The high cost of housing is the county’s biggest problem, and it might prompt as many as one in three residents to move out of the county, new polling shows.

More than one in four Orange County residents (27 percent) said housing affordability is the county’s biggest problem, followed by 24 percent who said the biggest issue is poverty and homelessness, according to a poll released last week by Chapman University.

The housing issue is a big enough threat that about a third of the respondents said they would consider moving away, including 21 percent who say they might move out of state.

Conversely, those who are not planning to leave acknowledge that housing costs are a problem, but told pollsters that “Orange County is worth it.”

“Most people really like Orange County,” said Fred Smoller, associate professor of political science and lead researcher of the survey. “The whole notion that everybody is leaving is ridiculous. We know the prices are outrageous, but we want to stay.”

Phone interviews of 706 local residents were conducted between Feb. 6 and March 4. Fifty-one percent were men, 49 percent were women. Respondents also were broken down by homeowners (56 percent) versus renters (41 percent). The margin of error was 3.7 percent.

About three out of four respondents said home ownership is important. Also, only 11 percent said they’re dissatisfied with their current home, and just 14 percent said paying for housing was a serious problem for them in the past year.

“The American dream is not dead,” Smoller said. “People want to own their own home.”

Still, cost can be a barrier to owning a home in Orange County, and nearly seven in 10 describe it as a “serious issue” for them.

Another barrier is the type of housing built and sold locally. About 80 percent of the people polled said they would prefer a single-family, detached home, but only 51 percent actually have such a dwelling.

High-rise living has little appeal here. Just 5 percent said they want to live in a more densely packed neighborhood filled with high rises.

Respondents were evenly split between those who prefer a house with a big yard requiring they drive nearly every day, versus those who prefer smaller homes in more urbanized, pedestrian-oriented areas.

The poll also found some obvious disconnects.

For example, while almost 90 percent see the lack of affordable housing as a serious issue, 70 percent don’t want affordable housing built in their neighborhoods.