The Central Bureau of Statistics published on Sunday a survey about how happy Israelis are with their places of residence and population shifts between different communities for the year 2018.
The survey indicated that 84% of Israelis were happy with their area of residence. One-third of Israelis live in the same community in which they grew up.
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Among cities with populations over 100,000, Kfar Saba and Tel Aviv were rated highest, with 96% of Kfar Saba residents and 91% of Tel Avivians satisfied with their communities of residence.
Fifty-eight percent of Israelis said they were satisfied with the amount of green spaces (public gardens and parks) in their communities. The cities deemed greenest by residents were Kfar Saba, with 84% of residents satisfied with the amount of green spaces, and Ramat Gan, with 77% satisfied with the city's amount of green spaces. A total of 63% of Jerusalem residents said they were dissatisfied with the amount of green spaces in the capital.
How clean are Israel's cities? The survey indicated that only 56% of Israelis were satisfied with the level of cleanliness in their communities. The highest rate of satisfaction with municipal cleanliness was in Kfar Saba, with 77%, followed by Rishon Lezon (65%). Only 37% of Jerusalemites were satisfied with the cleanliness – or lack thereof – in the city.
When it comes to the numbers of residents who live in the same communities where they grew up, Jerusalem came out on top, with 63% of residents born and bred. There was a notable gap between Jewish and Arab communities – 80% of Israeli Arabs live in the same community where they grew up, compared to only 24% of Jewish Israelis.
There were also gaps between the religious and secular populations when it came to leaving one's native town: only 17% of secular Israelis live in the communities where they were raised, compared to 27% of modern Orthodox; 29% of Israelis who define themselves as "traditional," and 31% of ultra-Orthodox Israelis.
Out of the 16 largest cities in Israel, Netanya had the largest percentage of residents who say they plan to remain in the city, with 89% digging the Netanyan life. The coastal city was followed by Jerusalem, 88% of whose residents said they planned to stay, and Kfar Saba, with 87% planning to remain for the long-term.
A total of 83% of Israelis age 20 or older said they planned to live in their current communities for the next five years, with 11% saying they planned to leave within five years and 7% uncertain.
Among Arabs, a much higher percentage of residents (90%) said they planned to remain in their current communities for the next five years, compared to 81% of Jews. More married (88%) than single (65%) Israelis said they planned to stay put for the next five years.
The survey also looked at new arrivals. Out of the 16 largest cities in Israel, the largest "new" population – defined as having arrived in the city within the last 10 years – is in Ramat Gan (40% newcomers), followed by Beit Shemesh (36% new residents), and Tel Aviv-Jaffa, 34% of whose residents have lived there for under 10 years.
Do people work where they live? Almost half of employed Israelis (42%) work in their communities of residence, the survey indicated, while 46% work elsewhere.
Out of Israel's 16 largest cities, Jerusalem had the highest percentage of residents who work in the city (86%), followed by Beit Shemesh (70%). In Bat Yam, which lies to the south of Tel Aviv, only 20% of residents are employed in the city.
If nearly half of Israelis work outside their hometowns, how are they commuting? The CBS survey showed that only 38% were satisfied with public transportation in their home communities. The cities in which residents are most satisfied with public transportation are Bat Yam (56%), Beersheba (54%), Bnei Brak, and Haifa (53% each).
Sixty-one percent of Israeli workers commute using their own cars or vehicles, including motorcycles. Only 16% commute on buses. Eight percent commute by bike or on foot, and only 3% commute using the train.
How much time is spent commuting? Nearly a third (32%) of Israeli workers said it took them less than 15 minutes to get to work, with 26% reporting commutes of 15-30 minutes, and 37% commuting half an hour or more, one way. For 5% of workers, traffic and public transportation snafus make it difficult for them to predict when they will arrive at work.
