California Demographics 101

California Demographics 101 Analyzing the Numbers : 

California Demographics 101 Analyzing the Numbers Prepared By: Guy Leemhuis Designing for Diversity November 2006

State of California: 

State of California California is home to more than 35 million people and is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse states in the United States

California Regions: 

California Regions Central Coast Region Central Valley Region Desert Region Gold Country Region High Sierra Region Inland Empire Region Lake Tahoe Region Los Angeles County North Coast Region Orange County San Diego County San Francisco Bay Area Shasta Cascade Region

California Counties: 

California Counties There are 58 Counties in California

Largest CountiesOver 500,000 people: 

Largest Counties Over 500,000 people Los Angeles Orange San Diego San Bernardino Riverside Santa Clara Alameda Sacramento Contra Costa Fresno Ventura Kern San Francisco San Mateo San Joaquin

Medium CountiesBetween 100,000 and 500,000 people: 

Medium Counties Between 100,000 and 500,000 people Stanislaus Sonoma Monterey Solano Tulare Santa Barbara Placer San Luis Obispo Santa Cruz Marin Merced Butte Yolo Shasta El Dorado Imperial Kings Madera Napa Humboldt

Smaller Countiesunder 100,000 people: 

Smaller Counties under 100,000 people Alpine Sierra Modoc Mono Trinity Mariposa Inyo Colusa Plumas Glenn Del Norte Lassen Amador Siskiyou Calaveras San Benito Tuolumne Tehama Lake Yuba Mendocino Sutter Nevada

Breakdown By Ethnicity: 

Breakdown By Ethnicity Black persons, 6.8% American Indian and Alaska Native persons, 1.2% Asian persons, 12.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 0.4% Persons reporting two or more races, 2.4% Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, 34.7% White persons, not Hispanic, 44.5%

Breakdown by Language: 

Breakdown by Language There are over 100 language groups throughout the state with Spanish as the largest language group other than English. Other high ranking languages include: Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese and Korean

Disability Statistics: 

Disability Statistics Our best disability statistics to date are from the US Census reporting approximately 19% of California’s population to be people with disabilities.

Demographic Resources: 

Demographic Resources Websites State of California: http://my.ca.gov/state/portal/myca_homepage.jsp California Dept. of Finance: http://www.dof.ca.gov/HTML/DEMOGRAP/Druhpar.asp Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum: www.apiahf.org US Census: www.census.gov US Census Quick Facts: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06000.html

Understanding the U.S. Census: 

Understanding the U.S. Census US Census Quick Facts: Alpine County California Population, 2005 Estimate: 1,159 2004 BREAKDOWN BY RACE Black persons, 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native persons, 19.2% Asian persons, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 0.0% Persons reporting two or more races, 0.5% Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, 7.7% White persons, not Hispanic, 76.9%

Analyzing the Numbers: 

Analyzing the Numbers What percent of individuals residing in Alpine County are people of color? What is the largest community of color in Alpine County? Approximately how many people with disabilities are in Alpine County?

How is Demographic Data Useful: 

How is Demographic Data Useful For Grant Writing For Outreach Planning For Strategic Planning For Needs Assessment For Recruitment and Hiring Staff, And Board Members

Limitations of Census Data: 

Limitations of Census Data Census numbers are a picture in time Cannot predict migration of ethnic groups Can not identify specific disabilities

The Undercounted: Underserved Communities: 

The Undercounted: Underserved Communities Due to a variety of factors, including distrust of the government, oftentimes, people of color do not fill out the census

The Invisible: The Undocumented Population: 

The Invisible: The Undocumented Population Millions of undocumented persons are not included in US Census counts. For example, it is believed that more than 1 million undocumented persons are not counted in Los Angeles County alone.

Using Demographics to Design Culturally Competent Service Plan: 

Using Demographics to Design Culturally Competent Service Plan Identify your sources for information and data Check in with local resources and share your observations of the data to see they agree with your analysis Use demographic data to identify what groups are in your community and what factors might you need to consider when developing your plan for advocacy, outreach and services to the desired community.

Final Thoughts: 

Final Thoughts Demographic Information is a crucial element in identifying what underserved communities reside in your area. However, be mindful of the limitations and seek additional means to augment this information when assessing the needs of individuals in your service area