East Bay Jewish Community Study - Jewish Federation of the ...
East Bay Jewish Community Study - Jewish Federation of the ...
East Bay Jewish Community Study - Jewish Federation of the ...
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Key Findings<br />
Population and Demographic Characteristics <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jewish</strong> <strong>Community</strong><br />
• There are 176,816 individuals living in <strong>Jewish</strong> households in <strong>the</strong> <strong>East</strong> <strong>Bay</strong>, which<br />
includes 100,723 <strong>Jewish</strong> individuals and 76,093 non-<strong>Jewish</strong> individuals living in <strong>Jewish</strong><br />
households. There are 75,083 <strong>Jewish</strong> individuals over <strong>the</strong> age <strong>of</strong> 18 and 25,639 under<br />
<strong>the</strong> age <strong>of</strong> 18.<br />
• The <strong>Jewish</strong> population is older than <strong>the</strong> overall population. The average age <strong>of</strong> a <strong>Jewish</strong><br />
resident is 49.8 years. 1<br />
• Over half <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jewish</strong> residents are married or in a partnership and 31 percent have<br />
children under <strong>the</strong> age <strong>of</strong> 18 years. Almost half <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jewish</strong> parents have children ages 6<br />
to 10, and 41 percent have children younger than five.<br />
• On average, <strong>Jewish</strong> households contain two adults; in <strong>the</strong> general <strong>East</strong> <strong>Bay</strong> population,<br />
<strong>the</strong> average household contains approximately three adults. Most <strong>Jewish</strong> children under<br />
<strong>the</strong> age <strong>of</strong> 18 live with <strong>the</strong>ir parents or guardians.<br />
• Overall, 9 percent identify as LGBTQ, with 14 percent refusing to answer <strong>the</strong> question.<br />
• <strong>Jewish</strong> residents are well educated — 76 percent have a college degree or higher; 38<br />
percent have graduate degrees.<br />
• Over half <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jewish</strong> residents earn more than $100,000 per year.<br />
• The <strong>Jewish</strong> population is not especially diverse when compared with <strong>the</strong> <strong>East</strong> <strong>Bay</strong><br />
community overall, with 76 percent identifying as white and 6 percent identifying as<br />
<strong>Jewish</strong>; just 13 percent identify with ano<strong>the</strong>r race or ethnic group. In <strong>the</strong> <strong>East</strong> <strong>Bay</strong><br />
community overall, 13 percent identify as African American, 32 percent identify as Asian<br />
or Pacific Islander, and 31 percent identify as Hispanic or Latino. 2<br />
• <strong>Jewish</strong> residents — like <strong>the</strong> overall population — are concentrated in <strong>the</strong> Western part <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>East</strong> <strong>Bay</strong>. Regionally, most Jews live in <strong>the</strong> Oakland-Berkeley Corridor (38 percent),<br />
Western Contra Costa (12 percent) and Central Contra Costa (11 percent).<br />
• The population is fairly stable: 59 percent say <strong>the</strong>y have lived more than 20 years or<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir whole lives in <strong>the</strong> <strong>Bay</strong> area. There is more mobility within <strong>the</strong> <strong>East</strong> <strong>Bay</strong>, with nearly<br />
40 percent living at <strong>the</strong>ir current residence for five years or less.<br />
Defining <strong>the</strong> <strong>Jewish</strong> Population in <strong>the</strong> <strong>East</strong> <strong>Bay</strong><br />
• Many <strong>Jewish</strong> residents in <strong>the</strong> <strong>East</strong> <strong>Bay</strong> do not initially identify with Judaism. Only 49<br />
percent initially identify as <strong>Jewish</strong>, while ano<strong>the</strong>r 23 percent do not identify with any<br />
religion.<br />
• Only 54 percent <strong>of</strong> residents <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>East</strong> <strong>Bay</strong> have two <strong>Jewish</strong> parents, 29 percent have<br />
one <strong>Jewish</strong> parent, and 17 percent have no <strong>Jewish</strong> parents. Among <strong>the</strong> 18 percent who<br />
call <strong>the</strong>mselves Christian (Protestant, Catholic, or o<strong>the</strong>r Christian), 47 percent have only<br />
one <strong>Jewish</strong> parent.<br />
• More than half <strong>of</strong> married <strong>Jewish</strong> residents are in interfaith relationships (61 percent), a<br />
number that rises to 73 percent among younger residents. Non-<strong>Jewish</strong> spouses are not<br />
particularly religious — 36 percent do not identify with a religious faith at all.<br />
1 Age was weighted using 2010 US Census Data. The rise <strong>of</strong> cell phone usage, as well mobility and o<strong>the</strong>r issues,<br />
means that <strong>the</strong> study likely underrepresents younger Jews in <strong>the</strong> <strong>East</strong> <strong>Bay</strong>.<br />
2 2010 US Census Data. ―2010 Census Race Breakdowns for Alameda County, Contra Costa County, Napa County<br />
and Solano County‖ Accessed June 1, 2011. http://factfinder2.census.gov/main.html.<br />
2