2008 ORANGE COUNTY COMMUNITY INDICATORS REPORT

The County of Orange funds an annual community indicators report which examines the conditions of living in the County and, of course, identifies trends regarding the economy, affordable housing, job rates, salary comparisions, etc.

Here is the 2008 OC Community Indicators Report
PDF FILE HERE

Be sure to read over the following sections:
*COUNTY PROFILE - "HOUSING"; "EMPLOYMENT"

*SPECIAL FEATURES - "HOUSING TRENDS"

*ECONOMIC & BUSINESS CLIMATE - "COST OF LIVING"; "PER CAPITA INCOME"; "HOUSING DEMAND"; "HOUSING AFFORDABILITY"; "RENTAL AFFORDABILITY"

*COMMUNITY HEALTH & PROSPERITY - "FAMILY INCOME SECURITY"; "FAMILY HOUSING SECURITY"

Most revealing is the fact that the county is fully aware that they create their own homelessness due to a lack of rental controls and a scarcity of jobs that pay enough to afford a basic one bedroom apartment.

Here's one of the most telling set of statistics (under "Rental Affordability"):

*The hourly wage needed for a one-bedroom apartment rose from $23.81 in 2006 to $25.57 in 2007 – equivalent to an annual income of $53,185.

* Among state and national peer metropolitan areas, Orange County has the highest Housing Wage (less affordable rental housing).

* According to employment projections, most of the occupations likely to have large gains in the county’s high-growth industries (services, manufacturing, and retail trade) have hourly wages far below the Housing Wage.