East Bay Jewish Community Study - Jewish Federation of the ...

Demographic Characteristics of the
Jewish Population in the East Bay
The Jewish population of the East Bay is different from the general population of the East Bay
on many dimensions including age, household size, race and ethnicity, education, and income
level. On the whole, the Jewish population is older, has fewer children, is better educated and
more affluent, and is not particularly racially diverse. The population is concentrated on the
Western side of the East Bay.
Specifically:
• The Jewish population is older than the overall population. The average age of a Jewish
resident is 49.8 years. 5
• Over half of Jewish residents are married or in a partnership and 31 percent have
children under the age of 18 years. Almost half of Jewish parents have children ages 6
to 10, and 41 percent have children younger than five.
• On average, Jewish households contain two adults; in the general East Bay population,
the average household contains just about three adults. Most Jewish children under the
age of 18 live with their parents or guardians.
• Overall, 9 percent identify as LGBTQ, with 14 percent refusing to answer the question.
• Jewish residents are well educated — 76 percent have a college degree or higher; 38
percent have graduate degrees.
• Over half of Jewish residents earn more than $100,000 per year.
• The Jewish population is not especially diverse when compared with the East Bay
community overall, with 76 percent identifying as white and 6 percent identifying as
Jewish; just 13 percent identify with another race or ethnic group. In the East Bay
community overall, 13 percent identify as African American, 32 percent identify as Asian
or Pacific Islander, and 31 percent identify as Hispanic or Latino. 6
• Jewish residents — like the overall population — are concentrated in the Western part of
the East Bay. Regionally, most Jews live in the Oakland-Berkeley Corridor (38 percent),
Western Contra Costa (12 percent) and Central Contra Costa (11 percent).
• The population is fairly stable: 59 percent say they have lived more than 20 years or
their whole lives in the Bay area. There is more mobility within the East Bay, with nearly
40 percent living at their current residence for five years or less.
Age
The Jewish population is older than the general population of the East Bay. The average age of
a Jewish resident is 49.8 years. Nearly three-quarters of Jewish residents are adults over the
age of 18, while 26 percent are under the age of 18. In the East Bay overall, census figures
show that 76 percent are adults over age 18 and 26 percent are under the age of 19. 7
5 Age was weighted using 2010 US Census data. The rise of cell phone usage, as well mobility and other issues,
means that the study likely underrepresents younger Jews in the East Bay.
6 2010 US Census Data. ―2010 Census Race Breakdowns for Alameda County, Contra Costa County, Napa County
and Solano County‖ Accessed June 1, 2011. http://factfinder2.census.gov/main.html.
7 Note that census age breaks contain some overlap between 18 year olds and 19 year olds. 2010 US Census Data.
―2010 Census Age Breakdowns for Alameda County, Contra Costa County, Napa County and Solano County‖
Accessed June 1, 2011. http://factfinder2.census.gov/main.html.
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