This section of the magazine gives a snapshot of the economy in each of nine regions: Northern California, Northern Sacramento Valley, Greater Sacramento, Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley, Central Coast, Central Sierra, Southern California and Southern Border.

This section of the magazine gives an overview of the economy in each of nine regions: Northern California, Northern Sacramento Valley, Greater Sacramento, Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley, Central Coast, Central Sierra, Southern California and Southern Border.

Population
532,494

Per capita income (2006)
$30,466

Job growth (2001-06)
1.3%

The Northern California region is composed of 11 counties – Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Sierra, Siskiyou and Trinity – along the north coast, Oregon border and northeastern Sierra Nevada. In terms of population, it is the third-smallest region in the state, with 1.5 percent of Californians residing here (2006). The region is the second smallest based on employment, with 1.1 percent of California’s jobs (2006). 

Population
508,733

Per capita income (2006)
$28,074

Job growth (2001-06)
6.4%

The Northern Sacramento Valley region encompasses Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Shasta and Tehama counties. It is the state’s second-smallest region based on 2006 population, with 1.4 percent of the population, and is the third smallest based on 2006 employment, with 1.2 percent of its jobs.

Population
2,255,258

Per capita income (2006)
$36,307

Job growth (2001-06)
9.4%

The six counties of El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba make up the Greater Sacramento region, which is the state’s fifth most populous. The region is home to 6.1 percent of the state’s population and 6.2 percent of its jobs (2006).

Population
5,746,018

Per capita income
$54,234

Job growth (2001-06)
-5.8%

The Bay Area region includes 11 counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano and Sonoma. This is the California’s second-most-populous region, with 19.8 percent of the state’s population and 22 percent of its jobs (2006). 

Population
3,834,766

Per capita income

Job growth (2001-06)
9.9%

The San Joaquin Valley region covers eight counties: Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tulare. It is the state’s third-largest region based on population and fourth largest based on employment, with 10.4 percent of the population and 8.6 percent of the jobs (2006). 

Population
1,128,937

Per capita income (2006)
$39,697

Job growth (2001-06)
3.6%

The counties of Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara comprise the Central Coast region. It is California’s sixth-largest region, with 2.9 percent of its population and 3 percent of its jobs (2006).

Population
190,759

Per capita income (2006)
$31,226

Job growth (2001-06)
5.9%

The Central Sierra, California’s least populous region, is composed of seven counties: Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono and Tuolumne. 

Population
17,755,322

Per capita income (2006)
$37,306

Job growth (2001-06)
6.5%

Southern California is the state’s largest region, with 48.7 percent of its population and 46.9 percent of its jobs (2006). Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties make up the region.

Population
3,136,726

Per capita income (2006)
$41,784

Job growth (2001-06)
7.7%

Imperial and San Diego counties form the Southern Border region. It is the state’s fourth-largest region based on 2006 population and third largest based on 2006 employment, with 8.6 percent of the popu­lation and 8.8 percent of the jobs.

California Association for Local Economic Development
550 Bercut Drive, Suite G
Sacramento, CA 95811
Phone: (916) 448-8252
Fax: (916) 448-3811
www.caled.org

California Economic Strategy Panel, California Association for Local Economic Development

The information provided was the most current available.

California Association for Local Economic Development
550 Bercut Drive, Suite G
Sacramento, CA 95811
Phone: (916) 448-8252
Fax: (916) 448-3811www.caled.org

SOURCES:

California Economic Strategy Panel, California Association for Local Economic Development
The information provided was the most current available.

This two-county economic region is the smallest in the state, yet it is also California’s most diverse region economically.
Population, 3,270,941
Counties: Imperial, San Diego

Industry Composition 2005

All government, 17%
Retail trade, 12%
Accommodation & food services, 10%
Manufacturing, 8%
Professional, scientific & technical services, 8%
Health care & social assistance, 8%
Construction, 7%
Administrative & waste services, 7%
Other services, 4%
Finance & insurance, 4%
Wholesale trade, 3%
Information, 3%
Real estate, 2%
Transportation & warehousing, 2%
Arts, entertainment & recreation, 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing & hunting, 2%
Educational services, 1%
Management of companies & enterprises, 1%
Utilities, 0.4%
Mining, 0.3%

Income 2005

Average annual wage for private industry, $42,485
Per capita income, $39,628

Stats

From 2001-05, this region ranked third in employment growth among the nine regions and third in population growth.
Of all private firms, nearly 98 percent have fewer than 100 employees and almost 96 percent have fewer than 50. Firms with fewer than 100 employees account for 51 percent of the jobs in the region.

Contacts

www.caled.org/03_members9.shtml

The five counties constitute an economically interdependent region, which accounts for 48 percent of California’s jobs and 47 percent of its population.
Population, 18,315,210
Counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura

Industry Composition 2005

All government, 14%
Manufacturing, 11%
Retail trade, 11%
Health care & social assistance, 9%
Accommodation & food services, 8%
Administrative & waste services, 7%
Professional, scientific & technical services, 6%
Construction, 5%
Wholesale trade, 5%
Other services, 5%
Finance & insurance, 4%
Information, 4%
Transportation & warehousing, 3%
Real estate, 2%
Arts, entertainment & recreation, 2%
Educational services, 2%
Management of companies & enterprises, 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing & hunting, 1%
Utilities, 0.3%
Mining, 0.1%

Income 2005

Average annual wage
for private industry, $43,812
Per capita income, $34,664

Stats

The region ranked fifth in employment growth among the nine regions and fourth in population growth from 2001-05.
Of all private firms, more than 98 percent have fewer than 100 employees and 96 percent have fewer than 50. Firms with fewer than 100 employees provide 56 percent of the jobs in the region.

Contacts

www.caled.org/03_members8.shtml

The seven southeastern counties of the Sierra Nevada represent
a distinct geographic and economic region. Land in the region is mostly government-owned and sparsely populated.
Population, 193,569
Counties: Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono, Tuolumne

Industry Composition 2005

All government, 33%
Accommodation & food services, 17%
Retail trade, 12%
Health care & social assistance, 8%
Construction, 7%
Manufacturing, 4%
Other services, 3%
Professional, scientific & technical services, 3%
Administrative & waste services, 2%
Arts, entertainment & recreation, 2%
Real estate, 2%
Finance insurance, 2%
Information, 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing & hunting, 1%
Transportation & warehousing, 1%
Utilities, 1%
Wholesale trade, 1%
Management of companies & enterprises, 0.5%
Mining, 0.4%
Educational services, 0.3%

Income 2005

Average annual wage for private industry, $27,782
Per capita income, $29,616

Stats

The region ranked fourth in overall employment growth among the nine regions from 2001-05 and fifth in population growth.
Of all private firms, 99.5 percent have fewer than 100 employees and just over 98 percent have fewer than 50. Firms with fewer than 100 employees account for 85 percent of the region’s jobs.

Contacts

www.caled.org/03_members7.shtml

Agricultural enterprises, personal services and government dominate the economic base of the three Central Coast counties.
Population, 1,115,285
Counties: Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara

Industry Composition 2005

All government, 19.0%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing & hunting, 13.6%
Accommodation & food services, 11.1%
Retail trade, 11.0%
Health care & social assistance, 7.9%
Manufacturing, 5.7%
Construction, 5.3%
Administrative & waste services, 4.3%
Professional, scientific & technical services, 4.3%
Other services, 3.6%
Wholesale trade, 2.6%
Finance & insurance, 2.5%
Information, 1.8%
Real estate, 1.7%
Transportation & warehousing, 1.5%
Arts, entertainment & recreation, 1.4%
Educational services, 1.0%
Management of companies & enterprises, 1.0%
Utilities, 0.6%
Mining, 0.3%

Income 2005

Average annual wage for private industry, $34,687
Per capita income, $37,191

Stats

Of all private firms, more than 98 percent have fewer than 100 employees, with nearly 96 percent having fewer than 50. Firms with fewer than 100 employees provide 64 percent of the jobs in the region.

Contacts

www.caled.org/05_members6.shtml

This region is composed of eight counties that line the southern Central Valley and have economies based upon agriculture and related industries. Sixty percent of the region consists of privately owned farmland.
Population, 3,897,965
Counties: Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare

Industry Composition 2005

All government, 19.6%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing & hunting, 13.9%
Retail trade, 10.8%
Health care & social assistance, 8.9%
Manufacturing, 8.6%
Accommodation & food services, 6.5%
Construction, 6.5%
Administrative & waste services, 4.3%
Other services, 3.9%
Wholesale trade, 3.2%
Transportation & warehousing, 2.9%
Professional, scientific & technical services, 2.6%
Finance & insurance, 2.5%
All other industries, 6.0%

Income 2005

Average annual wage for private industry, $30,432
Per capita income, $25,119

Stats

The region ranked second in employment growth among the nine regions from 2001-05. It also experienced the fastest population growth at 10.1 percent.
Of all private firms, more than 98 percent have fewer than 100 employees and nearly 96 percent have fewer than 50. Firms with fewer than 100 employees provide nearly 59 percent of the jobs in the region.

Contacts

www.caled.org/06_members5.shtml

The economic base of this 11-county region is made up of manufacturing and high-wage business services such as finance, software and movie production. The region accounts for 22 percent of the state’s jobs and 20 percent of its population.

Population, 7,539,352
Counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma

Income 2005

Average annual wage for private industry, $59,881
Per capita income, $49,650

Industry Composition 2005

All government, 14.6%
Manufacturing, 10.7%
Retail trade, 10.4%
Professional, scientific & technical services, 8.9%
Health care & social assistance, 8.7%
Accommodation & food services, 8.1%
Construction, 5.8%
Administrative & waste services, 5.5%
Finance & insurance, 4.6%
Other services, 4.3%
Wholesale trade, 3.8%
Information, 3.4%
Transportation & warehousing, 2.6%
All other industries, 8.5%

Stats

Of all private firms, just over 98 percent have fewer than 100 employees and nearly 96 percent have fewer than 50. Firms with fewer than 100 employees account for 58 percent of the region’s jobs.

Contacts

www.caled.org/03_members4.shtml

Although the six counties in this region, which includes California’s capital city, are becoming more interdependent, the economic base is shifting increasingly toward Sacramento itself.
Population, 2,368,386
Counties: El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, Yuba

Industry Composition 2005

All government, 25%
Retail trade 11%
Health care & social assistance, 9%
Accommodation & food services, 8%
Construction 8%
Administrative & waste services, 5%
Finance & insurance, 5%
Manufacturing, 5%
Professional, scientific & technical services, 5%
Other services, 4%
Wholesale trade, 3%
Information, 2%
Real estate, 2%
Transportation & warehousing, 2%
Agriculture, forestry,mfishing & hunting, 1%
Arts, entertainment & recreation, 1%
Educational services, 1%
Management of companies & enterprises, 1%
Utilities, 0.2%
Mining, 0.1%

Income 2005

Average annual wage for private industry, $39,267
Per capita income, $34,762

Stats

The region led all nine regions in employment growth from 2001-05. It also experienced the second-fastest population growth of 9.4 percent.
Of all private firms, more than 98 percent have fewer than 100 employees and nearly 96 percent have fewer than 50. Firms with fewer than 100 employees provide 61 percent of the region’s jobs.

Contacts

www.caled.org/03_members3.shtml

The five counties in this region are primarily agriculture-based, with forestry and farm-related manufacturing centered in Shasta County.
Population, 512,110
Counties: Butte, Colusa,
Glen, Shasta, Tehama

Industry Composition 2005

All government, 22%
Retail trade, 13%
Health care & social assistance, 13%
Accommodation & food services, 8%
Manufacturing, 6%
Construction, 5%
Other services, 5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing & hunting, 5%
Administrative & waste services, 3%
Professional, scientific & technical services, 3%
Transportation & warehousing, 3%
Finance & insurance, 3%
Wholesale trade, 3%
Real estate, 2%
Information, 1%
Arts, entertainment & recreation, 1%
Educational services, 1%
Management of companies & enterprises, 1%
Utilities, 0.5%
Mining, 0.1%

Income 2005

Average annual wage for private industry, $29,003
Per capita income, $26,948

Stats

Of all private firms, 99 percent have fewer than 100 employees and more than 97 percent have fewer than 50. Firms with fewer than 100 employees account for nearly 74 percent of the jobs in the region.

Contacts

www.caled.org/03_members2.shtml

Eleven counties along the north coast, Oregon border and northeastern Sierra Nevada comprise this region. The counties are heavily dependent on natural resources, with the majority of the land consisting of publicly and privately owned forests and grazing lands. As a whole, the region is sparsely populated and underdeveloped.

Population, 446,700
Counties: Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Sierra, Siskiyou, Trinity Income 2005
Average annual wage for private industry, $27,726
Per capita income, $28,853

Industry Composition 2005

All government, 28%
Retail trade, 13%
Health care & social assistance, 11%
Accommodation & food services, 10%
Manufacturing, 6%
Construction, 6%
Other services, 5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing & hunting, 4%
Administrative & waste services, 3%
Arts, entertainment & recreation, 2%
Finance & insurance, 2%
Professional, scientific & technical services, 2%
Transportation & warehousing, 2%
Wholesale trade, 2%
Educational services, 1%
Information, 1%
Management of companies & enterprises, 1%
Real estate, 1%
Utilities, 1%
Mining, 0.1%

Stats

Of all private firms, more than 99 percent have fewer than 100 employees, and 98 percent have fewer than 50. Firms with fewer than 100 employees provide nearly 83 percent of the jobs in this region.

Contacts

www.caled.org/03_members1.shtml