California
State Government
Governor
Gavin Newsom (D)
State Senate
32
Democrats,
8
Republicans
State House
62
Democrats,
17
Republicans
Economic well-being - California
Extreme poverty rate
0.1
Food insecurity
0.1
Minimum wage
16.5
Percent of working families under 200% of the poverty line
0.3
Poverty rate
11.8%
Unemployment rate
5.5
Number of Black or African American children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Number of Hispanic or Latino children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Percent of individuals who are uninsured
5.9
Housing - California
Home foreclosure rate
1 in 3407
People experiencing homelessness
187,084.0
Households paying more than 50% of income on housing
1,633,600.0
Percent renters
0.4
Poverty by demographic - California
Child poverty rate
0.2
Number of Asian and Pacific Islander children below 200% poverty
251000
Number of Black or African American children below 200% poverty
192000
Number of Hispanic or Latino children below 200% poverty
1981000
Senior poverty rate
12.0 %
Women in poverty
19,461,027
Los Angeles Times, November 23, 2012: Low-income students get crash course in college preparation
"She and dozens of other Sylmar students, graduates and volunteers packed a classroom for the event hosted by College Summit, a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing the number of low-income students who go to college."
Eureka Times-Standard, November 19, 2012: Federal grant means more counselors at area schools
"The grants must be used for research-proven counseling methods, she said, that focus on mental and social health for specific students. She said she hopes to see the funding and new counselors increase attendance and discipline in her schools. The Eureka City Schools funding proposal sent to the Department of Education said that its district suffers from severe poverty, and the district's free/reduced lunch rate is about 80 percent."
San Francisco Business Times, November 16, 2012: Spencer's vision: Break poverty through education
"Marc Spencer has a vision: to have low-income youth graduate from college. After becoming CEO of Juma Ventures, Spencer changed the organization's mission from helping low-income youth get into college to ensuring they complete a four-year higher education degree."
Los Angeles Times, November 02, 2012: Rural community colleges face distinct challenges
"Yet changes to the core mission of California's community colleges threaten that role. State efforts to ease overcrowding and help colleges adapt to budget cuts are backfiring in rural districts already burdened by vast territories, withered economies, high poverty rates and dwindling populations. Rather than serving lifelong learners,' the state's 112 colleges have been directed to focus on students seeking to acquire such basic skills as English, transfer to four-year schools or earn associate degrees or certificates."
Sacramento Bee, October 30, 2012: Edge Water Apartments officially open; last state-funded Sacramento redevelopment project
"But today is the official ribbon-cutting and open house at the renamed Edge Water Apartments the renovated affordable housing building for low-income seniors at 626 I St. The project marks the last of the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency's share of state redevelopment funds."
Sacramento Bee, October 29, 2012: Think tank report slams Jerry Brown's school finance plan
"Gov. Jerry Brown has been seeking implementation of a weighted student formula' that would give more school money to districts with high levels of poverty and other educational impediments and low levels of achievement. But the proposal has been a hard sell in the Legislature, because districts that would lose money under the redistribution plan are opposed."