How do incomes in Fresno compare with rest of California? New federal data released
Counties in inland California, especially the central and southern San Joaquin Valley, continued to lag well behind urban and coastal regions in estimates of income levels on a per-person basis in 2018.
Out of California’s 58 counties, Fresno ranked 45th for per capita income according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The federal agency estimated that 2018 personal income amounted to $43,084 for every man, woman and child in the county.
Every other county fell even lower on the statewide ladder, including Kings County, where per capita income estimated at $35,306 was last among the state’s counties.
Not only are income levels behind much of the state, the pace at which incomes grew in Valley counties between 2017 and 2018 also wallowed behind growth rates at the state and national level, with the overall effect of putting the region and its residents even further behind.
The latest estimates align with previous information that highlights the region’s chronic struggles with average income and educational attainment levels that are lower than statewide averages, as well as higher rates of unemployment, poverty and reliance on public aid than many other parts of the state.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis calculates per capita personal income as “the total personal income of the residents of a given area divided by the population of the area.” Personal income includes income received by residents from their employment, or from owning a home, business or financial assets, and payments or transfers from government and business.
Per capita income across California was estimated at $63,557, while the nationwide figure was $54,446 for every man, woman and child in the U.S.
One of the problems that continues to plague Fresno County and the Valley region is a high proportion of low-paying jobs, including a large number of workers in agriculture and other traditionally low-wage fields.
“When you look at those numbers, they’re sobering,” Michael Bernick, former director of the state Employment Development Department, told The Bee last month as he addressed employment and wage issues in the Valley. “Of the 10 job areas that are projected to have the greatest number of job openings in the next decade, eight of the 10 are lower-wage positions such as home care aides, retail, food service, janitorial or maintenance.”
Nationally, per capita income grew by about 4.9% between 2017 and 2018, according to the BEA estimates; in California, the estimate was 5.7%.
In the Valley, one-year income growth rates ranged from 1.3% in Merced County to 4.8% in Madera County. Because the Valley is starting from a lower baseline of wages in the first place, slower growth rates add to the income deficit that the region experiences compared to other areas of the state, especially the coastal and urban counties where incomes are higher and growth rates more robust.
This story was originally published November 15, 2019 at 11:38 AM.
