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The quality of community life in the Detroit metropolitan area and factors influencing it were the main focus for this Detroit Area Study. To gauge perceptions of the quality of life in the Detroit tri-county area, respondents were asked how satisfied or dissatisfied they were with the tri-county area in general, with their neighborhoods, and with the quality of local community services, such as quality of local roads, public schools, police and garbage collection. In addition, the survey measured respondents' satisfaction or dissatisfaction with their own education, income, health, amount of leisure time, marriage, family life, job, home, and other aspects of their lives. Respondents also were questioned about their expectations for the future, their friendships in the tri-county area, friendliness with neighbors, use of recreational facilities, and where their children played. The survey also sought respondents' opinions on a wide range of other issues such as race relations, social stratification, abortion, the benefits of the free enterprise system, whether or not the United States was a meritocracy, and the meaning and value of democracy. Additional information gathered by the survey includes duration of residence in the tri-county area and at the current residence, place of previous residence, home ownership, rent payments, value of the home, number of separate bedrooms, motor vehicle ownership and use, use of public transportation, employment status, occupation and industry, independence and authority at work, number of siblings ever born, religious preference, social class identification, political preference, and information on age, sex, place of birth, income, race, ethnicity, and household composition.

The 1989 Detroit Area Study is a social, economic, and political profile of the tri-county Detroit area (Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties). This study addresses fundamental issues of inequality and explores the public's views on crime, education, class, and race. Assessments of the nature and extent of citizen involvement in these community problems and issues are included. A substantial part of the study is devoted to a detailed examination of the extent of racial segregation in the tri-county area, with particular attention to the gap between Blacks and whites in economic resources, vulnerability to crime, assessments of community problems, and political participation. Demographic characteristics of respondents include marital status, education, age, race, sex, employment status, union membership, and income.

This survey focused on issues and problems facing residents of Detroit and the surrounding metropolitan area in 1990, including environmental concerns, problems with law enforcement and drugs, crime, education, housing, jobs, cost of living, welfare, taxes and government services, government administration, moral values, and other concerns. Respondents were asked about the importance they placed on each issue and the perceived priority the government gave to each issue. Environmental issues were further examined with respect to specific environmental concerns, such as pollution, exposure to hazardous waste, loss or harm to wildlife and/or their habitats, and the depletion and conservation of natural resources. Respondents' degree of political and community involvement was gauged through questions regarding their voting behavior, their work for or involvement with a political party or community organization, and the type of community organizations to which they belonged. Racial attitudes were also probed, with questions on the economic position of African Americans, political and economic equality, and attitudes toward African-American subgroups (young, older, middle class). Demographic information includes respondents' gender, age, marital status, race, ethnicity, area of residence, type of residence, duration of residence, and whether the residence was owned by the respondent or rented.