Poll: One-Third Say They May Leave Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A poll by a prominent business-backed group shows that one-third of San Francisco Bay Area residents say they're considering leaving the congested, pricey region in the next few years.

The Mercury News reports Monday that of the 1,000 people polled by the Bay Area Council, 34 percent said they may move away, citing high housing costs and traffic as reasons.

The poll also found an uptick in the number of residents who believe the region is on the wrong track: 40 percent versus 28 percent last year.

Forty percent of those surveyed say the region is on the right track, down from 55 percent.

The survey found that people who have lived in the region for five years or less are the most likely to want to leave.