Fiscal Year 2011-2012 Adopted Budget - County of Sonoma

Economics and Employment
Median Household Income
1979 (from 1980 Census) $20,607
1989 (from 1990 Census) $36,299
1999 (from 2000 Census) $53,076
2009 (Census Estimate) $62,386
Source: US Census, American Community Survey 2009
Percent Below Poverty Line
Sonoma Co. California
2004 8.1% 13.3%
2005 9.1% 13.3%
2006 9.9% 13.1%
2007 8.9% 12.4%
2008 10.4% 13.3%
2009 9.3% 14.2%
Source: US Census, American Community Survey 2004-2008
Per Capita Personal Income
Sonoma Co. California
2004 $40,400 $36,904
2005 $42,345 $38,767
2006 $45,960 $41,567
2007 $47,929 $43,402
2008 $47,755 $43,852
Source: US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic
Analysis
Unemployment Rates
Sonoma Co. California
2003 5.50% 6.80%
2004 5.00% 6.20%
2005 4.50% 5.40%
2006 4.00% 4.90%
2007 4.30% 5.30%
2008 5.70% 7.20%
2009 9.70% 11.40%
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
3 Source: US Census, American Community Survey 2008
4 Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
County of Sonoma
FY 2011-2012 Adopted Budget
The U.S. Census reports that 10.4% of all families in
Sonoma County lived below poverty level in 2008.
Even with this poverty rate the median household
income for Sonoma County residents outperformed
California and the United States as it has done for
over the past 10 years. 3
The percent of Sonoma County’s population that lives
below the poverty line has continued to remain well
below California’s average. Recent data provided by
the US Census reveals that the percent of Sonoma
County residents who live below the poverty line
increased in 2008, following the general statewide
trend, but fell 1.6 percent in 2009. Official poverty
calculations assume that a family earning a given
income is equally well-off anywhere in the country;
however, due to the above-average costs of living in
Sonoma County, the Public Policy Institute of
California estimates the adjusted poverty rate for
Sonoma County is significantly higher.
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce,
Bureau of Economic Analysis, the per capita income
in Sonoma County as of 2008 was $47,755, 9% over
California’s average per capita income of $43,852 and
19% over the national per capita income of $40,166.
Sonoma County’s per capita income ranks twelfth out
of California’s 58 counties. 4
While unemployment rates for Sonoma County have
increased over the past few years, the County has
consistently maintained a level lower than the
California average unemployment rate. Between 2008
and 2009, employment levels in Sonoma County
decreased by 13,300 jobs, representing a 5.4%
decrease. Statewide employment decreased by
approximately 774,000 jobs, representing a 4.6 %
decrease. Despite the noted job losses Sonoma County
remains below the state unemployment rate.
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Overview