An Equity Profile of Orange County: Summary

March 2019

2 AnEquityProfileofOrangeCounty:Summary

Thisprofile,includingdata,charts,andmaps,waspreparedbyEdward-MichaelMuña,SabrinaKim,JoannaLee,andJenniferItoatPERE.ManythankstothePEREteamfortheirsupportinproducingthisreport:ArpitaSharmaandJustinScogginswhoassistedwithcheckingthemyriadofdatapointspresented;StinaRosenquistforcopyediting;LaurenPerezforassistancewithgatheringphotos;andGladysMalibiranforcoordinatingprinting.SpecialthankstoSarahTreuhaftofPolicyLinkforherthoughtfulfeedback.

Sponsors

PolicyLinkandPEREaregratefultoOrangeCountyGrantmakersforpartneringwithusonthisreportandthankthefollowingorganizationsfortheirgeneroussupport:

Presenting Sponsor:

Gold Sponsor:

Silver Sponsors:WellsFargoFoundationAllerganFoundationJPMorganChase

Acknowledgments

PolicyLinkandtheProgramforEnvironmentalandRegionalEquity(PERE)attheUniversityofSouthernCaliforniaareworkingtohighlightthepotentialcorrosiveimpactofinequityongrowthandtheparticularwayinwhichpersistentracialdisparitiesmaythreatenfutureprosperity.Ourresearchillustratesthatequityisthepathtoinclusivegrowthandprosperity.ThisequityprofileofOrangeCountyispartofaseriesofreportsspecifictothesix-countySouthernCaliforniaregion.

WewouldalsoliketothankmembersoftheworkinggroupconvenedbyOrangeCountyGrantmakersforhelpingtoprovidefeedbackandadditionallocaldatasourcesforthisreport:AssociationofCaliforniaCities-OrangeCounty,AT&T,TheCaliforniaEndowment,CalOptima,Children&FamiliesCommission,DisneylandResort,JPMorganChase,OrangeCountyDepartmentofEducation,OrangeCountyHealthCareAgency,OrangeCountyBusinessCouncil,OrangeCountyCommunityFoundation,OneOC,SamueliFoundation,SocialServicesAgency,St.JosephHealthCommunityPartnershipFund,TarsadiaFoundation,OrangeCountyUnitedWay,WeingartFoundation,andWellsFargoFoundation.SpecialthankstoTarynPalumboandJasonLacsamanafromOrangeCountyGrantmakersfortheirguidanceandsupportonthisproject.

Wewouldalsoliketothankleadersfromthefollowingcommunity-basedorganizationsfortakingthetimetospeakwiththePEREresearchteamaboutthisproject:JonathanPaikfromtheKoreanResourceCenter;MiguelHernandezfromOrangeCountyCongregationCommunityOrganization;RichardCalvinChangfromPacificIslanderHealthPartnership;andShakeelSyed,KarenRomeroEstrada,andClaraTurnerfromOrangeCountyCommunitiesOrganizedforResponsibleDevelopment.Wewouldalsoliketoacknowledge,withgratitudeandappreciation,thatthelandthatisnowknownasOrangeCountyisthetraditionallandoftheTongvaandAcjachemenpeoplepastandpresent.

3

A Foreword from Orange County Grantmakers and St. Joseph Health Community Partnership Fund

OrangeCountyisoftenseenasthesleepysuburbofLosAngeleswhereresidentsenjoybeautifulweather,beautifulbeaches,andastrongeconomywithawealthofcommunityassets.Anditis!Butnotallresidentshavebeenequalbeneficiariesofthecounty’seconomicgrowth.Infact,overthenextcoupleofyearsOrangeCountywillfacesocialandphysicalchallengesthatleadersmustbeawareofandreadytoaddress.The2019EquityProfileofOrangeCountyhighlightswhatOrangeCountymustdotoleadthewayonracialandeconomicequity,strategiestoensureaccountability,andwaysthecommunityasawholecanprepareforanychallengesalongtheway.

OrangeCountyoffersagreatopportunitytopromoteanewnarrativearoundequitythatcanbringtogetherdiversestakeholders,includingbusinessleaders,andreachadvocateswhoarerootedinthecommunitiesthatmostneedtobepartofthepublicpolicydialogue.Risinginequalityandchangingdemographicscanbecompellingtomanywhorecognizethatweneedtoaddressdisparitiesinordertoachieveeconomicsustainability.

OrangeCountyGrantmakersrepresentsacommunityofphilanthropicleaderscommittedtoinclusivity,fairness,andequaladvantagesforallresidents.Throughtheworkofourmembers,wearecommittedtobuildinganequitableOrangeCounty,todayandinthefuture.The2019OCEquityReportrepresentsanopportunitytoidentifyandbetterunderstandthechallengesthatawaitusaswelookahead.

TheSt.JosephHealthCommunityPartnershipFundbelievesthatinordertobringaboutrealandlastingpositiveimpact,wemusthaveamorecompleteunderstandingofthevariousneedsthatexistinourcommunity.Thisreportwillprovideadeeperunderstandingforourleadersandcommunitypartnersworkingincollaborationtodevelopacomprehensive,equitable,andlong-termstrategytoaddresstherootcausesofsuchdisparities.

Thankyouforbeingapartofthissharedcommitment.

TarynPalumboExecutiveDirectorOrangeCountyGrantmakers

GabrielaRoblesVicePresident,CommunityPartnershipsSt.JosephHealthCommunityPartnershipFund

4 AnEquityProfileofOrangeCounty:Summary

Overview

Acrossthecountry,regionalplanningorganizations,localgovernments,communityorganizationsandresidents,funders,andpolicymakersarestrivingtoputplans,policies,andprogramsinplacethatbuildhealthier,morevibrant,moresustainable,andmoreequitableregions.

Equity—ensuringfullinclusionoftheentireregion’sresidentsintheeconomic,social,andpoliticallifeoftheregion,regardlessofrace,ethnicity,age,gender,neighborhoodofresidence,orothercharacteristics—isanessentialelementoftheplans.

Understandinghowaregionmeasuresupintermsofequityisacriticalfirststeptoplanningforgreaterequity.Toassistcommunitieswiththatprocess,PolicyLinkandtheProgramforEnvironmentalandRegionalEquity(PERE)developedanequityindicatorsframeworkthatcommunitiescanusetounderstandandtrackthestateofequityintheirregions.

AnEquityProfileofOrangeCountyexaminesdemographictrendsandindicatorsofequitablegrowth,highlightingstrengthsandareasofvulnerabilityinrelationtothegoalofbuildingastrong,resilienteconomy.ItwasdevelopedbyPolicyLinkandtheProgramforEnvironmentalandRegionalEquity(PERE)tosupportOrangeCountyGrantmakers,otherfunders,advocacygroups,electedofficials,planners,businessleaders,andothersworkingtobuildastrongerandmoreequitableregion.Thissummarydocumenthighlightskeyfindingsandimplicationsfromthelargerprofile.

Unlessotherwisenoted,allofthedataandanalysespresentedinthisprofilearetheproductofPolicyLinkandtheUSCProgramforEnvironmentalandRegionalEquity(PERE).

Equitable Growth Indicators

ThisprofiledrawsfromauniqueEquitableGrowthIndicatorsDatabasedevelopedbyPolicyLinkandPERE.Thisdatabaseincorporateshundredsofdatapointsfrompublicandprivatedatasources,suchastheU.S.CensusBureau,theU.S.BureauofLaborStatistics,andWoods&PooleEconomics,Inc.Thedatabaseincludesdataforall50states,thelargest150metropolitanregions,andthelargest100cities,andincludeshistoricaldatagoingbackto1980formanyeconomicindicatorsaswellasdemographicprojectionsthrough2050.Itenablescomparativeregionalandstateanalysesaswellastrackingchangeovertime.ManyoftheindicatorsincludedinthisprofilecanalsobefoundonlineintheNationalEquityAtlasatwww.nationalequityatlas.org.

Defining the region

Forthepurposesofthisequityprofileanddataanalysis,theOrangeCountyregionisdefinedasOrangeCounty.

5

78%64%

51%44% 38% 32% 27% 23%

2%

2%2%

2%2%

15%

23%

31%34%

36%40%

42%45%

10%14% 18% 20% 23% 25% 26%

2% 3% 3% 3% 4% 4%

1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050

Projected

Profile Highlights

OrangeCountyleadsthenationindemographicchange

Over3.1millionresidentscallOrangeCountyhomeandabout58percentoftheseresidentsarepeopleofcolor.OrangeCountyhasactuallybeenmajoritypeopleofcolorsince2004,1foreshadowingthedemographicshiftnowoccurringacrossthenation,whichispredictedtobecomemajoritypeopleofcolorby2044.2Inreality,peopleofcolorhavebeenapartofthefabricofOrangeCountysincebeforeitsinception,beginningwiththeAcjachemenandTongvapeoplewhoinhabitedtheareathousandsofyearsagoandarestillapartofthecommunitytoday.By1980,78percentoftheregion’spopulationwaswhitebutnowOrangeCountyisthe18thmostdiverseregionamongthe150largestregionsinthecountry.Today,justoverathirdofthepopulationisLatinoandnearlyone-fifthareAsianAmericanorPacificIslander(API).

Between2000and2016,OrangeCounty’sAsianAmericanandPacificIslander(API)populationgrewby55percent(212,139residents).MeanwhiletheLatinopopulationgrewby22percent(199,723residents)andtheBlackpopulationby13percent(6,379residents).Duringthistimeperiod,immigrationspurredthegrowthoftheAPIpopulation:55percentofthegrowthintheAsianAmericanandPacificIslanderpopulationbetween2000and2016wasfromforeign-bornAPIs.About64percentoftheAPIpopulationareimmigrants.Incontrast,thegrowthintheLatinopopulationhasbeensolelyduetoU.S.-bornLatinos.About39percentoftheLatinopopulationareimmigrants.Butthesebroadracialandethniccategoriesonlytellpartofthestoryofthecounty’sdiversity.Forexample,theAsianpopulationincludesresidentswhoareVietnamese,Korean,Chinese,Filipino,Indian,Japanese,Taiwanese,andCambodian,amongothers.ThePacificIslanderpopulationincludesNativeHawaiians,Samoans,Tongans,andotherethnicgroups.

Source:U.S.CensusBureau;Woods&PooleEconomics,Inc.

Orange County’s demographic change is projected to outpace the nation through 2050

Racial/EthnicComposition,1980to2050

U.S.%white

Mixed/other

NativeAmericanandAlaskaNative

AsianorPacificIslander

Latino

Black

White

6 AnEquityProfileofOrangeCounty:Summary

Inaddition,the“racialgenerationgap,”whichisthedifferencebetweentheshareofpeopleofcoloramongyoungandold,hasgrownintheregionsince1980,asithasinmanyotherpartsofthecountry.Today,70percentofOrangeCounty’syouth(underage18)arepeopleofcolor,comparedwithonly36percentoftheregion’sseniors(age65andolder).OrangeCounty’s34percentage

pointracialgenerationgapishigherthanthenationalaverage(27percentagepoints),rankingtheregion25th amongthe150largestregionsonthismeasure.

LikemuchofCalifornia,OrangeCountyexperienceddemographicchangeaheadofnationalshiftsandwillcontinuetodosothroughatleast2050.

Latino

Ancestry Population % Immigrant

Mexican 743,102 42%

Salvadoran 22,907 65%

Guatemalan 16,089 68%

Peruvian 7,913 73%

PuertoRican 7,570 0%

Cuban 6,610 33%

Colombian 6,414 60%

AllotherLatinos 260,005 25%

Total Latino 1,070,610 39%

Asian or Pacific Islander (API)

Ancestry Population % Immigrant

Vietnamese 171,170 70%

Korean 88,266 71%

Chinese 76,951 66%

Filipino 67,494 62%

Indian 45,058 69%

Japanese 31,644 32%

Taiwanese 16,528 74%

Cambodian 7,052 56%

AllotherAPI 97,591 73%

Total API 601,754 64%

Source:U.S.CensusBureau.Note: Datafor2016representa2012through2016average.

Source:IntegratedPublicUseMicrodataSeries.Note: Datafor2016representa2012through2016average.

Source:IntegratedPublicUseMicrodataSeries.Note: Datafor2016representa2012through2016average.

Source:IntegratedPublicUseMicrodataSeries.Note: Datafor2016representa2012through2016average.

Latino and API populations are ethnically diverse

LatinoandAPIPopulationsbyAncestry,2016

7%

36%30%

70%

1980 1990 2000 2016

34percentagepointgap

23percentagepointgap

Growth in many communities of color has created a “racial generation gap”

GrowthRatesofMajorRacial/EthnicGroups,2000to2016 PercentPeopleofColor(POC)byAgeGroup,1980to2016

26%

-23%

55%

22%

13%

-10%

Mixed/other

NativeAmerican

Asian orPacificIslander

Latino

Black

White

PercentofyouthwhoarePOC

PercentofseniorswhoarePOC

7

58thinincomeinequalityamongthe150largestregions,arankinghigherthanthenearbySanDiegometroarea.AndOrangeCounty’smiddleclassisshrinking:since1979,theshareofhouseholdswithmiddle-classincomesdecreasedfrom40to33percent.Thischangeisrelatedtodifferencesinwagegrowthacrossincomelevels.Afteradjustingforinflation,wagegrowthfortopearnersinOrangeCountyincreasedby24percentbetween1979and2016.Duringthesameperiod,wagesforthelowestearnersfellby26percent.Wagesfortheselower-wageworkersfellatagreaterrateinOrangeCountythanatthenationallevel.Meanwhile,low-wagejobsaregrowingatamuchfasterratethanbothmiddle-andhigh-wagejobs(28percentcomparedto7and6percentrespectively).

Inequalitiesthreatentheregion’slong-termeconomicprosperity

AsOrangeCountyexperiencesdramaticdemographicchange,itsregionaleconomycontinuestooutpacenationalgrowth.Sincethe1990s,theunemploymentrateinOrangeCountyhasgenerallybeenlowerthanthenationalaverage.Inaddition,thenumberofjobsandthegrossregionalproduct(GRP)havebothgrownfasterthanthenationasawholebetween1979and2016.

However,dataalsoshowthattheeconomicimprovementsarenotbenefitingeveryone.Despiterelativelylowunemploymentandstrongjobgrowth,OrangeCountyranks

Source:IntegratedPublicUseMicrodataSeries.Universeincludesciviliannoninstitutionalfull-timewageandsalaryworkersages25through64.Note: Datafor2016representa2012through2016average.

Wages grew only for higher-wage workers and fell for middle- and low-wage workers

RealEarnedIncomeGrowthforFull-TimeWageandSalaryWorkers,1979to2016

-26%

-21%

-10%

11%

24%

-12%-10%

-7%

7%

19%

10thPercentile 20thPercentile 50thPercentile 80thPercentile 90thPercentile

OrangeCounty

UnitedStates

8 AnEquityProfileofOrangeCounty:Summary

150percentofthefederalpovertylevel)comparedwithallothergroups.TheworkingpovertyrateforLatinos(11.7percent)isabouteighttimesashighasforwhites(1.5percent).

Ingeneral,highereducationalattainmentresultsinhigherwagesandlowerunemployment.However,amongfull-timewageandsalaryworkersinOrangeCounty,thereareracialgapsinmedianhourlywagesatalleducationlevels,withwhitesearningsubstantiallyhigherwagesthanallothergroups.AmongcollegegraduateswithaBAorhigher,AsianAmericans/PacificIslandersearn$3/hourlessthantheirwhitecounterpartswhileAfricanAmericansearn$9/hourlessandLatinosearn$11/hourless.Acrosstheboard,womenofcolorhavethelowestmedianhourlywages.Forexample,college-educatedwomenofcolorwithaBAdegreeorhigherearn$16anhourlessthantheirwhitemalecounterparts.

Racialeconomicinequalitiespersist

Examiningdatabyracerevealsdramaticcountywidedisparities.Forexample,themedianhourlywageforwhiteswasmorethandoublethatofLatinosin2016($32.00comparedwith$15.60).ThiswagegapbetweenLatinosandwhitesismuchlargerinOrangeCountythanonthenationallevel.WhitesmakearoundninedollarsmoreperhourinOrangeCountywhencomparedtothenationalmedianforwhites,whileLatinosmakearoundthesameamountasthenationalmedianfortheirethnicgroup.

Peopleofcolorarealsomorelikelytobestrugglingwithpovertyintheregion.Nearlyafifthofthecounty’sNativeAmericans(19.5percent)andLatinos(18.7percent)livebelowthepovertylevel—comparedwithlessthanatenthofwhites(7.3percent).Latinosaremuchmorelikelytobeworkingpoor(i.e.workingfull-timewithanincomebelow

Median hourly wages for Black and Latino workers have stagnated since 2000

Source: IntegratedPublicUseMicrodataSeries.Universeincludesciviliannoninstitutionalfull-timewageandsalaryworkersages25through64.Note: Datafor2016representa2012through2016average.

MedianHourlyWagebyRace/Ethnicity,2000and2016(allfiguresin2016dollars)

2000

2016

$30.20

$24.20

$15.90

$24.20 $24.80

$32.00

$24.30

$15.60

$27.90 $27.00

White Black Latino AsianorPacificIslander

Mixed/other

9

Educationalinequitiesthreatentheregion’sfuture

Whileeducationaloutcomeshaveimprovedsince2000,therearestilllargedisparitiesineducationalattainmentbyrace/ethnicityandnativity.Theseeducationalgapscanmakeworkerslesspreparedforthefutureeconomy.OrangeCountyrankshigh(27th)amongthe150largestregionsintermsoftheshareofresidentswithanassociate’sdegreeorhigher,butLatinos,NativeAmericans,PacificIslanders,andAfricanAmericansaremuchlesslikelythanwhitestohavethislevelofeducation.Atthesametime,thecountyranksevenhigher(19th)intermsoftheshareofresidentswholackahighschooldiploma.Latinoimmigrantsarethemostlikelytohavelessthanahighschooldiploma,followedbyU.S.-bornLatinosandAsianimmigrants.

ThereisawideeducationalgapamongAsianimmigrants.Forexample,11percentofAsianimmigrantslackahighschooldiploma,aratesimilartoU.S.-bornLatinosandthesecondhighestamongracialgroups.However,atthesametime,Asianimmigrantshaveoneofthehighestpercentagesofthosewithabachelor’sdegreeorhigher.LookingatdisaggregatedAsianAmericandatabyethnicityshowdisparitieswithintheracialgroup.About88percentofTaiwaneseimmigrantsages25to64haveanassociate’sdegreeorhighercomparedto39percentofimmigrantsfromVietnamand40percentofthosefromCambodia.

Althoughtherehasbeenanoveralldecreaseinthenumberofdisconnectedyouth(16-to24-year-oldswhoareneitherinschoolnorworking),thenumberremainshigh.Oftheregion’s37,000disconnectedyouth,55percentareLatino,28percentarewhite,3percentareBlack,and11percentareAPI.Since2000,thenumberofdisconnectedyouthhasdecreasedslightly.ThisisduetoimprovementsamongLatinoyouth(from68percentto55percentofalldisconnectedyouth);allothergroupshaveseenslightincreases.

Dataonchildrenalsoillustrateracialdisparities.Forexample,earlychildhooddevelopmentindicatorsshowthatnotallchildreninOrangeCountyarereadyforkindergarten.Latinochildrenweremorelikelytobeevaluatedasbeingvulnerableoratriskthantheirpeersinallotherracialgroupsacrossfiveearlychildhooddevelopmentindicatorcategories(physicalhealthandwell-being,socialcompetence,emotionalmaturity,languageandcognitivedevelopment,andcommunicationskillsandgeneralknowledge).Inaddition,theChildOpportunityIndex,whichmeasuresrelativeopportunityacrossneighborhoodsintheregionbasedonthreecategoriesofindicators(educationalopportunity,healthandenvironmentalopportunity,andsocialandeconomicopportunity),showsthatmoreraciallydiverseportionsofthecountyhavefeweropportunitiesforchildren.

Source: IntegratedPublicUseMicrodataSeries.Universeincludesallpersonsages25through64.Note: Datarepresenta2012through2016average.InordertoobtainmorerobustestimatesofthePacificIslanderpopulationtheestimateincludesallthosewhoidentifiedasPacificIslander.

There are wide racial/ethnic gaps in educational attainment

EducationalAttainmentbyRace/EthnicityandNativity,2016

Bachelor’sdegreeorhigher

Associate’sdegree

Somecollege

Highschooldiploma

Lessthanhighschooldiploma

3% 6%11%

53%

2%11%

8% 8% 6%

14%

17%

26%

22%

7%

13%

22%

18%

11%

25%

29%

29%

13%

14%

14%

35%

33%

24%

9%

10%

10%

3%

7%

8%

10%

10%

10%

49% 38% 24% 9% 60% 52% 25% 31% 50%

White Black Latino,U.S.-born

Latino,immigrant

Asian,U.S.-born

Asian,immigrant

NativeAmerican

PacificIslander

Mixed/other

10 AnEquityProfileofOrangeCounty:Summary

Communityhealthandsafetyrisksdisproportionatelyaffectpeopleofcolor

Ensuringequitablegrowthincludesensuringalloftheregion’sresidentsaresafeandhealthy.LevelsofpollutionexposurearehigherinOrangeCountyfornearlyallgroupsthaninCaliforniaortheUnitedStatesoverall.Whileallcommunitiesfacerisks,datashowthatthereareinequitiesanddisparitieswhenitcomestoexposureandhealthoutcomes.DatabyraceshowthatwhitesinOrangeCountyhavelowerairpollutionexposurethanpeopleofcolor.Thesedataalsoshowthatneighborhoodswithhighconcentrationsoflow-incomefamiliesandpeopleofcoloraremorelikelytobeexposedtoenvironmentalhazards,puttingthemathigherriskforchronicdiseasesandprematuredeath.

Surveydatashowthatcommunitiesofcolorthroughouttheregionfacegreaterhealthchallenges.CaliforniaHealthInterviewSurveydatashowthatamongallracialgroups,Latinosarethemostlikelytolackausualsourceofhealthcare,viewtheirhealthqualityasfairorpoor,andreportexperiencingseriouspsychologicaldistressinthepastyear.

Theregion’sLatinopopulationisalsoatahigherriskforbeingoverweightorobeseandhavingdiabetes.DisaggregatedhealthdataforAsianAmericansandPacificIslandersalsoshowdisparities.Forexample,Filipinoshaveaveryhighrateofdiabetes(19.5percent).One2010studyalsoshowedthatNativeHawaiiansinSouthernCaliforniaareathigherriskfordiabetes,obesity,andcardiovasculardiseasecomparedwithothergroups.3AfricanAmericansandNativeAmericansalsohavehighlevelsofmanynegativehealthoutcomes,includingthehighestincidencesofheartdiseasemortalityinOrangeCounty.

Communitiesofcolorfacedisproportionalrisksnotonlytotheirhealthbutalsotheirsafety.Forexample,accordingtoa2017reportbytheHumanRelationsCommissionofOrangeCounty,hatecrimestargetingpeopleofcolorhaveincreasedinthelastfewyears.About36percentofhatecrimesweremotivatedbyraceandethnicity,25percentweremotivatedbyreligion,and4percentweremotivatedbysexualorientation.MuslimandMiddleEasternresidentswerethemostfrequentlytargetedcommunitiesforhatecrimesin2017andcrimesagainstthesecommunitieswerehigherthaninrecentyears.

People of color above the poverty level face a higher pollution burden than white people below the poverty level

AirPollutionExposureIndexbyRace/EthnicityandPovertyStatus,CancerandNon-CancerRisk,2015

White

Peopleofcolor

Sources: U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency,2011NationalAirToxicsAssessment;U.S.CensusBureau.Universeincludesallpersonsnotingroupquarters.Note: Whiledataonpeoplebyrace/ethnicityandpovertystatusreflecta2011through2015average,dataonairpollutionarefrom2011.Seethe“Dataandmethods”sectioninthefullprofilefordetailsonthepollutionexposureindexcalculations.

62

57

58

54

46

44

71

67

69

64

62

60

Belowpoverty

Abovepoverty

Belowpoverty

Abovepoverty

Belowpoverty

Abovepoverty

OrangeCounty

California

UnitedStates

11

57%

53%

55%

63%

56%

50%

55%

60%

65%

Expandingaffordablehousingiscriticaltoequitablegrowth

OrangeCountyresidentsfaceahousingcrisis.OrangeCountyranks12thinrent-burdenedhouseholds(definedasthosethatspendmorethan30percentoftheirhouseholdincomeonhousingcosts)amongthe150largestregions.OrangeCountyhasaslightlylowerlevelofrentburden(57percent)thanLosAngelesCountyandtheRiversidemetroarea(bothat59percent),andaslightlyhigherlevelthantheSanDiegometroarea(56percent).Throughoutthecountythereareneighborhoodswithrentburdenratesof68percentorhigherbutthereareparticularconcentrationsinneighborhoodsinAnaheim,SantaAna,Fullerton,andGardenGrove.Latinohouseholdsarethemostlikelytospendalargeshareoftheirincomeonhousing,whethertheyrentorown.In2016,BlackhouseholdsandLatinoimmigranthouseholdshadthelowesthomeownershipratesat32percentand34percent,respectively.Incontrast,whiteandAPIhouseholdshadhomeownershipratesof60percentandhigher.

Mostlow-wageworkersintheregionarenotlikelytofindaffordablerentalhousing.InOrangeCounty,23percentofjobsarelow-wage(paying$1,250permonthorless)andonly6percentofrentalunitsareaffordable(definedashavingrentof$749permonthorless,whichwouldbe30percentorlessoftwolow-wageworkers’incomes).ThegrowingaffordabilitycrisisiscreatingunstablehousingformanyinCaliforniaandOrangeCounty.Accordingto2017U.S.DepartmentofHousingandUrbanDevelopment(HUD)data,therewereanestimated4,792peopleexperiencinghomelessnessand1,265ofthemwereinfamilieswithchildren.Peopleofcolormakeupamajorityofthepopulationexperiencinghomelessness(56percent)inthecounty.TheBlackpopulationisbyfarthemostdisproportionatelyaffectedbyhomelessness,makinguponly2percentofthetotalpopulationin2017but13percentofthehomelesspopulation.Arecent2018homelesspopulationcountin13northcountycitiesfound1,837peopleexperiencinghomelessness,anumberhigherthanHUD’sestimate.Ofthe13cities,ninehadalargernumberofhomelesspeoplethanpreviouslyestimated.Thisreportalsoshowedthatabout80percentwereunsheltered.4

Latino households are the most rent-burdened

HouseholdRentBurdenbyRace/Ethnicity,2016 HomeownerHousing-CostBurdenbyRace/Ethnicity,2016

Source: IntegratedPublicUseMicrodataSeries.Universeincludesrenter-occupiedhouseholdswithcashrent(excludesgroupquarters).Note: Datarepresenta2012through2016average.

Source: IntegratedPublicUseMicrodataSeries.Universeincludesowner-occupiedhouseholds(excludesgroupquarters).Note: Datarepresenta2012through2016average.

34%

32%

38%

40%

35%

36%

30%

35%

40%

45%

All

White

Black

Latino

AsianorPacificIslander

Mixed/other

All

White

Black

Latino

AsianorPacificIslander

Mixed/other

12 AnEquityProfileofOrangeCounty:Summary

$258.1

$341.3 EquityDividend:$83.2billion

Racial and economic inclusion would strengthen the regional economy

OrangeCountystandstogainagreatdealfromaddressingracialinequities.Thecounty’seconomycouldhavebeennearly$83billionstronger(a32percentincrease)in2016ifitsracialgapsinincomehadbeenclosed.Thedollarvalueofthisequitydividendisthe10thlargestofanymetropolitanregioninthecountryandranks15thasapercentageofGDP. Weexaminedhowmuchoftheregion’sracialincomegapwasduetodifferencesinwagesandhowmuchwasduetodifferencesinemployment(measuredbyhoursworked).Nationally,33percentoftheracialincomegapisduetodifferencesinemployment.InOrangeCounty,thatshareisonly23percent,withtheremaining77percentduetodifferencesinhourlywages.Thesepersistentinequalitiesareathreattofutureprosperity.

A thriving community is also an engaged community

Equitableregionsareplaceswhereallresidentscanparticipateinciviclife.InOrangeCounty,datashowthatgrowthinthenumberofbothLatinoandAsianAmericanvotersoutpacedthegrowthinthenumberoftotalvoterswhocastballotsduringrecentelections.ThenumberofLatinovotersincreased131percent,orbyabout100,000people,fromthe2014to2018midtermelections.ThenumberofAsianAmericanvotersincreased82percent,orbyover60,000people,betweenthesetworecentelectionsaswell.Incomparison,thechangeinthenumberoftotalvoterswasabout54percentbetweenthesetwoelections.Latinosaccountedfor17percentofthetotalvotescastin2018whileAsianAmericansaccountedfor13percentofvotes.Meanwhilenearly180,000adultimmigrantsinOrangeCountyareeligibletonaturalize,whichcouldleadtoanincreasingelectoratecomposedofalargerproportionofpeopleofcolor.

Orange County’s GDP would have been $83 billion higher if there were no racial gaps in income

ActualGDPandEstimatedGDPwithoutRacialGapsinIncome,2016(in2016dollars)

Sources:BureauofEconomicAnalysis;IntegratedPublicUseMicrodataSeries.Note: The“equitydividend”iscalculatedusingdatafromIPUMSfor2012through2016andisthenappliedtoestimatedGDPin2016.Seethe“Dataandmethods”sectioninthefullprofilefordetails.

GDPin2016(billions)

GDPifracialgapsinincomewereeliminated(billions)

13

Commit to reducing disparities and improving outcomes for all in Orange County.EquityandgrowthhavetraditionallybeenpursuedseparatelybutbothareneededtosecureOrangeCounty’sfuture.Economicgrowthmustbelinkedtotheeconomicwell-beingandmobilityofthosemostatriskofbeingleftbehind.Withshiftingdemographicsandastrongeconomy,alongwithastrongnetworkofcivicleaders,philanthropicpartners,andcommunity-basedorganizations,OrangeCountyiswell-positionedtobeanationalexampleofhowinfusingstrategiesthatpromoteregionalequitycangrowtheeconomy.

Use data for cross-sector dialogue. DatainthisprofileandfromotherOrangeCountyindicatorreportsshouldbeusedtoanchordialogueanddiscussionamongthegrowing,dynamic,anddiversenetworkofleaderswhohaveastakeinthefutureofOrangeCounty.Recentresearchhasshownthatwhatmoreequitableregionshaveincommonisadiverse“knowledgecommunity”inwhichmembershaveasharedunderstandingoftheregionandaremovingtowardsacommonaction-orientedagenda.Bycomingtogetherrepeatedlyovertime,relationshipsarebuiltandconsensusbecomesmorepossible.Asaresult,thegroupisrootedincollectivestrength,ratherthandivisionandin-fighting.

Link inclusion with innovation. Changesintheeconomyhave,andwill,bringbothjobgrowthandjob“disruption.”Collaborationsamongworkforcedevelopmentprograms,educationalinstitutions,workerorganizations,andemployersaremorecriticalnowthaneverbefore.Asworkplacechangesandinnovationsreshapethelabormarket,workerswillneednewskillsandsupportstobeabletonavigatethefutureofwork.Thefutureofworkwillalsolargelybeinthecaringeconomy,soattentionneedstobegiventotraining,improvedwages,andcaregiversupportprogramsfordomesticworkers,home-careworkers,andthosecaringforagingfamilymembers.

Invest in early childhood education and other early interventions. Therearelong-termbenefitstoensuringachildisonapathtoopportunityearlyinlife.Targetedinvestmentsinhigh-quality,earlychildhoodeducationinthoseneighborhoodswith“verylow”and“low”ChildOpportunityIndexscoreswillhelpincreaseschoolreadinessamongkindergarteners.Becauseaparent’sresourcesgreatlyshapethedevelopmentofachild,investinginthecounty’syoungestresidentsalsomeansinvestingintheirparents.

Ensure affordable housing for all. Equitablegrowthstrategiesneedtoensurethatallresidents—renters,homeowners,andhome-seekers—canaffordtoliveinOrangeCountyandcontributetothelocaleconomy.SantaAnaandAnaheimrankfifthandsixth,respectively,inrent-burdenedhouseholdsamongthe100largestcitiesinthecountry.Giventhescaleofhomelessnessandhousingunaffordability,multipletoolsareneededtoaddresstheproblem—andspecifictoolsareneededforrenters,homeowners,potentialhomebuyers,andpeoplewhoarehomeless.Possiblepolicyandprogramsolutionsrangefromearlyinterventionstopreventchronichomelessnesstotenantprotections,rentstabilization,affordablehousingbonds,andcommunitylandtrusts.

Embed and operationalize a prevention- oriented approach to advance health equity.EmergingstrategiesintendedtoimprovethecollectivehealthofOrangeCounty’sresidentsmustincludeamoreintentionalfocusonupstreamprevention.Thismeansexplicitlytacklingthesocialdeterminantsofhealthandwell-being,ratherthanprimarilyengagingineffortsthatemphasizeincreasedavailabilityandcoordinationofclinicalservicesandtreatment.Toeliminatehealthdisparitiesandcreatealandscapethatfostershealthandwellness,OrangeCountyshouldtakeacomprehensiveapproachwithstrategiesthatbridgesocial,physical,andeconomicfactorsthroughnewpolicies,strongersystems,andimprovedorganizationalpractices.

Ten (plus one) steps to equity for Orange County

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14 AnEquityProfileofOrangeCounty:Summary

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Promote immigrant integration.Toimproveoutcomesforall,OrangeCountymustlookatwaystoensurethatimmigrantsarewelcomed,gaineconomicmobility,andparticipateinlocalcivicdecisions.Oneapproachtopromotingimmigrantintegrationistoinstitutionalizeacommitmentwithincountyandcitygovernmentsbyestablishinganofficeorpositionthatistaskedwithintegratingservicesacrossmultipledepartmentsanddevelopingandmaintainingrelationshipswithimmigrant-servingnonprofits.Encouragingnaturalizationamongthosewhoareeligibleisalsoanimportantwaytogarnergreatersecurityforimmigrantfamilies—inadditiontobroadereconomicandcivicbenefitstosociety.

Build civic health among underrepresented voices.Theregion’shealthistiedtoitscivichealth.Increasingcommunityengagementamongracial/ethnicgroupsthathavebeenhistoricallyunderrepresentedindecision-makingbringsinthevoicesofthosewhoareoftenmostimpactedbypolicychange.Supportingnon-profitorganizationsandothertrustedlocalinstitutionswhoaremostattunetotheneedsandconcernsofthecommunitycanensurepoliciesaretrulyaddressingequity.

Build a culture in which racial equity is discussed and is a shared goal. Discussingissuesofraceandracismcanbeuncomfortable,butthisisanecessarystepinworkingtowardsequity.Toimproveoutcomesforall,OrangeCountyshouldacknowledgethehistorythatledtotoday’sracializedgaps,developpartnershipsthatcenterontheperspectivesofvulnerablepopulations,andkeepaneyetowardsmitigatingfutureinequities.Rootingtheconversationindatacanhelpbusinessleaders,funders,governmentofficials,andcommunity-basedorganizationscreateasustaineddialoguearoundraceandracialequity.

Partner with peer regions pursuing similar goals. OrangeCountyisnotaloneinfacingtheimperativesofequityandgrowth.Regionsacrossthecountryarefacingthechallengeofbalancingeconomicprosperitywithinclusion—andovercomingpoliticalpolarizationandsocialdividesindoingso.Forexample,inOklahomaCity,adiverseregionalcollaboration—withleadershipfromRepublicanmayorsandaconservativeChamberofCommerce—committedtoturnaroundtheregion’strajectoryofeconomicdeclineinthe1980sandearly1990s.Theydidsobygainingconsensusontheimportanceoftaxesinsupportingpublicexpendituresonqualityoflifeandeducationalimprovements.PeerexchangeswithotherregionscouldbehelpfulineducatingandinspiringOrangeCountyleaders.

Develop a regional equity strategy, indicators of progress, and a data system for measuring progress.Lookingforward,OrangeCountyispoisedtodevelopacounty-widestrategythatcentersracialandeconomicequitypractices.Theregion’srelativeprosperitymeansthatitcanpursueaboldstrategythataddressesinequitiesinordertosetthestagefordecadesofequitablegrowth.Developinganongoingsystemfortrackingprogressovertimecanhelptokeepequityasacounty-widegoal.Whatisnotmeasuredwillnotbeachieved—yetmeasurementanddataalonearenotenough.NowisthetimeforboldleadershipandfirststepstoensureOrangeCountyisonapathtoprosperity,inclusion,andimprovedoutcomesforall.

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Notes

1 Rubin,Joel.2004.“O.C.WhitesaMajorityNoLonger.”Los Angeles Times,September30,2004.http://articles.latimes.com/2004/sep/30/local/me-census30.

2 Colby,Sandra,andJenniferOrtman.2015.“ProjectionsoftheSizeandCompositionoftheU.S.Population:2014to2060.”PopulationEstimatesandProjectionsP25-1143.CurrentPopulationReports.WashingtonDC:U.S.CensusBureau.https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2015/demo/p25-1143.pdf.

3 McEligot,ArchanaJaiswal,JulietMcMullin,Ka’alaPang,MomiBone,ShaunaWinston,RebekahNgewa,andSoraParkTanjasiri.2010.“Diet,PsychosocialFactorsRelatedtoDietandExercise,andCardiometabolicConditionsinSouthernCalifornianNativeHawaiians.”Hawaii Medical Journal69(5Suppl2):16–20.

4 Replogle,Jill.2019.“HomelessnessInNorthOrangeCountyIsSignificantlyHigherThanLastOfficialEstimate.”LAist,March6,2019,sec.News.https://laist.com/2019/03/06/homeless_north_orange_county_survey.php.

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