ARTICLE
Remember the Y2K exercise? The Y2K Scare was a phenomenon at the turn of the 21st century where computer users and programmers feared that computers would stop working on December 31, 1999. The phenomenon was also referred to as the "Millennium Bug" or "Year 2000 problem" by technology experts. Just like any transition from one decade to the next, the first decade of the 21st century brought change in many ways to Santa Cruz County. The Chamber continued promoting business in Santa Cruz County with retail workshops and studies led by national retail experts — a phenomenon in unto itself as we have learned over the course last two decades. Retail is a changing model and trends will continue as the buying power of the Xgen and Millennium are based on immediate access and gratification to products, with internet sales outpacing local retail shops. In 2001 the Chamber lobbied for the California Transportation Commission to concentrate on roads, including Highway 1, and "improving the movement of people” by how they actually behave and are likely to continue to behave over the next 25 years.” We’ll discuss this in greater detail in the last edition about the Chamber’s history (2010-2019). The simple fact remains that our infrastructure built in the 1940s and 1950s is not adequate or sustainable in the new century. The issue of a sustainable transportation system will be a boarder focus conversation in the 2010-2019 Chamber history story. When the 9/11 terrorist attacks hit our nation — it shifted the political course of the Country for the next decade. September 11, 2001 is still etched in our memory. Yet, back along the Central Coast, the fall-out of the dot.com implosion had more to do with the economic impact on Santa Cruz County than fighting terrorism. Let’s take a quick look at the population, economic and housing numbers from that first decade of this century. Population As of January 1, 2009, the City of Santa Cruz population was 58,982 (California Department of Finance [DOF), May 2009). This was an increase of 9,271 City residents over the City’s 1990 population of 49,711. This population increase represents an annual average growth rate of approximately 1% (0.98) between 1990 and 2009. Between 1990 and 2008, City population grew at an average annual growth rate of about 1%. [CITY OF SANTA CRUZ DRAFT EIR GENERAL PLAN 2030, SEPTEMBER 2011]1 Economic Trends The median household income for the City of Santa Cruz in 2005 was an estimated $60,273, compared to $63,919 for the County and $72,260 for the region. This somewhat lower median household income for the City reflects the younger population and smaller average household size. (Bay Area Economics, June 2006.) AMBAG projections indicate that decreases are anticipated in young children and school-age populations in Santa Cruz County, comprising a 5% loss countywide by 2035 (AMBAG, June 2008a). Population growth among working-age residents is also slow at about 8%. Similar to the regional projections, the fastest growth sector of the population are residents over 85 years, which is expected to more than double by 2035. The population of seniors between 65-84 years is also predicted to almost double to over 41,600 residents (Ibid.). According to U.S. Census information, there were 36,804 jobs within the City 2000, 42% of which (15,550 jobs) were held by City residents. Of the total employed residents within the City, 54% worked within the community. This results in an overall jobs-to-employed resident ratio of 1.27 that shows a strong positive balance of jobs to employed residents (even if not all City residents held these jobs), and that without additional housing construction, in-commuting would need to occur to fill all existing jobs (Bay Area Economics, June 2006). Demographic Trends According to 2000 Census data, 72% of the City of Santa Cruz reported their ethnicity as white, followed by 17.5% reporting Hispanic ethnicity (Bay Area Economics, June 2006). Ethnic diversity has increased slightly in the City since 1990 when the proportion of white ethnicity was 79%. The City's median age in 2005 was slightly lower, at 34.1 years, than either the County or the region (Bay Area Economics, June 2006). The City also had a lower concentration of children age 0 to 17 (16.8%) than the County (22.7%) or the region (23.3%), and higher proportions of college-age residents from age 18 through 24 (17.4%) than the County (11.3%) or the region (8.4%). Additionally, the City also had a relatively high proportion of young adults age 25 to 34, with more than 17% of population in this age range, compared to 14% or less for the region and County. In every age cohort above age 35, the City has slightly lower proportions than the County or region, including seniors age 65 and over (Bay Area Economics, June 2006). In 2000, 30% of the City’s population was between the age of 35 and 54 years, and 14.8% were 55 years and older. From 1990 to 2000 the City experienced a 2% population decline in 25 to 44 years of age group, but the age 45 to 64 population increased by 76% (City of Santa Cruz Department of Planning and Community Development, April 2004). What will these trends mean for our future? Residents of the City of Santa Cruz are highly educated, with more than 44% of the residents over age 25 having achieved a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2000. This level of educational attainment in Santa Cruz is substantially stronger than countywide (34%) or regionally (just under 27%) (Bay Area Economics, June 2006). The median household income for the City of Santa Cruz in 2005 was an estimated $60,273, compared to $63,919 for the County and $72,260 for the region. This somewhat lower median household income for the City reflects the younger population and smaller average household size. (Bay Area Economics, June 2006.) Why are we reviewing the census data of the last decade? Data is about trends that offer insight to the demographic, economic and social dynamics of our region at a snapshot in time. The Chamber’s activities during that time reflected the organization’s core focus for our members — jobs, housing and igniting the local economy at a time when state and national economic trends where titling downward. Thus, the the Chamber turned to programs and workshops to address the pace of our economy. In 2003, the Chamber was represented on the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Advisory Council in an effort to continue to be a collaborative partner between the environmental and other community stakeholders in promoting the protection of the Monterey Bay. In 2004 the Chamber presented the Building Solutions Trade Show with 75 local businesses, contractors, mortgage professionals, realtors, remodelers, and architects to help bolster the construction trades in Santa Cruz County. At the time there was a slow surge in the housing industry, but that all disappeared during the 2007-2008 financial and housing recession that took a down Santa Cruz limited housing market. Housing prices dropped significantly between 2005-2008. In 2008 and 2009, the Chamber brought local Santa Cruzans to China to kick off the Chamber’s Travel program. The Chamber’s Travel program continues today as a resource for our chamber members and the greater Santa Cruz County community. In 2009 the Chamber presented a series of workshops and forums for managing business in the downturn, created a small business survival series, and panel discussions on navigating through difficult times. These workshops were also a mirror of the community rebounding from the recession As California and the nation moved out the slumbering recession of 2007-2010, Santa Cruz County slowly returned to pre-recession era. At the turn of the 20th Century, the county moved away from industry and toward tourism and agriculture. As noted in past historical write-ups, the Chamber was instrumental in creating the first redwood park, worked to attract new residents to the county, and promoted Santa Cruz as a tourist destination. Similarly, 2010 brought about significant industry shift of our region. Tied to Silicon Valley’s tech sector, the Chamber and the Santa Cruz County businesses re-energized the diversity of our economy with a tech movement growth to our coastal community. Stay tuned to another eNews edition as we close out our historical review of the Chamber’s 130 years of community service to Santa Cruz County.
Remember the Y2K exercise? The Y2K Scare was a phenomenon at the turn of the 21st century where computer users and programmers feared that computers would stop working on December 31, 1999. The phenomenon was also referred to as the "Millennium Bug" or "Year 2000 problem" by technology experts.
Just like any transition from one decade to the next, the first decade of the 21st century brought change in many ways to Santa Cruz County.
The Chamber continued promoting business in Santa Cruz County with retail workshops and studies led by national retail experts — a phenomenon in unto itself as we have learned over the course last two decades. Retail is a changing model and trends will continue as the buying power of the Xgen and Millennium are based on immediate access and gratification to products, with internet sales outpacing local retail shops.
In 2001 the Chamber lobbied for the California Transportation Commission to concentrate on roads, including Highway 1, and "improving the movement of people” by how they actually behave and are likely to continue to behave over the next 25 years.” We’ll discuss this in greater detail in the last edition about the Chamber’s history (2010-2019). The simple fact remains that our infrastructure built in the 1940s and 1950s is not adequate or sustainable in the new century. The issue of a sustainable transportation system will be a boarder focus conversation in the 2010-2019 Chamber history story.
When the 9/11 terrorist attacks hit our nation — it shifted the political course of the Country for the next decade. September 11, 2001 is still etched in our memory. Yet, back along the Central Coast, the fall-out of the dot.com implosion had more to do with the economic impact on Santa Cruz County than fighting terrorism.
Let’s take a quick look at the population, economic and housing numbers from that first decade of this century.
Population
As of January 1, 2009, the City of Santa Cruz population was 58,982 (California Department of Finance [DOF), May 2009). This was an increase of 9,271 City residents over the City’s 1990 population of 49,711. This population increase represents an annual average growth rate of approximately 1% (0.98) between 1990 and 2009. Between 1990 and 2008, City population grew at an average annual growth rate of about 1%. [CITY OF SANTA CRUZ DRAFT EIR GENERAL PLAN 2030, SEPTEMBER 2011]1 Economic Trends
The median household income for the City of Santa Cruz in 2005 was an estimated $60,273, compared to $63,919 for the County and $72,260 for the region. This somewhat lower median household income for the City reflects the younger population and smaller average household size. (Bay Area Economics, June 2006.)
AMBAG projections indicate that decreases are anticipated in young children and school-age populations in Santa Cruz County, comprising a 5% loss countywide by 2035 (AMBAG, June 2008a). Population growth among working-age residents is also slow at about 8%. Similar to the regional projections, the fastest growth sector of the population are residents over 85 years, which is expected to more than double by 2035. The population of seniors between 65-84 years is also predicted to almost double to over 41,600 residents (Ibid.).
According to U.S. Census information, there were 36,804 jobs within the City 2000, 42% of which (15,550 jobs) were held by City residents. Of the total employed residents within the City, 54% worked within the community. This results in an overall jobs-to-employed resident ratio of 1.27 that shows a strong positive balance of jobs to employed residents (even if not all City residents held these jobs), and that without additional housing construction, in-commuting would need to occur to fill all existing jobs (Bay Area Economics, June 2006).
Demographic Trends
According to 2000 Census data, 72% of the City of Santa Cruz reported their ethnicity as white, followed by 17.5% reporting Hispanic ethnicity (Bay Area Economics, June 2006). Ethnic diversity has increased slightly in the City since 1990 when the proportion of white ethnicity was 79%.
The City's median age in 2005 was slightly lower, at 34.1 years, than either the County or the region (Bay Area Economics, June 2006). The City also had a lower concentration of children age 0 to 17 (16.8%) than the County (22.7%) or the region (23.3%), and higher proportions of college-age residents from age 18 through 24 (17.4%) than the County (11.3%) or the region (8.4%).
Additionally, the City also had a relatively high proportion of young adults age 25 to 34, with more than 17% of population in this age range, compared to 14% or less for the region and County. In every age cohort above age 35, the City has slightly lower proportions than the County or region, including seniors age 65 and over (Bay Area Economics, June 2006).
In 2000, 30% of the City’s population was between the age of 35 and 54 years, and 14.8% were 55 years and older. From 1990 to 2000 the City experienced a 2% population decline in 25 to 44 years of age group, but the age 45 to 64 population increased by 76% (City of Santa Cruz Department of Planning and Community Development, April 2004). What will these trends mean for our future?
Residents of the City of Santa Cruz are highly educated, with more than 44% of the residents over age 25 having achieved a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2000. This level of educational attainment in Santa Cruz is substantially stronger than countywide (34%) or regionally (just under 27%) (Bay Area Economics, June 2006).
Why are we reviewing the census data of the last decade? Data is about trends that offer insight to the demographic, economic and social dynamics of our region at a snapshot in time. The Chamber’s activities during that time reflected the organization’s core focus for our members — jobs, housing and igniting the local economy at a time when state and national economic trends where titling downward. Thus, the the Chamber turned to programs and workshops to address the pace of our economy. In 2003, the Chamber was represented on the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Advisory Council in an effort to continue to be a collaborative partner between the environmental and other community stakeholders in promoting the protection of the Monterey Bay.
In 2004 the Chamber presented the Building Solutions Trade Show with 75 local businesses, contractors, mortgage professionals, realtors, remodelers, and architects to help bolster the construction trades in Santa Cruz County. At the time there was a slow surge in the housing industry, but that all disappeared during the 2007-2008 financial and housing recession that took a down Santa Cruz limited housing market. Housing prices dropped significantly between 2005-2008.
In 2008 and 2009, the Chamber brought local Santa Cruzans to China to kick off the Chamber’s Travel program. The Chamber’s Travel program continues today as a resource for our chamber members and the greater Santa Cruz County community.
In 2009 the Chamber presented a series of workshops and forums for managing business in the downturn, created a small business survival series, and panel discussions on navigating through difficult times. These workshops were also a mirror of the community rebounding from the recession
As California and the nation moved out the slumbering recession of 2007-2010, Santa Cruz County slowly returned to pre-recession era. At the turn of the 20th Century, the county moved away from industry and toward tourism and agriculture. As noted in past historical write-ups, the Chamber was instrumental in creating the first redwood park, worked to attract new residents to the county, and promoted Santa Cruz as a tourist destination.
Similarly, 2010 brought about significant industry shift of our region. Tied to Silicon Valley’s tech sector, the Chamber and the Santa Cruz County businesses re-energized the diversity of our economy with a tech movement growth to our coastal community. Stay tuned to another eNews edition as we close out our historical review of the Chamber’s 130 years of community service to Santa Cruz County.