Nine measures of demographic and income data recently were updated on kidsdata.org. These data, which come to us from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, include three-year estimates (2007 – 2009) for California counties, cities, and school districts with 20,000 or more residents. Data for these regions are aggregated across three years in order to provide reliable estimates. These data can be helpful in understanding population trends and planning services and investments for children and families. Soon kidsdata.org will offer five-year estimates for regions with populations of at least 10,000.

Data updates for regions of 20,000 residents or more include:

• Households with and without children
• Family structure among households with children (single or married parents)
  • By Race/Ethnicity
• Children in poverty
  • By Race/Ethnicity
• Median family income
• Child population
• Foreign-born population by age group
• Children in the care of grandparents

Here are some interesting highlights of the ’07-’09 data:

• Of all California counties with available data, San Francisco had the smallest percentage of households with children (18%). Click here for a large-scale, interactive map of the data to see regional differences.
• The percentage of households with kids headed by married couples in California also varied by county, from over 75% in Santa Clara, San Mateo and Marin, to about 53% in Del Norte.
• Of California cities with available data, Cupertino, in Santa Clara County, had the highest percentage of foreign-born children ages 5-17, with 23%, compared to 8% statewide.  Two other cities have 20% or more – Arcadia and Glendale, both in Los Angeles County.
• From ’05-’07 to ’07-’09, the percentage of children living below the federal poverty level increased in 28 California counties.
• Median family income varies widely across California cities, from $32,534 annually in Corcoran (Kings County) to $184,837 in Los Altos (Santa Clara County) in ’07-’09.   Here is another map highlighting these regional differences across the state.

Posted by kidsdata.org

Tags: New Data

Our most recent addition to kidsdata.org: 2009 data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) on health care, asthma diagnoses, and teens who say they have not had sex. Highlights of these data are noted below.

Health Care Data Highlights:

• In most regions for which data are available, more than 90% of children were insured in ’09.
• The percentage of California children with employer-based health care has decreased, while the percentage with public insurance increased.
• Read our recent data advisory for more details.

Teen Sexual Health Data Highlight:

• An estimated 81% of California teens ages 14-17 in ’09 reported that they have not had sex, similar to previous years.

Asthma Data Highlights:

• About 13% of California kids have been diagnosed with asthma, according to survey estimates.
• Statewide, asthma diagnoses declined slightly from 2005 to 2009.

The California Health Interview Survey is sponsored by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. For more data from the survey, visit http://www.askchis.org.

Posted by kidsdata.org

Tags: New Data