2014Antelope Valley

Labor Market Study

In Partnership withAntelope Valley College

Contents

Introduction page 3

Demographics page 6

Economy page 10

Employment page 12

Housing page 21

Commuting page 26

Education page 30

References page 41

Researched and compiled by:

Dr. Meeta Goel, Dean

Dr. Svetlana Deplazes, Research Analyst

Department of Institutional Effectiveness, Research & Planning, Antelope Valley College

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Introduction

Due to numerous forces at play within the current economic climate, the Antelope Valley (AV) region is poised for even greater growth than it has experienced ever before in its long history. Located 65 miles from Los Angeles, this region encompasses over 3,000 square miles amidst California’s High Desert at about 2,500 feet above sea level. Highways 14 and 138 provide easy and primary access to the AV. The region is comprised of Kern and Los Angeles Counties.

Two military bases, Edwards Air Force Base and Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, the Mojave Air & Spaceport, and numerous aerospace companies located in this valley have contributed greatly to its economy. Some of the nation’s largest aerospace companies such as Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Northrup Grumman, Boeing, and a variety of industries e.g. educational services, healthcare, public administration, transportation, and construction choose to do business in the Antelope Valley.

The climate is mostly sunny, windy, and dry. This makes it ideal for renewable energy initiatives and offers many opportunities for furthering sustainability. The Antelope Valley is on the verge of becoming a center for renewable energy for Southern California.

Source for Map: http://www.antelopevalleyhomesearch.com/Antelope_Valley_MLS/page_848165.html

The potential of this area is clearly evident in its remarkable history because since the beginning of the early exploration and settlement of the Antelope Valley Region, people have traded and networked. The timeline below presents details of this history. This is an inherent feature of this resilient area. From its origins and the early man tribes and the trading of different goods, in times of shortages, to the current time of greater abundance and space travel, the Antelope Valley has thrived. There have been many landmark achievements over the past century e.g. Chuck Yeager’s breaking of the sound barrier. This high desert region continues to flourish and is destined for further success.

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Now a major suburban area, the AV consists of the following cities: Rosamond, Mojave, Ridgecrest, California City, Tehachapi, North Edwards, Inyokern, Palmdale, Lancaster, Littlerock, Acton, and Lake Hughes. The Valley has experienced rapid growth for over a decade and continues to attract people with opportunities for economic development, employment, housing, and affordable living-much like it did hundreds of years ago for Native Americans and pioneers.

AV Then: AV Now:

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The following report covers some key characteristics of the Antelope Valley region. It also examines the major business and industry establishments driving the AV region’s economy and its labor force. This includes some projections for the AV region for the types of business & industry and related occupations that are expected to grow through 2022.

Antelope Valley’s Advantages

• The region offers numerous development, expansion opportunities since growth is projected across all business & industry sectors and in California in general.

• Business & industry growth is supported by local government and the region has over 5,543 business establishments. These establishments have a combined annual payroll of $2,495,519,000 and 76,690 employees.

• The largest number of business establishments by NAICS code are: Retail Trade; Health Care and Social Assistance; Accommodation and Food Services; Other Services (except Public Administration); Construction; Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services; Real Estate and Rental & Leasing; Finance and Insurance; Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services; and Transportation & Warehousing.

The overall costs for business & industry development/operation are lower.

Antelope Valley offers affordable land and housing compared with the rest of the state.

There is a surplus of available labor force.

The area is in recovery with decreasing unemployment rates and the growing number of business establishments.

There is a potential to create a climate where more of those that are commuting can work and live right here.

With increased numbers of people who have capitalized on all that this valley offers and have settled here has come an increased need for and availability of good and services (e.g. restaurants, shops, etc.).

The ethnic/racial diversity provides an enriching cultural environment and has implications for economic development, along with education and training needs.

The majority of the AV workers 25 years of age and over have not completed a college degree and college education is generally associated with higher wages. To ensure a higher number of skilled labor and quality of life, education and training is needed in many areas, particularly health care and ESL for a bilingual workforce.

A relatively youthful median age in the 30s could help further develop, support, and sustain the region for years to come. With a large population of school age children and family friendly orientation and activities, the AV is an attractive choice for an increasing number of individuals.

AV is in close proximity to L.A. and access to large metropolitan area. The planned bullet train and airport will help improve the efficiency of travel to and from the region.

This region is a haven for renewable energy initiatives because of availability of ample solar and wind and the City of Lancaster has the goal to be the solar capital.

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Demographics

Population by Race/Ethnicity, Gender & Age The population of California has seen a steady increase from the 2010 Census to 2014 and grew 13.2% from 2000 to 2014 and 2.9% from 2010 to 2014. Los Angeles County’s population increased by 5.5% between 2000 and 2014, while Kern County’s increased by 32% for the same time period. From 2010 to 2014, Los Angeles and Kern County populations grew by 2.3% and 4.0%, respectively.

Population Trends by County & the State of California

2000 Census 2010 Census 2014 Estimates

California 33,871,648 37,253,956 38,340,074 Los Angeles County 9,519,338 9,818,605 10,041,797

Kern County 661,645 839,631 873,092

California Department of Finance estimates steady continued population growth up to 2060 for California. Los Angeles County and Kern County are expected to experience population growth during that time, as well. The incorporated cities of the Antelope Valley within Los Angeles and Kern Counties have also experienced growth since 2000. The population of Lancaster and Palmdale grew 2% from 2010-2014. However, the population of the incorporated cities within Kern County declined by 1.6% between 2010 and 2014. The total population of the incorporated cities of the Antelope Valley is estimated at 370,795. Overall, the population of the Antelope Valley has increased by 32.6% from 2000 to 2014 and 1.4% from 2010 to 2014. Lancaster and then Palmdale remain the two largest and fastest growing cities in the Valley.

Population Trends for Antelope Valley Incorporated Cities, Associated Counties and the State of California

COUNTY/CITY 4/1/2010 1/1/2011 1/1/2012 1/1/2013 1/1/2014 Kern 56,150 55,054 55,219 55,006 55,260 California City 14,120 12,787 13,259 13,197 13,276 Ridgecrest 27,616 27,835 28,089 28,461 28,638 Tehachapi 14,414 14,432 13,871 13,348 13,346

Los Angeles 309,383 310,803 311,692 313,351 315,535 Lancaster 156,633 157,632 157,904 158,722 159,878 Palmdale 152,750 153,171 153,788 154,629 155,657 State Total 37,253,956 37,427,946 37,668,804 37,984,138 38,340,074

Data that include the unincorporated cities of the Antelope Valley follow. Median age, income and population density are presented by city in the following table:

Antelope Valley Population Estimates By Race/Ethnicity

City/County Hispanic White African American Asian Native Some Two or more Total

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of any race

American Indian/ Alaska Native

Hawaiian/ Pacific

Islander

other race

races population

AV-Kern County Rosamond 6,799 8,022 1,381 176 834 0 15 788 18,015 Mojave 2,044 1,380 271 13 16 0 0 111 3,835 Ridgecrest 4,020 19,621 1,570 197 1,079 105 19 1,165 27,776 California City 3,332 7,265 1,990 0 376 0 60 338 13,361 Tehachapi 4,587 8,050 1,008 178 209 20 14 102 14,168 North Edwards 88 702 92 0 0 0 0 44 926 Inyokern 114 891 14 74 0 0 0 20 1,113 AV-Kern Subtotal 20,984 45,931 6,326 638 2,514 125 108 2,568 79,194

AV-LA County Palmdale 83,403 37,326 20,351 319 6,479 289 398 3,276 151,841 Lancaster 58,317 54,565 29,382 869 8,279 348 239 3,497 155,496 Littlerock 709 462 13 0 32 0 0 53 1,269 Acton 929 5,865 27 0 92 0 105 99 7,117 Lake Hughes 122 379 9 28 0 0 0 37 575 AV-LA Subtotal 143,480 98,597 49,782 1,216 14,882 637 742 6,962 316,298

TOTAL Region 164,464 144,528 56,108 1,854 17,396 762 850 9,530 395,492 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey.

The primary racial/ethnic groups are Hispanic/Latino, White, and African American, with varying compositions across the cities of the Antelope Valley. Hispanics are the majority in both Palmdale and Lancaster, while Whites are the majority in most of the other cities. African Americans are generally the third largest group.

California vs. Antelope Valley Region Population Estimates by Race/Ethnicity

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey

Overall, when compared with the rest of the state of California, the Antelope Valley’s population has a higher percentage of African American and Hispanic/Latino population groups, and lower percentages of White, Asian, and Non-Hispanic groups. California is moving towards a two-majority racial/ethnic group state and it is expected that Hispanic/Latino group will outnumber the current majority group of Whites, the AV region has already experienced in its racial/ethnic composition, with the proportion of Hispanic/Latino group increasing by more than 10% during the last decade. These factors that are also associated with cultural shifts in the region should be considered for economic development and planning. This increase in the diversity of the population can provide for a more enriching cultural

African American

5.8%

American Indian/Alaska

Native 0.4%

White alone 40.1%

Native Hawaiian/Pacifi

c Islander 0.4%

Other 0% Two or more

races 2.5%

Hispanic/Latino (of any race)

37.6%

Asian 13.0%

California, ACS 2008-2012

African American

14.2% American Indian/Alaska

Native 0.5%

White alone 36.5%

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

0.2% Other 0%

Two or more races 2.4%

Hispanic/ Latino 41.6%

Asian 4.4%

AV Region, ACS 2008-2012

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environment. It is also an opportunity for increasing awareness, understanding, and appreciation of other racial/ethnic groups.

California Population by Hispanic Origin or Latino Heritage Compared to the AV Region

AV-Kern AV-LA County Total AV CA

# % # % # % # % Hispanic/Latino (of any race) Not Hispanic or Latino

20,984 26.5% 143,480 45.4% 164,464 41.6% 14,024,019 37.6% 58,210 73.5% 172,818 54.6% 231,028 58.4% 23,300,959 62.4%

Total population 79,194 100% 316,298 100% 395,492 100% 37,325,068 100% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey.

The Antelope Valley’s population has a higher percentage of the Hispanic/Latino group and a lower percentage of the Not Hispanic or Latino group than the state of California, overall.

AV Region and California Population Distribution by Gender

AV-Kern AV-LA Total AV CA

Male 53.0% 49.3% 50.5% 49.70%

Female 47.0% 50.7% 49.5% 50.30% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey.

There is a slightly higher percentage of males compared with females in the Antelope Valley and the opposite is the case for the state of California.

Population Distribution by Age for AV Cities

Subject Under 5 years

5 to 14 years

15 to 19 years

20-65 years Over 65 Total

Rosamond 1,796 2,704 1,744 10,376 1395 18,015 Mojave 440 391 282 2,299 423 3,835 Ridgecrest 1,975 4,260 2,037 16,211 3293 27,776 California City 1,013 1,950 966 7,918 1514 13,361 Tehachapi city 965 1,128 986 9,813 1276 14,168 North Edwards 117 114 33 575 87 926 Inyokern 43 64 91 584 331 1,113 AV-Kern 6,349 10,611 6,139 47,776 8,319 79,194 Palmdale 12,473 28,211 15,176 85,666 10315 151,841 Lancaster 12,841 25,779 13,196 90,659 13021 155,496 Littlerock 11 240 129 777 112 1,269 Acton 432 861 597 4,286 941 7,117 Lake Hughes 71 82 78 302 42 575 AV-LA County 25,828 55,173 29,176 181,690 24,431 316,298 TOTAL Region 38,526 76,395 41,454 277,242 32,750 395,492

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey.

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In the cities of the Antelope Valley, the largest age group is the 20-65 year olds. School aged children comprise the second largest group. The median age is the highest for Inyokern (54.5) and lowest for Palmdale (28.7), with most of the remaining cities of the Antelope Valley having a median age in the 30s. This relatively younger median age is an opportunity for leading and lending stability to this region for many years to come. The area offers a plethora family-oriented activities, including athletics.

Median Age by AV Cities

City/County Median Age AV-Kern County Rosamond 29.7 Mojave 32.1 Ridgecrest 35 California City 34.4 Tehachapi 35.5 North Edwards 38.4 Inyokern 54.5 AV-LA County Palmdale 28.7 Lancaster 31.5 Littlerock 33.1 Acton 45.3 Lake Hughes 30.8

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey.

The Economy of the Antelope Valley

10%

11%

7%

8%

7%

13%

4%

8%

8%

8%

1%

6%

12%

8%

15% 10%

15% 15%

8% 12%

6% 13%

19% 17%

19% 12%

14% 17%

10% 7% 7% 7%

7% 4%

8% 8%

10% 8%

10% 8%

14% 9%

58% 60% 58% 59%

69% 62%

52% 60%

56% 58%

61% 60%

53% 57%

8% 11% 12% 11%

9% 9%

30% 11%

7% 8% 9%

13% 7%

8%

RosamondMojave

RidgecrestCalifornia CityTehachapi city

North EdwardsInyokern

AV-KernPalmdaleLancasterLittlerock

ActonLake Hughes

AV-LA County

Population Distribution by Age Groups

Under 5 years 5 to 14 years 15 to 19 years 20-65 years Over 65

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The U.S. economy and labor market has been improving, and this is expected to continue during 2014-15. Housing and construction have been rebounding as well. California has recovered most of the jobs lost during the recession. Employment in major sectors has been increasing e.g. Aerospace & Technology, Agriculture, Health Care, International Trade, and Tourism. In 2014, the CA economy is projected to grow by 2.8%, compared with 2.5% for the U.S, and by 3.5% by 2015 (LAEDC). For Los Angeles County, the industry sectors with the most growth were: Health Care; Social Assistance; Leisure and Hospitality; Administrative Support Services; Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, and Construction. As presented at the Antelope Valley Board of Trade 2014 Annual Business Conference, the Antelope Valley’s economy has been recovering too, partially because the valley is centrally located to growing counties and cities, but also due to its numerous attributes and all it has to offer. For example, the valley has lower cost land and housing; the potential to be an energy hub and will start selling sources of energy; made advances with decreasing waste, reusing water and desalinization of water; has been creating jobs in areas such as healthcare and aerospace; a light rail project; a Palmdale airport and a library for Quartz Hill are planned. The retail market in Antelope Valley is expected to take off by the end of 2014. The valley will need to decrease importing and increase local spending e.g. construction. The results of the Antelope Valley Board of Trade’s 2014 Small Business Survey (n=3,000) supported economic recovery during 2014-15, with 20% of businesses expecting to increase the number of people working for them over the next 12 months compared with 17% in 2010. Survey of Regional Employers

An online survey was conducted of AV region employers during October 2014. The survey was sent via email to a list of GAVEA contacts. There were 23 respondents who provided data for their organizations. Of these, there were three manufacturing, three public administration and three transportation and warehousing firms that responded. Two respondents each from finance and insurance; healthcare and social assistance; other services; professional, scientific and technical services; real estate & rental and leasing; and utilities related companies. One respondent each from education services and information related organizations. The following organizations responded to this survey: Aamstamp Machine Co.; Antelope Valley Transit Authority; Chapman Communications; Charles Hoey and Associates; City of Ridgecrest; City of Tehachapi; GAVAR; Home Instead Senior Care; Innovative Coatings Technology Corp.; IPKeys; Los Angeles County; Mike Dispenza State Farm Agency; Monarch, Inc.; Palmdale Regional Medical Center; Palmdale Water District; Platinum Home Mortgage; Precision Labs; Rancho Vista Golf Club; Wal-Mart Stores Inc.; and Westside Union School District. Of these employers, LA County, with 101,296 budgeted positions, is the largest employer in the five-county region. Of these budgeted positions, 31,568 are in law and justice, 28,772 are in health services, and 21,405 are in social services with a spectrum of job listings – from clerk to truck driver, sanitarian to psychiatrist, scientist to scuba diver, attorney to helicopter pilot.

According to survey respondents, the types of occupational opportunities offered by these organizations were: Clerical, Construction, Skilled Trades, Accounting, Purchasing, Customer Service, etc.; Clerical Sales; Clerical Management; Hospital Finance & Management; Nursing; Imaging (X-Ray/MRI); Physical, Occupational & Speech Therapy; Professional Caregivers or Non-Medical Home Care; Mechanics; Drivers; Electrical Engineering; Engineers; Scientists; Information Technology & Security; Manufacturing; Public Relations; Property Sales; Restaurant & Banquet Servers, Bar Tenders; Grounds Keepers; Golf Instruction; Retail, Cashier, Management; Teachers, Instructional Assistants, Administrators, Clerks, Secretaries, Counselors, Psychologists, Custodians, and Bus Drivers.

The total annual payroll for the organizations that responded to the survey ranged from $90,000 to $59 million and the number of employees for these firms ranged from one to 88,510 total number of employees. The highest level of education for the majority of employees was an Associate degree or below. The majority of employees from these

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firms live in the Antelope Valley and the rest are in the rest of Los Angeles County, with a few in other states or California cities. The majority of respondents indicated that there was no union representing the interests of their employees and that their current employees have some training needs. Those training needs include: ESL, Computer/Excel/Adobe Illustrator; continuous training on new system; ongoing safety and technical training; industry related training; manufacturing technologies, computer numerical control training; and nursing, management, clinical competence training. The greatest need appeared to be for nursing-related training. Nursing personnel and specialty trained technicians were the positions with the biggest shortage of workers. Based on this survey, the greatest projected growth in employment opportunities is from the Palmdale Regional Medical Center.

The governments of the cities of the Antelope Valley have created an environment that fosters business and industry growth. A prime example of this is the City of Lancaster’s vying to become the “solar capital of the world”. As of 2014, the city requires all new single-family homes to either have solar panels or have their respective subdivisions produce one kW of solar energy per house. The goal is to become the epicenter for solar and clean energy by producing more solar energy than what is utilized on a daily basis. This continues to create sustainability-related business opportunities for the area. Another example of this is how recently, the AVTA authority started operating a pair of all electric buses. These busses are funded under a grant from the state in order to show the feasibility of this type of public transportation. More interesting about this project is that the busses are actually manufactured in the AV, so that if the project feasibility is good, there will be a potential influx of jobs for the AV. The increasing population of these cities has also brought with it a need for goods and services, along with an accompanying demand for skilled labor.

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Employment

California, Kern County & Los Angeles County Comparison

The national economy has begun to recover, and the U.S. unemployment rate was at 6.1% for June 2014 vs. 6.6% in January 2014, while California’s was at 7.4% for June, 2014 compared with 8.1% in January, 2014. Employment numbers in Los Angeles County have been on a slight upswing with an unemployment rate of 8.0% percent for May, 2014 as compared to 9.0% in January, 2014. The Kern County’s unemployment rate was somewhat higher at 10.10% in May, 2014, down from 12.3% in January of the same year. As unemployment rates have continued to fall, as of June 2014, the State of California has recovered the jobs lost with the recession.

Labor Force Data by AV Cities

Area Name Labor Force Employment Unemployment

Number Rate AV-Kern County 390,200 350,200 40,000 10.2% California City 5,300 4,900 400 8.0% Edwards AFB 1,500 1,400 100 8.5% Golden Hills 4,900 4,600 200 4.8% Inyokern 600 600 0 6.2% Mojave 2,000 1,800 200 11.5% North Edwards 800 700 100 9.4% Ridgecrest 16,900 16,000 1,000 5.8% Rosamond 9,300 8,500 800 8.4% Tehachapi 3,600 3,400 200 6.4%

AV-Los Angeles County 4,970,300 4,564,100 406,100 8.2% Acton 1,200 1,200 100 6.0% Lancaster 56,500 49,900 6,600 11.6% Palmdale 56,200 50,500 5,700 10.2% Quartz Hill 5,500 5,000 500 8.5% California 18,618,600 17,240,700 1,378,000 7.4%

Source: California Employment Development Department, Labor Market Information Division

Annual Unemployment Rate by City: 2000 to 2013

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As can be seen in the chart above and the table below, unemployment has also decreased steadily over the past three years across all the cities of the Antelope Valley.

Unemployment Rate by City/County

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

United States 5.1% 4.6% 4.6% 5.8% 9.3% 9.6% 8.9% 8.1% 7.4%

California 5.4% 4.9% 5.4% 7.2% 11.3% 12.4% 11.8% 10.4% 8.9%

Kern County 8.4% 7.5% 8.2% 9.8% 14.4% 15.9% 14.9% 13.3% 11.8%

California City 6.6% 5.9% 6.3% 7.6% 11.3% 12.6% 11.8% 10.5% -

Ridgecrest 4.7% 4.2% 4.5% 5.5% 8.3% 9.2% 8.6% 7.6% -

Rosamond 6.9% 6.2% 6.7% 8.0% 11.9% 13.2% 12.4% 11.0% -

Tehachapi 5.2% 4.6% 5.0% 6.1% 9.1% 10.1% 9.5% 8.4% -

LA County 5.4% 4.8% 5.1% 7.5% 11.6% 12.6% 12.3% 10.9% 9.9%

Lancaster 7.7% 6.9% 7.3% 10.7% 16.2% 17.5% 17.1% 15.4% -

Palmdale 6.7% 6.0% 6.4% 9.4% 14.3% 15.5% 15.2% 13.6% -

Source: As cited on kidsdata.org, California Employment Development Dept. (June 2013); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor Force Statistics including the National Unemployment Rate (June 2013).

The Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor designates Labor Surplus Areas (LSA) on the fiscal year basis. To qualify as a LSA, the average unemployment rate in the specified area for must be at least 20% higher than the national unemployment rate for the period of two calendar years. For the 2014-15 fiscal year, the national unemployment rate averaged at 7.77% and was set as a reference rate. Therefore, to qualify as LSA for the, the unemployment rate must be at 9.32% for the period from January 2013 through December 2013. Most of the region, including two AV cities with the population over 25,000, Palmdale and Lancaster, has been consistently designated as LSA. Being on the list may provide some benefits to the existing and new businesses located in the AV. For example, to strengthen economic growth, preferences may be given to the employers in bidding on federal procurement contracts and for small businesses awards in Historically Underutilized Business Zones; private companies may bring new businesses to the areas of underutilized labor force (U.S. Department of Labor, n.d.).

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Business Patterns (NAICS*) by AV Region ZIP Codes: Number of Business Establishments, 2008-2012

ZIP Code City 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 AV-Kern County

93516 Boron 26 26 28 31 28 93504, 93505 California City 85 75 76 86 88 93524, 93523 Edwards 70 80 75 73 72 93527 Inyokern 24 22 24 22 21 93501, 93502 Mojave 110 104 108 114 113 93556, 93555 Ridgecrest 510 501 497 500 497 93560 Rosamond 132 118 108 112 123 93561, 93581 Tehachapi 466 425 424 418 415 AV-LA County 93563 Valyermo 4 4 4 5 5 93532 Lake Hughes 38 33 31 30 29 93543 Littlerock 79 70 74 69 76 93544 Llano 10 9 9 7 10 93553 Pearblossom 15 13 16 15 17 93510 Acton 148 142 142 146 146 93534-93536, 93539, 93584, 93586 Lancaster 2,365 2,217 2,215 2,202 2,273 93550-93552, 93591, 93599 Palmdale 1,708 1,636 1,647 1,623 1,630 Total AV Cities 5,790 5,475 5,478 5,453 5,543

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 ZIP Code Business Patterns.

*Note: NAICS is North American Industry Classification System

Based on the business patterns presented in the table above, the number of business establishments is growing in Lancaster, Palmdale, and other rural areas of the AV after a decline that took place from 2008 to 2011. Lancaster has encountered the largest growth in the number of businesses between 2011 and 2012, and it accounted for 77% growth in the total AV area’s number of businesses opened in the same period of time.

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

2008-2012: Number of Business Establishments by Zip Code Area

Lancaster Palmdale

Other AV-LA-Kern County All incorporated cities

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The following table shows the number of establishments, employees, and annual payroll in 2012 for AV cities with Lancaster, Palmdale, Ridgecrest, Edwards, and Mojave having the largest numbers of business establishments, employees, and annual payrolls. The combined annual payroll across all sectors for AV cities was $2,495,519,000.

Paid Employees, First-Quarter and Annual Payroll for All NAICS Sectors AV Region, 2012

City Number of Establishments

# of Paid employees for pay period including 03/12

First-quarter payroll ($1,000)

Annual payroll ($1,000)

AV-Kern County

Boron 28 - - - California City 88 529 3,961 17,848 Edwards 72 1,969 27,592 109,044 Inyokern 21 99 566 2,069 Mojave 113 1,888 24,548 96,410 Ridgecrest 497 6,697 56,784 226,197 Rosamond 123 965 5584 23,877 Tehachapi 415 3,333 23,290 96,248 AV-LA County Valyermo 5 55 434 1909 Lake Hughes 29 2,068 1,120 5,105 Littlerock 76 580 2,798 11,727 Llano 10 - - - Pearblossom 17 44 300 1,270 Acton 146 991 6,712 29,660 Lancaster 2,268 35,836 300,899 1,202,373 Palmdale 1,626 21,736 163,301 671,782 Total AV Cities 5,543 76,690 617,889 2,495,519

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 ZIP Code Business Patterns

The top 10 sectors with the largest numbers of business establishments for the region were: Retail Trade; Health Care and Social Assistance; Accommodation and Food Services; Other Services (except Public Administration); Construction; Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services; Real Estate and Rental & Leasing; Finance and Insurance; Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services; and Transportation & Warehousing.

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Number of Business Establishments in AV by 2-digit NAICS, 2012

2012 NAICS code

2012 NAICS Description # of establishments %

44-45 Retail trade 892 16.1 72 Accommodation and food services 632 11.4 81 Other services (except public administration) 573 10.3 23 Construction 518 9.3 54 Professional, scientific, and technical services 454 8.2 62 Health care and social assistance 793 14.3

56 Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 272 4.9

53 Real estate and rental and leasing 345 6.2 52 Finance and insurance 297 5.4

31-33 Manufacturing 150 2.7 48-49 Transportation and warehousing 156 2.8

42 Wholesale trade 153 2.8 71 Arts, entertainment, and recreation 67 1.2 51 Information 97 1.7 61 Educational services 82 1.2 22 Utilities 35 0.6 21 Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction 6 0.1 55 Management of companies and enterprises 12 0.2

11 Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 2 0.0

99 Industries not classified 7 0.1 All Codes Total 5,543 100%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 ZIP Code Business Patterns.

The table below presents the number of employees by major occupational groups occupations for the cities of Antelope Valley and, overall, the largest numbers of those employed are in Management, Business, Science, and Arts; Sales and Office; and Service related occupations. In addition, the greatest concentrations of these employees are in Lancaster and Palmdale. However, some of the smaller cities have proportionately high numbers of employees in these major occupational groups e.g. Ridgecrest, Rosamond, California City, Tehachapi, and Acton.

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AV Region Employment Estimated by BLS Major Occupational Groups

Subject

Calif

orni

a Ci

ty

Inyo

kern

Moj

ave

Nor

th E

dwar

ds

Ridg

ecre

st

Rosa

mon

d

Teha

chap

i

Acto

n

Lake

Hug

hes

Lanc

aste

r

Litt

lero

ck

Palm

dale

Civilian employed population 16 years & over

4,262 454 1,191 364 12,045 7,011 3,824 3,234 235 56,460 671 56,120

Management, business, science, and arts:

1,620 190 238 87 5,146 2,129 984 1,196 149 18,126 119 14,443

Management, business, and financial (11-0000, 13-0000)

814 78 141 45 1,645 530 434 546 19 6,177 73 5,378

Computer, engineering, and science (15-0000,17-0000,19-000

488 43 35 3 1,899 674 176 175 0 2,600 22 2,397

Education, legal, community service, arts, and media 21-0000, 23-0000, 25-0000, 27-0000)

248 24 62 39 1,094 550 170 362 130 5,721 13 4,170

Healthcare practitioner and technical occupations (29-0000)

70 45 0 0 508 375 204 113 0 3,628 11 2,498

Service occupations: 1,055 67 320 57 1,820 1,320 1,293 463 5 10,881 146 12,026 Healthcare support (31-0000) 130 0 32 0 227 141 55 20 0 1,499 0 1,426 Protective service (33-0000) 253 0 32 20 290 302 310 289 0 1,941 0 1,553 Food preparation and serving related occupations (35-0000)

88 67 64 37 693 381 375 28 0 2,645 87 3,292

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance (37-0000)

268 0 165 0 411 335 265 31 0 2,626 59 2,748

Personal care & service (39-0000) 316 0 27 0 199 161 288 95 5 2,170 0 3,007 Sales and office occupations: 712 60 224 62 2,623 1,747 671 858 71 15,295 198 14,594 Sales (41-0000) 292 31 62 11 1,056 647 311 415 0 6,545 115 6,597 Office and administrative support (43-0000)

420 29 162 51 1,567 1,100 360 443 71 8,750 83 7,997

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance:

583 79 159 36 1,286 1,124 460 355 10 6,042 130 6,520

Farming, fishing, and forestry (45-0000)

38 0 10 0 0 16 66 0 0 305 15 117

Construction & extraction (47-0000)

314 30 51 21 470 537 185 218 0 3,365 115 3,902

Installation, maintenance, and repair (49-0000)

231 49 98 15 816 571 209 137 10 2,372 0 2,501

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations:

292 58 250 122 1,170 691 416 362 0 6,116 78 8,537

Production (51-0000) 153 0 142 26 578 351 186 63 0 2,774 13 4,518 Transportation and Material moving (53-0000)

139 58 108 96 592 340 230 299 0 3342 65 4019

Source: ACS 2012 Note: for the crosswalk of BLS Major Occupation Groups and Census Standard Occupational Classification (SOC), please refer to http://www.bls.gov/cps/cenocc2010.pdf. Based on the median income estimates presented in the following table for major occupational groups by the cities of the Antelope Valley that are within Kern County, Management, Business, Science, and Arts related occupations are the highest paying, overall, across the AV cities of Kern County; Production, Transportation, and Material Moving

17

occupations are the second highest paying; while Natural Resources, Construction, and Maintenance have the third highest income.

AV-Kern County Median Income Estimates by Major Occupational Groups, by City

Occupation

Calif

orni

a Ci

ty

Inyo

kern

Moj

ave

Nor

th

Edw

ards

Ridg

ecre

st

Rosa

mon

d

Teha

chap

i

Civilian employed population 16 and over 36,707 59,333 26,902 33,750 40,095 36,475 28,333

Management, business, science, and arts: 57,656 83,875 62,083 65,733 56,667 60,987 58,026 Management, business, and financial (11-0000, 13-0000) 59,948 100,233 64,145 85,054 56,335 68,205 56,579

Computer, engineering, and science (15-0000, 17-0000, 19-000) 55,343 105,580 73,984 - 74,568 85,000 64,788

Education, legal, community service, arts, and media 21-0000, 23-0000, 25-0000, 27-0000) 43,750 - 11,806 65,819 18,906 29,180 8,304

Healthcare practitioner and technical occupations (29-0000) 60,804 - - - 42,068 56,080 64,550

Service occupations: 13,600 10,639 18,646 14,875 14,454 22,976 16,749

Healthcare support (31-0000) 13,125 - 27,778 - 14,089 21,382 27,218

Protective service (33-0000) 65,680 - 18,542 - 64,550 66,563 64,545 Food preparation and serving related occupations (35-0000) 13,642 10,639 22,727 14,042 13,185 9,759 15,948

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance (37-0000) 25,294 - 17,125 - 15,685 22,757 6,425

Personal care & service (39-0000) 8,750 - 11,776 - 8,317 10,614 8,565

Sales and office occupations: 33,581 7,361 20,556 30,833 23,838 30,539 21,976

Sales (41-0000) 18,013 5,347 18,942 - 15,906 21,125 14,276

Office and administrative support (43-0000) 40,000 120,083 22,083 31,292 27,948 33,488 35,219 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance: 44,836 58,417 29,273 63,043 54,000 37,013 34,741

Farming, fishing, and forestry (45-0000) - - - - - 12,222 14,583

Construction & extraction (47-0000) 62,000 81,250 16,411 62,813 41,667 28,701 42,679

Installation, maintenance, and repair (49-0000) 28,090 53,920 33,333 63,295 57,500 54,245 44,417 Production, transportation, and material moving occupations: 58,889 80,990 37,188 32,734 39,853 27,708 26,196

Production (51-0000) 70,825 - 45,057 13,750 43,533 19,831 20,857

Transportation occupations 44,357 80,990 50,192 51,389 51,444 51,620 34,265

Material moving occupations 20,284 - 24,000 27,500 7,371 17,917 25,163

Source: ACS 2012

The following table shows the median income estimates for major occupational groups by the cities of AV that are in Los Angeles County. Management, Business, Science, and Arts related occupations are the highest paying, overall,

18

across the AV cities of Los Angeles County; Natural Resources, Construction, and Maintenance occupations have the second highest wages; while Service related occupations are the third highest paying.

AV-LA County Median Income Estimates by Major Occupational Groups, by City

Occupation

Acto

n

Lake

Hug

hes

Lanc

aste

r

Litt

lero

ck

Palm

dale

Civilian employed population 16 and over 45,078 38,798 36,206 20,102 30,941

Management, business, science, and arts: 82,308 44,830 54,798 36,790 56,895

Management, business, and financial (11-0000, 13-0000) 102,731 54,875 56,888 36,222 55,815

Computer, engineering, and science (15-0000,17-0000,19-000) 92,679 - 77,697 87,115 79,777 Education, legal, community service, arts, and media (21-0000, 23-0000, 25-0000, 27-0000) 18,026 43,750 46,223 - 45,588

Healthcare practitioner and technical occupations (29-0000) 106,250 - 49,827 - 58,442

Service occupations: 83,475 - 23,444 4,598 17,826

Healthcare support (31-0000) 42,000 - 25,619 - 18,373

Protective service (33-0000) 102,795 - 60,140 - 60,057

Food preparation and serving related occupations (35-0000) 10,192 - 17,853 - 14,721

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance (37-0000) 9,135 - 22,845 6,639 21,789

Personal care & service (39-0000) 30,804 - 20,851 - 14,689

Sales and office occupations: 30,130 8,818 30,535 20,921 25,757

Sales (41-0000) 31,854 - 25,786 7,946 21,212

Office and administrative support (43-0000) 23,125 8,818 31,900 21,678 31,241

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance: 58,875 62,500 37,602 14,333 35,067

Farming, fishing, and forestry (45-0000) - - 18,851 - 16,131

Construction & extraction (47-0000) 71,591 - 36,345 13,083 31,447

Installation, maintenance, and repair (49-0000) 50,179 62,500 47,190 - 38,763

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations: 31,121 - 36,176 21,146 30,648

Production (51-0000) 65,481 - 33,520 - 29,524

Transportation occupations 44,357 - 43,783 - 37,762

Material moving occupations 20,284 - 20,571 20,807 18,830

Source: ACS, 2012

http://www.bls.gov/cps/cenocc2010.pdf

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Projected Job Growth

California remains one of the leading economies in the world and has been recovering well, as supported by decreasing unemployment rates and an improving housing market. Growth is projected in the state through 2020 for all job sectors. New opportunities will be provided because growth is projected for occupations that were impacted by the recession. Through 2020, the fastest growing occupations will be Home Health Aides, Personal Care Aides, Pharmacists and Software Developers.

Kern County 2010-2020:

During 2010-2020, for Kern County, the most job openings projected are for Farm Workers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse; Cashiers; Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers. Median wage for these occupations ranges from $9 per hour and some on the job training is required. Examples of the occupations that need a bachelor’s degree or more include Teachers (K-12), Accountants and Auditors.

Los Angeles County 2010-2020:

During 2010-2020, for Los Angeles County, the most job openings projected are for Retail Salespersons, Cashiers, and Personal Care Aides. Median wage for these occupations ranges from $9 to $11 per hour and less than a high school education is required. Examples of the occupations that need a bachelor’s degree or more include Lawyers, Teachers, Accountants and Auditors.

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Housing in Antelope Valley

While housing markets in the state of California and of LA County are among the most expensive in the country, one distinctive feature of the AV region is that it offers affordable housing. In 2013, the median home value of owner-occupied houses in CA was $383,900 and $268, 100 in the U.S. (California Center for Jobs); the housing prices in cities of the AV region were relatively low and affordable. Homeownership rates in the majority of the most populated cities of the AV region are higher than those in the rest of LA and Kern Counties as well as the state.

Housing Quick Facts, State, County, and Major Cities Comparisons

Housing QuickFacts LA County Lancaster Palmdale Kern

County Rosamond CA

Housing units, 2010 3,462,202 51,835 46,544 288,342 6,968 13,680,081 Homeownership rate, 2008-12 47.30% 61.30% 65.70% 59.10% 66.70% 56.00% Housing units in multi-unit structures, %, 2008-12 42.10% 20.20% 14.60% 18.50% 13.20% 30.90%

Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2008-2012 $443.3K $174.9K $187.2K $171.2K $140.7K $383.9K

Households, 2008-2012 3,218,511 46,844 40,702 253,178 5,585 12,466,331 Persons per household, 2008-12 3 3.17 3.73 3.18 2.93 2.93 Per capita money income in past 12 months (in 2012 $), 2008-12 $27,900 $20,393 $18,695 $20,216 $29,551 $29,551

Median household income, 2008-12 $56,241 $51,719 $54,277 $47,727 $58,933 $61,400 Persons below poverty level, percent, 2008-12 17.10% 21.00% 19.40% 22.50% 21.20% 15.30%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau: State and County QuickFacts.

The incorporated cities of the Antelope Valley have 120,222 housing units. A majority (91%) of these units are occupied. More than three quarters of these units are located in Los Angeles County.

City/County Housing Estimates, January 2014

County/City Population

HOUSING UNITS Single

Detached Single

Attached Two to

Four Five Plus Mobile Homes Occupied

Vacancy Rate

Persons per Household

AV-Kern California City 13,276 4,047 97 471 159 452 4,115 21.3% 2.87 Ridgecrest 28,638 8,024 470 1,852 814 936 10,939 9.6% 2.60 Tehachapi 13,346 2,409 77 439 251 446 3,194 11.8% 2.79 AV-Los Angeles

Lancaster 159,878 36,789 832 3,094 7,880 3,915 47,603 9.3% 3.20 Palmdale 155,657 36,916 852 1,416 5,427 2,157 43,159 7.7% 3.60 Total 370,795 88,185 2,328 7,272 14,531 7,906 109,010

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Median Sold Price per Square Foot by Zip Code, December 2004 – June 2014

ZIP City 12/04 12/05 12/06 12/07 12/08 12/09 12/10 12/11 12/12 12/13 06/14 AV-Kern County 93561 Tehachapi 149 183 184 160 145* 130 104 96 94 116 122 93560 Rosamond 148 184 178 137 100 87 81* 78* 77 99 99 93555 Ridgecrest 92 137 138 128 117 116 116 109 101 92 105 93505 California City 102 143 150 131 104* 35 42* 40* 45 52 52 AV-LA County 93552 Palmdale 168 204 190 131 100 78 82 70 75 107 111 93551 Palmdale 166 189 197 151 113 95 91 90 92 115 130 93550 Palmdale 172 217 225 170 93 75 79 77 80 112 118 93536 Lancaster 162 175 183 140 104 88 90 77 94 111 119 93535 Lancaster 155 193 190 154 86 69 73 64 71 99 103 93534 Lancaster 165 201 210 151 97 68 69 69 75 103 111 Note: * denotes median sold price per square foot within the six-month period, closest to December of the same year, when December price is not available. Source: Zillow Real Estate Research (http://www.zillow.com/research/data/)

Before the recent Great Recession, which was partially caused by the housing market bubble, the prices of real estate were on the rise across Southern California and especially in the AV region. They peaked by the end of 2006. The area

was hit hard and it was among the top ten in the nation for the number of foreclosures. This made housing more affordable and a number of families from greater LA moved to the AV where they could afford bigger houses in this

family-oriented community with cleaner air, plenty of sunshine, good schools, and limited traffic congestion. The housing prices continued to fall for about a three-year period, and started to rise at the end of 2009. By 2014, they have reached the pre-housing boom level as they were in 2003, except for 93534 (Lancaster), leaving this area an

affordable and appealing community.

0

50

100

150

200

250

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

$

Median Sold Price per Sq.ft by ZIP Code, 2001 to 2014

93561

93560

93555

93505

93552

93551

93550

93536

93535

93534

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Median Sold Prices by Zip Code, Ten-Year Trend

ZIP City 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

93505 California City

157,750

212,100

215,650

170,000 70,000*

70,000

75,500* 60,000*

60,000

65,077

93561 Tehachapi

248,850

279,075

292,250

273,654

215,294

193,824

168,500

156,200

183,250

210,000

93560 Rosamond

230,450

283,000

290,750

257,675

210,500

165,000

117,353

115,000* 122,000*

145,000

93555 Ridgecrest

134,750

195,100

207,825

190,100

174,000

167,350

168,125

151,500

145,000

175,385

93552 Palmdale

309,178

363,727

376,253

310,203

155,001

146,751

156,500

148,751

154,650

195,450

93551 Palmdale

403,927

439,452

419,003

325,853

231,176

216,002

198,277

209,302

240,250

274,600

93550 Palmdale

267,552

326,376

330,653

269,002

124,226

128,100

113,851

115,301

129,750

165,950

93536 Lancaster

341,302

400,008

387,928

289,502

221,502

185,751

176,876

189,502

210,650

250,275

93535 Lancaster

251,852

313,802

317,253

239,452

120,301

119,151

113,701

102,601

133,700

154,250

93534 Lancaster

234,651

291,426

280,001

254,616*

119,251*

91,051

92,529 108,225*

108,700

148,000 Note: All prices are for April of the year. (*) denotes median sold price from the month closest to April of the same year when April price is not available. Source: Zillow Real Estate Research (http://www.zillow.com/research/data/) The ten-year trend of fluctuations for median sold prices is similar to that for per square foot prices. While relatively lower prices are an advantage for new home-buyers, this is still a challenge for the existing homeowners who bought their home during the boom period.

Monthly Cost for Owner-Occupied Housing Units with a Mortgage

City

Percentages by Monthly Housing Cost Ranges Median Monthly Housing Costs ($) $200 -$499

$500 -$999

$1,000 - $1,249

$1,250 - $1,499

$1,500 - $1,999 $2,000

Tehachapi (CCD) 1.4 13.2 11.3 15.6 24.6 33.8 1,673 California City 0 21.4 18.5 22.6 18.4 19.1 1,361 Inyokern 7.7 41.1 5.7 28.7 16.7 0 1,052 Mojave 2.1 49.3 28.8 4.7 8.6 6.5 992 North Edwards 0 39.2 23.8 34.3 2.8 0 1,114 Ridgecrest 2.9 23.2 17.7 17 26.9 12.1 1,338 Rosamond 1.9 14.9 18.8 10.2 26.7 27.6 1,567 Acton 0 5.7 5.8 1.1 9.6 77.7 2,874 Lake Hughes 0 0 41.3 0 39.9 18.8 1,785 Lancaster 0.7 8.7 13.6 14.0 22.1 41.1 1,795 Littlerock 4 33.4 20.4 4.7 21.1 16.4 1,154 Palmdale 0.5 7.2 10.6 11.2 24.1 46.5 1,924 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey

23

In general, the homeowners of the AV-LA portion of the region pay higher median housing monthly costs than those in the AV-Kern portion, with higher percentages of the homeowners paying over $1,500/month.

Owner-Occupied Housing Units, Mortgage Values, and Median Real Estate Taxes

City and CDP # of

Units

Percentage of Owner-Occupied Units by Mortgage Value Median Mortgage Value ($)

Median Real Estate Taxes, ($) < $50K

$50K - $99.9K

$100K - $149.9K

$150K - $199.9K

200K- 299.9K

$300K -$499.9K

> $500K

Tehachapi (city) 5,567 2.3 5.7 9.3 17.8 35.6 22.2 7 235.6K 2,306 California City 2,158 11.6 34.5 20.1 18.1 12.1 1.4 2.3 107.6K 1,197 Inyokern 209 0 17.2 24.9 51.2 6.7 0 0 157K 821 Mojave 337 14.5 54 15.7 13.1 0 2.7 0 78,3K 966 North Edwards 143 28.7 16.8 22.4 23.1 9.1 0 0 107.7K 761 Ridgecrest 4,328 2.8 6.5 16 30.5 32.6 11.6 0 190.2K 1,546 Rosamond 2,790 8.6 12.8 26.9 20.5 22.9 7.5 0.8 155.7K 1,646 Acton 1,872 1.4 1.4 0 2.7 10.4 41.8 42.4 466K 4,378 Lake Hughes 138 0 0 25.4 15.9 30.4 28.3 0 214.3K 2,622 Lancaster 22,934 3.5 10.9 19.8 20.3 26.6 16.0 2.9 187.9K 2,397 Littlerock 275 4.0 22.5 12.4 32.4 28.7 0 0 160K 1,475 Palmdale 22,867 2.2 6.9 19.2 24.1 28 17.4 2.1 193.6K 2,860

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey

The residents of the AV-Kern County cities of Mojave, California City, and North Edwards have the lowest median values of mortgages less than $110,000; in the AV-LA County, the lowest mortgage value is in Littlerock. Except for Acton, the most expensive city to own a home in the region, the median housing prices and mortgage values in the AV cities are lower than those in the LA County and California overall.

Between the two counties of the AV region, median real estate taxes paid by the some homeowners from the Kern County cities of Mojave, California City, Inyokern, and North Edwards are lower due to the lower property values. In other Kern County cities, real estate taxes are higher, but are slightly lower than the amount that the homeowners from LA County pay. In LA County, the lowest median real estate taxes are in Littlerock and the highest in Acton. For Lancaster/Palmdale sub-region, Palmdale homeowners, whose houses tend to be more expensive, pay higher taxes than Lancaster homeowners.

24

Mortgage Status by Ratio of Value to Household Income and Median Income

City/CDD

Ratio of Mortgage Value to Household Income in the Past 12 Months Median household income in 2012

Inflation-adjusted, $

<2.0 2.0-2.9 3.0-3.9 >4.0

Tehachapi 31.4 23.4 13.1 31.7 77,577 California City 61.3 16 5.2 14.7 71,750 Inyokern 47.4 16.3 28.7 7.7 69,375 Mojave 68.5 17.2 10.7 3.6 67,228 North Edwards 88.1 11.9 0 0 71,563 Ridgecrest 48.3 21.6 12.3 17.7 85,243 Rosamond 54.0 18.9 10.4 15.7 79,907 Acton 8.4 13.6 17.1 61.0 97,285 Lake Hughes 20.3 46.4 12.3 21.0 65,658 Lancaster 36.2 25.1 13.3 23.3 75,453 Littlerock 24.0 24.4 4.0 47.6 43,086 Palmdale 32.8 26.3 16.1 24.2 74,326

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey

Mortgage status by ratio of value to household income can be interpreted in terms of the debt-to-income ratio or housing affordability and “the rule of thumb” is that it should be less than 3. In the AV-Kern county portion of the Antelope Valley for the majority of home owners, the ratio is less than 2. It implies that home-ownership is pretty affordable there, except for Tehachapi, where this ratio applies to almost one-third of the homeowners, and Ridgecrest and Inyokern, where it is applies to 48.3% and 47.4%, respectively. In AV-LA County, the housing affordability for over a half of the homeowners in Lancaster, Palmdale, and Lake Hughes is within the affordable range of less than 3. Acton is the least affordable place in AV in which to own a house. For 78% of the homeowners, the ratio is over 3; moreover, for 61% of them it is 4 and above. Littlerock is also less affordable due to an unfavorable combination of median income, home and mortgage values.

25

Commuting

According to the data from the most recent American Community Survey from both 2008-2012 and 2013, mean travel time to work for the AV residents ranges from 15 minutes among Ridgecrest workers and 40 minutes among Palmdale workers. Over half of both Tehachapi and Ridgecrest residents spend less than 15 minutes on their way to work; almost 1/3 and 1/5 of Palmdale and Lancaster residents, respectively, spend one hour or more on their way to work. Major means of transportation to work are cars, trucks, or vans. Over 92 percent of Lancaster/Palmdale residents drive themselves to work; of those, over 85,000 (79%) drive alone and almost 14,500 (13%) carpool. Approximately 15% of Palmdale residents and 8% of Lancaster residents leave their homes before 5 AM. On average, 2% of Lancaster/Palmdale residents use public transportation on their way to work, and 3.7% residents of two major AV cities work from home.

Commuting Time for AV Cities

City Travel time to work

Less than 15 minutes

15 to 29 minutes

30 to 45 minutes

45 to 59 minutes

60 or more minutes

Mean travel time to work (minutes)

Lancaster 31.8% 31.8% 9.3% 8.6% 18.5% 30.4 Palmdale 20.3% 27.9% 7.7% 12.0% 32.3% 40.4 Tehachapi 56.6% 17.0% 5.7% 9.9% 11.0% 20.7 California City 15.3% 32.4% 29.1% 11.9% 11.3% 32.5 Ridgecrest 66.4% 19.4% 7.6% 2.3% 4.5% 15 Mojave 13.9% 40.6% 29.4% 6.3% 9.9% 30.4

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey.

Where Do Antelope Valley Residents Work?

Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics or LED “OnTheMap” hosted by The Census Bureau’s Center for Economic Studies provides a unique tool for using information to identify the commuting patterns and job flow of regional workers by geography and industry.

Palmdale Workers

During 2011, the residents of Palmdale held 47,606 primary jobs. The greatest concentration of Palmdale employees outside of their home city was in the City of Los Angeles; 12,251 individuals (25.7 percent) commuted to the City of Los Angeles for their primary job. Another 11.3 percent worked in Santa Clarita, Simi Valley, Burbank, Long Beach, Pasadena, and Glendale. Nearly 53 percent of Palmdale’s workers commuted to the greater Los Angeles area.

Lancaster Workers

The residents of Lancaster held over 45,000 primary jobs during 2011. The greatest concentration of Lancaster employees outside of their home city was in the City of Los Angeles. About 8,600 individuals (19 percent) commuted to the City of Los Angeles for their primary job. Another 9 percent worked in Santa Clarita, Simi Valley, Burbank, El Segundo, Pasadena, and Glendale. Overall, 28 percent of Lancaster’s workers commuted to the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles Census County Division (CCD) area.

26

Interdependence of Palmdale and Lancaster

During 2011, 10.5 percent of Palmdale’s working residents (about 5,000) were employed in Lancaster. Of these, 34 percent earned more than $40,000 per year. On the other hand, almost nine percent of Lancaster’s working residents (almost 4,000) were employed in Palmdale during 2011. Of these, 46 percent earned more than $40,000 per year. The top industry types for these employees were also employed in Goods Producing, as well as Trade, Transportation, & Utilities and occupation in these industries accounted for 44 percent of the Palmdale jobs and 25 percent of the Lancaster jobs.

Littlerock Workers

During 2011, 67 percent of the Littlerock commuters traveled between 25 and 50 miles for their primary jobs, while 13.3 percent travelled less than 10 miles. Only 8 workers out of 368 were employed in their home city, and about 20 percent were employed in Lancaster an d Palmdale, while 28 percent (102) were employed in the city of Los Angeles; 30 workers traveled to Santa Clarita and Burbank among other cities. Over 40 percent of Littlerock’s jobs were taken by the residents of the AV region, including Palmdale, Lancaster, Lake LA, Rosamond.

Rosamond Workers

During 2011, 90 percent of 4,882 Rosamond workers were employed outside of their home city. Twenty-one percent of workers commuted to Lancaster, eight percent to Palmdale. About five percent commuted into the City of Las Angeles, four percent to Bakersfield. In addition, 2.7 percent of commuters worked in Edwards AFB, 2.5 percent in Mojave, and 2.1 percent in Santa Clarita. Forty three percent of commuters traveled greater than 50 miles, and 8 percent between 25 and 50 miles, 36 percent traveled between 10 and 25 miles.

Mojave Workers

About 23 percent of Mojave’s 1,320 workers were employed in their own community during 2011. Commuting workers traveled primarily to Lancaster, Palmdale, Edwards AFB, Boron, Bakersfield, California City, and Rosamond, although 6.5 percent did commute into the City of Los Angeles.

California City Workers

During 2011, 13.4 percent of the 2,816 California City workers were employed in their own city. About eight percent commuted to each Lancaster and Mojave. Four and a half percent of workers were employed at Edwards Air Force Base. About 5 percent of California City workers commuted to Bakersfield, four percent to Boron, over four percent to Palmdale, and over 5 percent to the City of Los Angeles.

Ridgecrest Workers

Ridgecrest lies in the far northeast corner of Kern County near the boundaries of Tulare, Inyo, and San Bernardino. Because of its relative isolation, 51 percent of the 6,635 workers were employed in their home community during 2011 mostly at the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, and for over half of them, the travel time to work was less than minutes. However, despite the distance, 37 percent traveled over 50 miles to get to work. Almost 400 workers traveled into San Bernardino County, 375 traveled to Bakersfield, or approximately 145 miles from both. Almost 150 commute to Lancaster-Palmdale area (over 80 miles away), and approximately 360 traveled to the City of Los Angeles. Top three sectors with the higher percentage of Ridgecrest workers are Health Care and Social Assistance; Professional, Scientific & Technical Services; and Educational services, and together comprise almost 40% of all jobs.

27

Tehachapi Workers

During 2011, almost 29 percent of the greater Tehachapi area’s 10,243 workers were employed within their own community: Tehachapi city (14 percent), Golden Hills (12 percent), Bear Valley Springs. Of those workers who commuted, over 1,200 (12 percent) were employed in Bakersfield. About 8 percent of the workers commuted to Lancaster, Mojave, and Palmdale. Over four percent commuted to the City of Los Angeles.

Commuting to the Antelope Valley

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, OnTheMap Application and LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics

Out 45,148 living in the City of Lancaster, 34,127 (76%) are employed outside, and 11,021 (24%) both live and work here. Among 47,606 residents of the city of Palmdale holding primary jobs, 6,122 (24%) are working in the same city, and 41,484 are employed outside and 42.4% of these commuters from Palmdale earn more than 40,000 per year. The number of Palmdale jobs filled by outside workers was 19,029 (76%). Palmdale’s net job outflow was 22,455 (25,151 of all cities’ jobs minus 47,606 workers living in the area.

Out 45,148 residents of the city of Lancaster holding primary jobs, 11,021 (24%) work in the same city and 34,127 (76%) are employed outside. Among Lancaster residents who commute for their work, 44 percent earn more than $40,000 a year. A total number of primary jobs in the city of Lancaster is 32,628, and 21,607 (66%) are filled by the workers who are coming from the outside areas, and the net job outflow is 12,520 workers.

Commuting to the Antelope Valley

Greater Los Angeles area not only attracts AV’s workers, but also supplies them to the AV. About 3,900 commuters travel into the region from the City of Los Angeles. Another 1,468 workers commute from the Santa Clarita area, and another 954 travel from Simi Valley, Long Beach, Glendale, and Pasadena. Over 500 workers commute from Bakersfield and 577 commuters come from as far as San Diego. One implication of these commuting data is to help create increased opportunities for residents who wish work closer to home.

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Bullet Train

In order to improve access to and from the AV, the proposed high-speed rail (HSR) project that will connect Palmdale with Southern California and Northern California, as well as Las Vegas by 2029 is undergoing through intensive planning stages. One of the branches that will connect Palmdale with Los Angeles through Burbank of this multi-billion dollar project would be the first in the Southern California region if fully realized. This is considered a game-changing opportunity for the area that is often called LA’s bedroom community. What is now almost a ninety minutes ride from Palmdale to Burbank on Metrolink, may become a fifteen-minute trip. Thus, the AV will be connected to the San Fernando Valley by a HSR system with speeds in excess of 200 mi/hr. The Burbank Station will provide access to other rail transit, air, Metrolink, and bus lines. The ramification of this project would be reduce traffic and air pollution in addition to the facilitation of in-flow & out-flow of labor and economic development.

Source: California High-Speed Authority, http://www.hsr.ca.gov/

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Education

K-12 Students by School District and Ethnicity

In 2013-2014 academic year, over 91,000 students were educated in the Antelope Valley region. Fifteen percent of these students live in Kern County and 85 percent live in Los Angeles County and. AV’s largest school districts are located in LA County. Palmdale and Lancaster Elementary Districts provided education to 40 percent of the region’s students. Twenty-seven percent were enrolled in the Antelope Valley Union High School District (AVUHSD).

AV Region Public School Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity, 2013-2014

Hispani

c or Latino

American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian Pacific Islander

African America

n White

Two or

More Races

Not Report

ed Total

AV-Kern Unified Districts Mojave Unified 1,100 19 32 8 763 676 100 7 2,705 Muroc Joint Unified 487 11 77 7 146 1,056 239 0 2,023 Sierra Sands Unified 1,273 67 232 51 266 2,975 68 1 4,933 Southern Kern Unified 1,541 25 55 9 350 895 45 91 3,01 Tehachapi Unified 1,323 26 72 2 71 2,753 57 7 4,311 AV-Kern County Subtotal 5,724 148 468 77 1,596 8,355 509 106 13,972 AV-LA Elementary and Unified Districts Acton-Agua Dulce Unified 841 24 143 8 153 1,118 44 52 2,383 Eastside Union Elementary 2,023 10 66 6 793 326 66 0 3,290 Hughes-Eliz. Lakes Union Elementary 51 0 1 0 1 186 7 7 253

Keppel Union Elementary 2,071 10 8 2 141 419 38 0 2,68 Lancaster Elementary 7,381 66 397 21 4,301 2,230 384 9 14,789 Palmdale Elementary 15,442 153 395 35 3,479 1,616 343 160 21,623 Westside Union Elementary 3,608 27 457 19 1,006 3,443 299 92 8,951 Wilsona Elementary 864 12 10 0 146 230 44 8 1,314 High School District Antelope Valley Union High 13,373 229 770 74 4,560 4,785 575 102 24,468 AV-LA County Subtotal 45,654 531 2,247 165 14,580 14,353 1,800 430 77,071 Total Antelope Valley 51,378 679 2,715 242 16,176 22,708 2,309 536 91,043 Kern County 113,984 1,049 6,622 360 10,326 44,248 2,448 643 179,680

LA County 1,006,282 4,964 15,4439 6,363 128,333 220,956 19,159 12,20

8 1,552,704

California Total 3,321,274 38,616 69,4285 32,821 384,291 1,559,113 167,15

3 39,11

9 6,236,672

Source: California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS)

Racial/ethnic distribution of K-12 enrollment differs from the total population distribution in the AV report earlier. The majority of K-12 students in the Antelope Valley are Hispanic/Latino (53 percent versus 42% total in the AV). Another 23 percent are White (vs. 37% in the AV) and 17 percent are African American (vs. 14% of the total AV). Three percent are Asian (including Filipino), one percent is American Indian/Alaska Native, and less than one percent are Pacific Islander. Two percent are multiracial, and one percent of students did not identify their race/ethnicity.

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Since 2008-09 academic year (as last reported in the 2010 AVLMS), the racial/ethnic makeup of the public school enrollment in Antelope Valley has changed. In the Antelope Valley Union High School District, the percentage of Hispanic/Latino students is 55 percent (up from 49 percent in 2008-09). The largest elementary district in the region, Palmdale Elementary, has also the largest share of Hispanic/Latino students (71 percent), up from 65 percent in 2008-09.

The proportion of Hispanic/Latino and White students in the Antelope Valley region is different from the proportion in the total population. According to the 2012 American Community Survey, 44 percent of all individuals in the six largest cities of the region were Hispanic/Latino and 33 percent were White. Looking at the combined enrollment of the two largest elementary school districts,

Lancaster and Palmdale, it is apparent that the racial/ethnic composition in the major AV-region cities is changing over time, especially for young Hispanic (63 percent in 2013-14, up by 5 percent in 2008), and White (11 percent, down from 14 percent in 2008) student groups.

While the proportion of Hispanic/Latino (53 percent) and White (23 percent) student enrollment in the Antelope Valley is consistent with the racial/ethnic makeup at the state level (53 and 25 percent, respectively), the representation of African American students is disproportionate (17 percent in the AV and 6 percent in California). The racial/ethnic composition is different from the national public school enrollment data, too. Nationwide in 2013, 24 percent of public school students were Hispanic, 16 percent were African American, and 51 percent were White.

It is apparent that the Antelope Valley region’s racial/ethnic makeup has been shifting in recent years towards more Latino culture. Working hard towards building a business-friendly environment to support community prosperity has been one of the priorities for the Antelope Valley region. Therefore, it is important for community leaders to take into consideration both the advantages and challenges associated with this cultural change and plan ahead to accommodate them. One of them is addressing the great demand for a bi-lingual workforce.

Hispanic or Latino

53%

American Indian or

Alaska Native

1% Asian

3%

Pacific Islander

0.3%

African American

17%

White 23%

Two or More Races

2%

Unknown 1%

K-12 Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity, 2013-14 Antelope Valley Region

Hispanic or Latino 63%

American Indian/AK

Native 1%

Asian 2%

Pacific Islander

0.3%

African American

21%

White 11%

Two or More Races

2%

Unknown 0.5%

Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity 2013-14 Lancaster & Palmdale Elementary

Districts

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Hispanic or Latino 53.1%

American Indian/Alaska Native

0.7% Asian 2.8%

Pacific Islander

0.3%

African American

16.7%

White 23.5%

Two or More Races

2.4%

Not Reported

0.6%

CA Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity, 2013-2014

English Language Learners

During the 2012-2013 academic year, over 15,500 public school students in the Antelope Valley region were identified as English Language Learners. Over 95 percent of English Language Learners spoke Spanish as their first language. Though the total number of ELL students in the Antelope Valley area school districts has been decreasing over years, the number of ELL students is growing in some districts while declining in others. In the last two years, the number of ELL students in the region started to decrease, except for Mojave, Tehachapi and Acton Unified School Districts.

Number of English Learners in Public Schools: 2010 – 2013

Academic Year 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

AV-Kern Unified School Districts

Mojave Unified 417 393 342 347 Muroc Joint Unified 71 71 62 58 Sierra Sands Unified 465 430 389 358 Tehachapi Unified 308 350 333 360 Sub-total AV-Kern County 1,261 1,244 1,126 1,123 AV-Los Angeles Elementary and Unifies Districts

Acton-Agua Dulce Unified 173 157 132 198 Eastside Union Elementary 1,007 1,089 909 976 Keppel Union Elementary 940 941 831 827 Lancaster Elementary 2,787 2,657 2,496 2,760 Palmdale Elementary 6,298 6,285 6,083 5,886 Westside Union Elementary 782 685 673 661 Wilsona Elementary 501 497 484 378 High School Districts Antelope Valley Union High 3,677 3,457 3,206 2,766 Subtotal AV-Los Angeles County 16,165 15,768 14,814 14,452 Total Antelope Valley 17,426 17,012 15,940 15,575 Kern County Total 37,448 37,316 36,801 37,267 Los Angeles County Total 415,613 396,427 373,790 354,601 California 1,475,988 1,441,901 1,387,665 1,346,333

Source: California Department of Education, DataQuest; KidsData.org.

Readiness for College

Preparation for college is often measured by the completion of certain high school courses required for CSU/UC college system entrance. These courses are often called “a-g” subjects, and the intent of “a-g” subject requirements is to ensure that high school graduates have attained a body of general knowledge necessary to succeed in academically challenged environment. In Antelope Valley, Hispanic/Latino and African American students have relatively lower completion rates for “a-g” courses, with AV Hispanic/Latino students having higher completion rate than African American students.

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Percent of High School Graduates Completing Courses Required for UC/CSU Entrance by Select Racial/Ethnic Groups, 2012-2013

Source: California Department of Education, California Basic Educational Data System (CBEDS)

As a part of the programs, students and parents are notified of graduation requirements and changes to the requirements for entrance into the University of California system. Conferences are being held at every high school in the Antelope Valley on Saturdays to inform students and parents of these requirements, thus facilitating high school graduation and entry into college.

Tenth Grade Students Passing the High School Exit Exam in Math: 2009-10 to 2013-14

Locations Percent 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14

California 81% 83% 84% 84% 86% Kern County 79% 80% 80% 80% 82% Mojave Unified 64% 64% 70% 63% 64% Muroc Joint Unified (School District) 90% 80% 82% 86% 89% Sierra Sands Unified (School District) 82% 85% 84% 83% 83% Tehachapi Unified (School District) 87% 87% 86% 84% 81% Los Angeles County 78% 81% 82% 83% 85% Acton-Agua Dulce Unified (School District) 87% 88% 83% 85% 93% Antelope Valley Union High (School District) 73% 76% 75% 76% 77%

Source: As cited on kidsdata.org, California Department of Education, California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) Research Files; California Department of Education DataQuest.

Competence in math and science is related to high school student readiness for further education and productive participation in the workforce, which leads to higher potential incomes. In California, algebra is one of the “gateway” college preparatory courses. A growing percentage of all California students are passing high school exit exam in math. All Los Angeles County students are performing slightly better than all Kern County students. Although Antelope Valley students are showing improvement, the largest in the area high school district’s students have room to grow. Across the AV region in 2014, passing percentages ranged from 64 to 93 percent.

30.1%

31.2%

27.1%

29.1%

21.8%

33.3%

21.7%

29.2%

33.5%

51.8%

33.3%

47.1%

29.5%

39.2%

29.8%

39.4%

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0%

Antelope Valley UnionHigh

Los Angeles Total

Kern County

California

Total White, not Hispanic African American, Not Hispanic Hispanic or Latino of Any Race

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Students Scoring Proficient or Higher on Algebra I CST

Percent

2010 2011 2012 2013 Kern County 24% 26% 27% 29% Mojave Unified 6% 14% 10% 11% Muroc Joint Unified 33% 28% 21% 29% Sierra Sands Unified 28% 31% 35% 35% Tehachapi Unified 46% 24% 30% 27% Los Angeles County 28% 30% 33% 36% Acton-Agua Dulce Unified 14% 25% 20% 15% Antelope Valley Union High 11% 11% 14% 14% California 31% 32% 34% 36%

Source: KidsData.org, California Department of Education, Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Results.

The percentage of students who scored proficient or better on the Algebra I California Standards Test (CST) has increased in LA and Kern counties and statewide between 2010 and 2013. However, the scores demonstrated by the Antelope Valley students are not consistent across the school districts. In 2013, in the Antelope Valley region, less than a third of students in the assessed grades demonstrated proficiency in the skills assessed by the Algebra I CST, and the numbers ranged from 11 to 35 percent scoring “proficient” or better.

Secondary Education and Work Force Training

A number of studies have reported that dropping out of high school is associated with negative consequences in the future. As compared to counterparts with higher levels of educational attainment, young adults who drop out of high school are more likely to live in poverty, have a lower earning potential, and have higher chances of being unemployed, especially during economic downturns. The outcome of not earning high school diploma may result in earning a significantly lower amount of money over a lifetime, up to a million dollar, as compared to college graduates. In addition, high school drop outs might place a burden on the society in terms of greater reliance on public assistance and higher crime rates.

In 2012-2013 academic year, a total of 24,816 students were enrolled in the Antelope Valley Union High School District, which serves the greatest percentage of young people in the region. In the spring of 2013, 4,842 students graduated

from the district.

Using the National Center for Education Statistics’ method, the California Department of Education reported that Antelope Valley Union High School District had a four-year cohort graduation rate of 78.3%. This figure is higher than the rates for both Los Angeles County (77.0%) and Kern County (76.0%).

The AVUHSD and Antelope Valley Regional Occupational Program (AVROP) provide high school students with the opportunity to gain the skills necessary for college acceptance as well as career and certification readiness through the Career Technical Education

programs, in which students receive industry supported instruction in an environment that facilitates their academic and career interests. The AVUHSD has six California Partnership Academies at various high school sites within the district that provide instruction and training in the fields of Education and Health Careers; Law & Government; Agriculture & Environmental Science; Digital Design & Engineering, and Sustainable Technologies.

78.3% 76.0% 77.0%

0%20%40%60%80%

AV UnionHigh School

District

Kern County LA County

Class of 2012-13 High School Graduation Rates

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The AVUHSD also runs SOAR (Student On Academic Rise) High School, an alternative school located on the Antelope Valley College campus. It is an Early College High School that provides an academically enriched and flexible environment for high potential but low opportunity students who thrive in non-traditional educational setting. With its main emphasis on math, science and engineering, SOAR High School prepares students for more advanced college courses. The SOAR’s enrollment has increased from 50 students in 2006 to 384 in 2013-14 academic year. Through this program, successful students receive both a high school diploma and an Associate's college degree at the time of their graduation.

Students drop out of high school for a variety of reasons, among which are teenage pregnancy, poverty, low expectations of success, peer pressure, etc. Of the three major racial/ethnic groups in the Antelope Valley region in 2012-13, estimated graduation rates were particularly lower and dropout rates higher for African American and Hispanic/Latino than for White students. In the Antelope Valley Union High School District (AVUHSD), the four-year cohort dropout rates for the Class of 2012-13 were 11.6 percent among Hispanic/Latino, 17.3 percent among African American, and 6.8 percent among White students, and 11.3 percent total for the district. The Antelope Valley Union High School District has implemented several programs to address the high school dropout rate and continues to seek innovative ways to address this issue through local and state partnerships.

SAT Scores

Over 2,220 of the AV region students took Sat exam in 2012-13 year. Among them, 1,850 (or 27.3 percent of the district’s high school seniors) were from the Antelope Valley Union High district. Almost thirty-one percent of AVUHSD college-bound students from the Class of 2013 earned the score that was above SAT average of 1500. The percentages of above 1,500 were higher in three out four AV-Kern county’s school districts than in AV-LA county school districts.

AV Region School Districts SAT Scores, 2012-2013

District Grade 12 Enrollment

Number Tested

Percent Tested

Critical Reading Average

Math Average

Writing Average

Total >= 1,500, #

Total >= 1,500, %

AV-Kern County Mojave Unified 175 48 27.43 432 438 420 10 20.8 Muroc Joint Unified 136 56 41.18 495 499 475 27 48.2 Tehachapi Unified 373 137 36.73 525 523 503 73 53.3 Sierra Sands Unified 363 103 28.37 556 558 547 78 75.7 AV-LA County Acton-Agua Dulce Unified 194 31 15.98 468 459 469 9 29.0 Antelope Valley Union High 6,762 1,850 27.36 463 455 453 564 30.5 Los Angeles County 124,011 56,566 45.61 469 484 469 21,462 37.9 Kern County 13,554 4,110 30.32 462 471 452 1,311 31.9 California 496,859 200,543 40.36 492 508 489 93,136 46.4

Source: California Department of Education DataQuest

Educational Attainment

Education has never been more critical for a skilled workforce and a successful life. Education and training tend to pay off substantially over a lifetime and unemployment rates tend to decrease with increasing levels of education (see following chart).

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The majority of the population from Antelope Valley cities, aged 25 years or more, possesses less than an Associate’s degree. Since generally, higher levels of education are associated with lower levels of unemployment and higher levels of pay, the AV region could benefit from increased opportunities for education training and capitalization on partnerships with institutions of higher education.

Population Educational Attainment by City/CDP

City Population >= 25

Less than High

School

High school graduate (includes

equivalency)

Some college,

no degree

Associate's degree

Bachelor's degree

Graduate or professional

degree

AV-Kern County

Tehachapi 10,215 27.1% 29.4% 27.9% 6.5% 6.5% 2.6% Inyokern 870 26.8% 15.7% 18.3% 16.3% 18.3% 4.6%

North Edwards 542 16.3% 40.8% 20.7% 6.8% 15.5% 0.0% California City 8,460 18.1% 28.3% 30.6% 8.8% 8.7% 5.5% Ridgecrest 17,762 9.0% 21.5% 30.4% 11.8% 18.4% 8.9% Rosamond 10,269 18.2% 32.5% 27.3% 9.2% 9.5% 3.4%

Mojave 2,301 28.6% 40.5% 20.9% 4.6% 3.5% 1.9%

AV-LA County

Acton 4,860 6.3% 24.8% 30.0% 10.8% 17.3% 10.6% Littlerock 669 22.8% 37.8% 22.1% 8.1% 7.8% 1.3% Palmdale 83,514 27.0% 24.8% 25.7% 7.8% 10.0% 4.7%

Lake Hughes 344 15.7% 14.5% 27.0% 9.0% 25.9% 7.8% Lancaster 91,958 19.4% 28.7% 26.1% 9.5% 10.9% 5.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey.

According to the 2012 American Community Survey estimates, the levels of educational attainment varied across the AV region. In AV-Kern county, Ridgecrest has the lowest proportion of its residents with high school diploma or less and highest proportion with Bachelor’s and beyond (31% and 27%, respectively). The proportion of bachelor’s and graduate

36

degrees among Mojave, Rosamond, Tehachapi, and California City residents is less than 15%, while the proportions of high diploma or less in these cities range from 46% in California City to 69% in Mojave. The proportion of some college or associate degrees ranges from 26% to 43%. In the AV-LA County cities, Acton and Lake Hughes have the lowest proportions (around 30%) of the residents with high school diplomas or less and Littlerock’s has the highest (61%). On average, the residents of the AV-LA County have slightly higher level of educational attainment than AV-Kern County residents. The feature of the region is that a number of residents have advanced degrees in science and engineering, but this area has a number of low-skilled jobs, too.

Participation in post-secondary education has been increasing in the Antelope Valley. As the economy suffered, people turned to colleges to meet their educational needs. Many were in search of retooling and new career options. According to the 2012 American Community Survey estimate, in two largest urbanized area cities, 48% (Palmdale) and 52% (Lancaster) of young adults had some post-secondary training, including associate and bachelor’s degrees. These numbers increased in the last years by more than 15 percent for Lancaster-Palmdale area since 2005. Furthermore, 42% (Palmdale) and 44% (Lancaster) of 18-24 year-old young adults were enrolled in college or graduate school, up from 29 % for Lancaster-Palmdale area in 2005 and 39 % in 2008. Over 80 % of enrolled college students in the Antelope Valley area attended public institutions.

Median Earnings in 2012 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars by Education Level

City Less than high school graduate

High school graduate (includes equivalency)

Some college or associate's degree

Bachelor's degree

Graduate or professional degree

Population over 25 years with earnings

AV-Kern County Tehachapi city 16,528 27,589 34,894 31,250 91,173 29,844 Inyokern 10,917 81,250 80,339 84,563 - 68,698 North Edwards - 33,281 56,000 67,241 - 49,722 California 11,765 25,599 51,490 55,052 66,655 36,426 Ridgecrest 17,529 34,173 42,588 57,621 73,194 43,347 Rosamond 16,920 36,409 43,684 64,914 72,011 39,079 Mojave 20,536 37,344 30,000 30,329 73,672 29,821 AV-LA County Acton 31,724 33,878 44,214 87,054 80,833 48,682 Littlerock 20,052 29,519 25,536 21,711 - 22,238 Palmdale 21,579 28,012 38,440 51,427 77,467 33,171 Lake Hughes 8,986 50,750 38,894 29,955 - 37,692 Lancaster 23,406 31,942 40,041 58,133 79,826 37,582

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey.

So, although there some demand for individuals who have less than an Associate’s degree, there is also a need for higher levels of education and, thus, an opportunity for ready access to educational and training opportunities. Overall, those individuals with college degrees who are employed in the AV had higher median earnings than those with less than an Associate’s degree.

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The difference between median earnings based on the level of educational attainment is significant in all cities across the AV region, and it is especially apparent in Tehachapi. The lowest median earning are in Littlerock probably due very small percentage residents with advanced degrees. Between AV-LA and AV-Kern counties, the median earnings are higher in Kern County, while the gaps between earnings by the levels of educational attainment are narrower in the LA portion of the AV region.

Poverty Rate for Population Over 25 by Educational Attainment, ACS 2008-2012

Less than high school

graduate High school graduate (includes equivalency)

Some college or associate's degree

AV-Kern County Tehachapi city 20% 12% 11% Inyokern 29% 11% 0% North Edwards 34% 22% 12% California City 32% 22% 12% Ridgecrest city 37% 13% 10% Rosamond 33% 14% 8% Mojave 36% 20% 20% AV-LA County Acton CDP 0% 7% 7% Littlerock 14% 5% 18% Palmdale city 24% 16% 12% Lake Hughes 69% 0% 5% Lancaster city 28% 21% 14%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey.

91,173

66,655 73,194 72,011 73,672

80,833 77,467 79,826

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

90,000

100,000

Median Earnings In 2012 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars by Educational Attainment

Less than high schoolgraduate

High school graduate(includes equivalency)

Some college orassociate's degree

Bachelor's degree

Graduate orprofessional degree

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Poverty rates correlate with the level of educational attainment, and the estimates for the AV region show that they are higher among less educated residents than among those with some postsecondary education or training. Across all AV cities, the positive difference in the poverty rate between high school or less and some college/associate degree range from 21% (Tehachapi) to 64% (Lake Hughes) suggesting that it is worth the effort to continue education beyond secondary level, especially in the areas where low skilled jobs are scarce. As the AV region continues to grow in all respects, these data suggest a tremendous need for education and training if the area is to ensure a higher quality of life.

Public Post-Secondary Education in the Antelope Valley

Antelope Valley College

Antelope Valley College (AVC) is the region’s oldest institution of higher education, which opened its doors in 1929. The College serves most of the region’s community college students with locations in both Lancaster and Palmdale. The Lancaster campus also hosts the Antelope Valley Center of California State University, Bakersfield. This close proximity of a public university allows easy transition to upper level coursework, including baccalaureate and graduate degrees.

During fall 2013, 14,270 students were enrolled in classes at AVC; 1,492 credit course sections were offered. During 2013-14, Antelope Valley College awarded 1,349 total degrees (Associate of Arts and Associate of Science) and 498 total certificates. Additionally, 493 students transferred into the four-year California State University (CSU) system. CSU Bakersfield (with 149 transfers) and CSU Northridge (with 183 transfers) are the most popular transfer campuses. Over 55 students transferred to the University of California (UC) system.

Cerro Coso Community College

Cerro Coso Community College, which was established in 1973, serves most of the Kern County portion of the Antelope Valley region. It consists of five instructional sites, and its East Kern Campus is located on Edwards Air Force Base. This campus serves both military families and civilian residents in neighboring communities among which are Mojave, California City, Boron, etc.

During 2013-14, Cerro Coso College awarded 249 total degrees (A.A. and A.S.) and 103 total certificates. Additionally, 58 students transferred into the four-year CSU system. CSU Bakersfield and CSU Northridge are also the most common transfer campuses.

College Wage Tracker

A source of student outcomes data found on The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) Datamart allows for tracking student wages earned by students before and three years after their degrees are awarded. The wage data can be retrieved by areas of study and award types. From Wage Tracker, the median wage three years after earning the degree is $39,371 for Antelope Valley’s Business & Commerce degree recipients, and $76,062 for the Registered Nursing degree. For Cerro Coso Community College, the median wage three years after earning the Business Administration degree is $40,326, and $46,939 for the Social Sciences degree.

Salary Surfer

The CCCCO also provides comparative information about the earnings of recent graduates who received an award in a

specific program area at California community colleges. The Salary Surfer uses the aggregated earnings of graduates

from a five year period to provide an estimate on the potential wages to be earned two years and five years after

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receiving a certificate or degree in certain disciplines. It is Available at http://salarysurfer.cccco.edu/SalarySurfer.aspx.

Examples from Salary Surfer of health related degrees and certificates and median earnings include:

Area of Study Award Type Median Annual Salary

2 Years Before 2 Year After 5 Years After Physician’s Assistant Certificate $36,788 $93,418 $99,475 Psychiatric Technician Degree $24,788 $61,707 $62,780 Psychiatric Technician Certificate $24,765 $57,066 $60,047 Radiation Therapy Technician Degree $12,343 $89,150 $96,807 Radiologic Technology Degree $15,458 $70,897 $77,126

Partnerships with Institutions of Higher Education In addition to these two community colleges, the Antelope Valley has many partnerships with other institutions of higher education e.g. satellite campuses of Caltech, Pepperdine, UCLA, CSU campuses, USC, Purdue, etc. For example, CSU Bakersfield educates students in baccalaureate and graduate degree programs at its Antelope Valley Center. The University has two sites to serve the AV community, the Lancaster University Center and a co-located campus with Antelope Valley College. This encourages advanced educational opportunities for the AV workforce and will help meet the need for an increasingly skilled workforce.

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References

Population and Households California Department of Finance http://www.dof.ca.gov/research/demographic/ ESRI (subscription service) US Census Bureau, American Fact Finder http://factfinder.census.gov/ http://www.avrealestate.com/about_history.html Source for Map of AV: http://ca.water.usgs.gov/groundwater/poland/gifs/polfig1.gif California Association of Realtors Economy Antelope Valley Board of Trade http://www.avbot.org/ California State Board of Equalization http://www.boe.ca.gov/news/tsalescont.htm US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/index.html Incorporated Cities City of Lancaster http://www.cityoflancasterca.org/ City of Palmdale http://www.cityofpalmdale.org/ City of California City http://www.californiacity.com/ City of Ridgecrest http://ci.ridgecrest.ca.us/ City of Tehachapi http://www.tehachapicityhall.com/ Counties and Regional Organizations County of Kern http://www.co.kern.ca.us/ County of Los Angeles http://lacounty.gov/ Greater Antelope Valley Economic Alliance http://www.aveconomy.org/ Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation http://www.laedc.org/ Kern County Economic Development Corporation http://www.kedc.com/ Kern Council of Governments http://www.kerncog.org/cms/ Southern California Association of Governments http://www.scag.ca.gov/

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GAVEA AVLMS 2010 Report GAVEA Economic Roundtable Report 2014 Forbes http://www.forbes.com/ Labor Force California Employment Development Department http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/ ESRI (subscription service) http://www.claritas.com/sitereports/ U.S. Census Bureau, Center for Economic Studies, LED “On The Map” http://lehdmap4.did.census.gov/themap4/ U.S .Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/ U.S. Department of Labor, The Employment and Training Administration www.doleta.gov California Center for Jobs & the Economy http://www.centerforjobs.org/ Commuting http://www.hsr.ca.gov/ Sheehan, T. (August 12, 2014). Supporters from Valley tell high-speed rail board: Build it. http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/08/12/4066612_high-speed-rail-supporters-from.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy Vartabedian, R. (June 30, 2014). Burbank-Palmdale segment added to bullet train timetable. Available at http://www.latimes.com/local/countygovernment/la-me-bullet-strategy-shift-20140701-story.html#page=1 Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority http://www.metro.net/projects/category/studies/ International Business Machines, Inc., Traffic Congestion Reports http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/us/en/traffic_congestion/ideas/ US Census Bureau, Center for Economic Studies, LED “On The Map” http://lehdmap4.did.census.gov/themap4/ Education Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - Education Research http://www.gatesfoundation.org California Community Colleges, Data Mart http://www.cccco.edu/ Antelope Valley College http://www.avc.edu Cerro Coso Community College https://www.cerrocoso.edu/ California Department of Education, DataQuest

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