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The Census is incredibly important because it affects:

• How much federal funding communities get
• How many representatives each state gets in Congress
• How local political districts are drawn
• How governments and organizations plan for the future

Making the Numbers More Accurate for California

When you look at our demographics, you're seeing slightly different numbers than what the Census Bureau first reported. Here's why:

The Census originally counts people wherever they are on Census Day. This means people in prisons get counted as residents of the prison's location. But California, like several other states, has decided this isn't the most accurate way to count people.

Instead, California law requires us to count incarcerated people at their last known address. For example:

• If someone from San Diego is in a prison in Sacramento County, we count them as part of San Diego's population, not Sacramento's
• If someone from Oakland is in a prison in the Central Valley, they count toward Oakland's numbers

This adjustment makes a big difference in some communities. Prison towns don't get artificially inflated populations, and urban areas (where many incarcerated people lived before prison) don't lose population. This helps:

• Create political districts that better reflect actual community populations
• Give communities a more accurate picture of their true demographics
• Make sure government funding and resources go where they're really needed

Understanding Race and Ethnicity Categories

The Census asks about race and Hispanic/Latino origin in two separate questions:

• First, they ask if someone is Hispanic/Latino (which can be of any race)
• Then they ask about race (White, Black, Asian, etc.)

This means someone can be both Hispanic and White, or Hispanic and Black, etc. When you look at our numbers:

• The Hispanic/Latino percentage includes people of any race
• When we say "White" or "Black", we're specifically counting people who aren't Hispanic
• People can choose more than one race on the Census

Two Ways to Look at the Numbers

We give you two different ways to look at race and ethnicity data because different situations call for different approaches:

Total Population vs. Adult Population

For each view, you can look at either:

• All Residents: The total population of each group, including children
• Adult Residents (18+): Just the voting-age population of each group

The adult population numbers are especially important when looking at voting power, since only adults can vote.

Where This Data Comes From

Unlike race and ethnicity data (which comes from the 2020 Census), our age breakdowns come from the American Community Survey (ACS). Here's why:

• The ACS provides more detailed age groups than the Census
• It's updated every year (though it uses 5-year averages for smaller areas)
• It helps track population changes between Census counts

Understanding the Age Groups

We break the population into eight main groups:

• Under 18: School-age population
  • Includes preschool, elementary, middle, and high school students
  • Important for school planning and youth services
• 18-24: Young adults
  • College-age population
  • New voters and workforce entrants
• 25-34: Early career
  • Often first-time homebuyers
  • Young families
• 35-44: Mid-career
  • Established workers
  • Often parents of school-age children
• 45-54: Peak earning years
  • Usually at height of career
  • May have children in high school or college
• 55-64: Pre-retirement
  • Planning for retirement
  • May be helping both children and aging parents
• 65-74: Young seniors
  • Many are newly retired
  • Often still very active in community
• 75+: Seniors
  • May need more services and support
  • Important for healthcare and senior service planning

Why Age Distribution Matters

Understanding your district's age makeup helps with:

• Political Strategy:
  • Different age groups tend to have different voting patterns
  • Age affects which issues matter most to voters
  • Helps target outreach and communication methods
• Community Planning:
  • Schools and education resources
  • Recreation and community services
  • Senior services and healthcare facilities
• Economic Development:
  • Workforce availability
  • Housing needs
  • Types of businesses likely to succeed

Basic Family vs. Non-Family Split

The Census Bureau divides all households into two main categories:

• Family Households: People who are related by:
  • Birth (parents and children, siblings)
  • Marriage (spouses)
  • Adoption
• Non-Family Households:
  • People living alone
  • Unrelated roommates
  • Unmarried partners (unless they have a child together)

Detailed Living Arrangements

We break down households into more specific categories to show different living situations:

• Married Couples:
  • With Children: Traditional family with kids under 18
  • Without Children: Either no kids or adult children who've moved out
• Single Parents:
  • Single Mothers: Women raising children without a spouse present
  • Single Fathers: Men raising children without a spouse present
• Unmarried Partners:
  • With Children: Couples who have children together but aren't married
  • Without Children: Couples living together without marriage or children
• Living Alone: One-person households
  • Often includes both young singles and older adults
  • Important for housing and service planning
• Other Non-Family:
  • Roommates sharing housing
  • Other arrangements not covered above

Why This Information Matters

Household patterns can tell you a lot about your district:

• Housing Needs:
  • Areas with more families might need larger homes
  • Places with more singles might need apartments or smaller units
• Political Priorities:
  • Family households often care about schools and child services
  • Areas with many single parents might need more childcare support
  • Places with lots of seniors living alone might need different services
• Community Planning:
  • Types of housing to build or approve
  • What services and facilities are needed
  • How to structure community programs

Understanding the Numbers

The data is organized in two levels:

• Main Language Groups:
  • English Only: Households where only English is spoken
  • Spanish: Any household where Spanish is spoken
  • Other Indo-European: Languages like French, German, Hindi, Persian
  • Asian & Pacific Islander: Languages like Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese
  • Other Languages: All other language groups
• Limited English: Under each non-English language group, we show how many households have limited English proficiency

What "Limited English" Means

A household is considered to have "limited English" if no one 14 or older in that home:

• Speaks only English, or
• Speaks English "very well"

This matters because:

• These residents might need translated materials or interpreters
• Children might be translating for their parents
• There could be barriers to accessing government services

Why Language Data Matters

Understanding language use in your district helps with:

• Government Services:
  • Whether to provide materials in multiple languages
  • Where to place bilingual staff
  • How to structure community outreach
• Political Outreach:
  • Which languages to use in campaign materials
  • How to structure voter education efforts
  • Where interpreters might be needed at polling places
• Community Planning:
  • School language programs
  • Cultural services and programs
  • Emergency communication planning

U.S. Citizens by Birth

This category includes several groups:

• Born in United States:
  • Current State: Born in the same state where they now live
  • Other States: Born in a different U.S. state
• Born in U.S. Territories:
  • Places like Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands
  • These residents are U.S. citizens from birth
• Born Abroad to U.S. Parents:
  • Children of U.S. citizens born overseas
  • Usually military families or government workers abroad

Foreign-Born Population

This group includes two main categories:

• Naturalized Citizens:
  • Immigrants who have become U.S. citizens
  • Have all the same rights as natural-born citizens
  • Can vote in all elections
• Non-Citizens:
  • Legal permanent residents ("green card" holders)
  • Temporary residents (students, workers)
  • Refugees and asylum seekers
  • Undocumented residents

For both groups, we show their regions of origin:

• Asia
• Latin America
• Europe
• Africa

Why This Information Matters

Understanding citizenship and origin helps with:

• Voter Outreach:
  • Size of the eligible voter population
  • Need for voter registration drives
  • Language needs for voting materials
• Community Services:
  • Immigration services and support
  • Language assistance programs
  • Cultural integration services
• Political Representation:
  • Understanding constituent needs
  • Planning community outreach
  • Addressing immigration concerns

Education Levels Explained

We break down enrollment into six main categories:

• Preschool:
  • Children in nursery school and pre-kindergarten
  • Usually ages 3-4
  • Includes both public and private programs
• Elementary (K-5):
  • Kindergarten through 5th grade
  • Typically ages 5-10
  • Core education years
• Middle School (6-8):
  • 6th through 8th grade
  • Usually ages 11-13
  • Important transition years
• High School (9-12):
  • 9th through 12th grade
  • Typically ages 14-18
  • Includes both public and private schools
• Undergraduate:
  • College/university students pursuing bachelor's degrees
  • Community college students
  • Technical/vocational programs
• Graduate School:
  • Master's and doctoral programs
  • Professional schools (law, medical, etc.)
  • Post-graduate certificates

What These Numbers Tell You

High enrollment in different categories can signal different things about a district:

• High Preschool/Elementary:
  • Many young families in the area
  • Potential need for childcare services
  • Important education funding needs
• High College Enrollment:
  • Could be a college town
  • Might have many part-time students who also work
  • Different housing and transportation needs
• High Graduate Enrollment:
  • Often indicates presence of major universities
  • Highly educated workforce
  • Research and innovation potential

Why This Matters for Planning

School enrollment patterns affect many aspects of community planning:

• Education Resources:
  • School funding needs
  • Teacher staffing
  • Facility planning
• Community Services:
  • After-school programs
  • Public transportation routes
  • Library services
• Economic Development:
  • Types of businesses needed
  • Job training programs
  • Future workforce planning