Statistical ‘portrait’ of Sonoma County

Called a critical report on community well being, “The Portrait of Sonoma County” is the first in-depth look at the health, education, and living standards in each neighborhood in the county. The Sonoma County Department of Health Services study was developed in partnership and consultation with over 50 community organizations and leaders. It’s goal: a guide for strategic planning, decision-making, and impact evaluation to ensure that all residents have an equal opportunity to succeed. Here are highlights from the report.

Health

• Sonoma County residents have an average life expectancy of 81.0—two years longer than the national average of 79.0 but just under California’s life expectancy of 81.2.

• An entire decade separates the life expectancies in the top and bottom census tracts. Those who are born in Kenwood/Glen Ellen can expect to live 75.2 years, while those in Central Bennett Valley average 85.7 years.

• The top five tracts are Central Bennett Valley (85.7 years), Sea Ranch/ Timber Cove and Jenner/Cazadero (both 84.8 years), Annadel/South Oakmont and North Oakmont/Hood Mountain (both 84.3 years), and West Sebastopol/Graton (84.1 years). The bottom five are Bicentennial Park (77.0 years), Sheppard (76.6 years), Burbank Gardens (76.0 years), Downtown Santa Rosa (75.5 years), and Kenwood/Glen Ellen (75.2 years).

• Analysis of Sonoma County’s ninety-nine tracts shows a clear positive correlation between life expectancy and education: people in neighborhoods with higher educational attainment and enrollment have longer lives.

Education

• Analysis of Sonoma County’s ninety-nine tracts shows a clear positive correlation between life expectancy and education: people in neighborhoods with higher educational attainment and enrollment have longer lives.

• Variation in educational outcomes by census tract in Sonoma County is significant and meaningful. The range in the percentage of adult residents with less than a high school diploma is huge, going from a low of 0.4 percent in North Oakmont/Hood Mountain to a high of 46.1 percent in Roseland Creek. The range in school enrollment is likewise vast, from 53.8 percent in Forestville to 100 percent in Central East Windsor.

• Adult women are slightly more likely to have completed high school and college, and girls’ school enrollment is higher than boys’.

• Level of education is the single biggest predictor of earnings for racial and ethnic groups and for census tracts in Sonoma County.

Living standards

• Median earnings, the main gauge of material living standards in this report, are $30,214 annually in Sonoma County, which is roughly on par with earnings in California and the country as a whole. Of the three indicators analyzed in this report—unemployment, child poverty, and housing burden—Sonoma falls near the middle of the pack compared to its peer counties in California.

• Men in Sonoma County earn about $8,500 more than women. This wage gap is similar to the gap between men and women at the state level, although it is around $1,000 smaller than at the national level.

• In Sonoma County, whites earn the most money, $36,647 annually, followed by Asian Americans ($32,495), African Americans ($31,213), and Latinos ($21,695). This is found in California as a whole as well, although Asian Americans are the top-earning group in the country overall.