75%
Property crimes
70%
Rise in hate crimes
70%
Smash-and-grab thefts
69%
Amount paid in taxes for local services
51%
Lack of bike lanes and paths
25%

By more than a 3 to 1 margin, voters do not approve of the job the LA City Council is doing to address homelessness.

45%
25%
18%
4%
Strongly Disapprove
Somewhat Disapprove
Somewhat Approve
Strongly Approve

By more than a 3 to 1 margin, voters are not confident that LA City Council is spending taxpayer money effectively.

21% Confident
76% Not Confident

More LA voters identify “other problems” as having a more significant impact on homelessness than the cost of housing.

37% Cost of Housing
56% Other Problems
7% Don't Know

More than 2 out of 3 voters believe that local policies have been a major factor in allowing homelessness to grow.

69% Major Factor
18% Minor Factor
5% Not a Factor

Enforcement of Section 41.18 Regarding Homeless Encampments

86% of  Voters support LA Ordinance 41.18 to keep homelessness encampments away from schools and sensitive areas.

86% Support Enforcement
10% Oppose Enforcement

If a candidate opposed Section 41.18, would that make you more or less likely to support that candidate?

30% More Likely
52% Less Likely

Homelessness Policies

Angelenos strongly support policies requiring homeless people to obtain drug or mental health treatment.

Would you favor or oppose a policy that required homeless people that are addicted to drugs to enter substance abuse treatment in order to obtain housing or other services?

70% Favor
25% Oppose

Would you favor or oppose a policy that required homeless people suffering from a mental health or drug crisis to be held without their consent at medical facilities to undergo a psychiatric evaluation?

68% Favor
27% Oppose

County District Attorney Election

Two-thirds of LA city voters are undecided in the race for District Attorney, and George Gascón is a very weak incumbent with less than two in ten saying they will vote for him:

If the election for District Attorney were held today, for whom would you vote:
Undecided
67%
Challengers
19%
Gascon
14%

Expanding City Council

A plurality of voters support the idea of expanding the LA City Council to 23 members.

Would you support expanding the Los Angeles City Council from 15 members to 23 members?

Prior to providing supporting and opposing arguments

43%
35%
22%

After providing supporting and opposing arguments

45%
43%
13%
Support
Oppose
Don’t know / Undecided

Safety

How safe do you feel in the City of Los Angeles?

Very safe
7%
Somewhat safe
42%
Not too safe
28%
Not at all safe
22%

Seven in ten voters identify smash-and-grab thefts, property crimes and hate crimes as highly serious problems in the City of Los Angeles.

Smash-and-grab thefts at local stores

69%
20%
10%

Inflation and rising prices

75%
18%
7%

Property crimes like car thefts and burglaries

70%
21%
8%

A rise in hate crimes, including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia

70%
17%
11%

The amount you pay in taxes for local services

51%
25%
21%

A lack of bike lines and bike paths

25%
46%
25%
Extremely or Very Serious Problem
Somewhat Serious Problem
Not a Serious Problem

LAPD Budget

By more than a 2 to 1 margin, Angelenos oppose “defunding” the police.

Do you support or oppose defunding the police and cutting the LAPD budget?

31% Support Defunding
64% Oppose Defunding

Mobility

After being educated on the City Mobility Plan Street Measures (Initiative HLA), voters do not favor it.

Prior to providing supporting and opposing arguments

66%
23%

After providing supporting and opposing arguments

48%
45%
Vote in Favor
Vote No