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California is rated #1 overall with a poverty rate of 20.6%, according to Supplemental Poverty Measures. If you look at “official” poverty rates, California is tied for 17th, at 15%.
San Francisco Metro itself (SF, Hayward, Oakland), it’s estimated that 485K (people) lived below the poverty lines (2016), which would be 12%. So while SF may not be #1, California as a whole is. And of course, this doesn’t take into consideration the whole Bay Area (East, North, South, etc...). You start adding in Richmond, and places like that, those numbers go up without a doubt.
So maybe instead of singling out the Bay Area, I should change it to California as a whole
Ok? The Bay Area is by far and away the wealthiest part of the state, and nation for that matter, which includes some very poor areas. You can't look at CA's SUPPLEMENTAL poverty rate and apply that to the Bay Area.
Richmond is part of the SF Metro and the southern part of the Bay Area is even wealthier. There are 4.6 million people in the SF Metro so 485K being in poverty isn't that bad at all. The Bay Area CSA which includes the SF MSA, SJ MSA, Stockton, Vallejo, etc..and all the areas you're referring to has a 11.2% official poverty rate according to the census bureau.
The San Francisco area could upzone 5% of its developed land and totally change the dynamic.
Let's say 25 square miles with a mix of scattered sites and larger nodes were upzoned. If they currently average 5,000 residents per square mile, moderate increases to just 25,000 per square mile would add housing for 500,000. With a high land supply and an easier development process, this could happen at substantially lower cost, which would allow it to compete with the existing supply and draw prices down a bit for everyone.
The thing I've never understood about the San Francisco Bay Area is why there's not serious upzoning in any of the many municipalities of the Bay Area. I can understand the idea of trying to preserve historic neighborhoods in some or much of San Francisco proper, but the Bay Area hosts many municipalities, many of them connected by transit and many of them having pretty forgettable histories and architecture and few in long-standing communities. What are the overarching reasons for why no municipalities upzone to take advantage of the large demand and build themselves into a large thriving city?
The thing I've never understood about the San Francisco Bay Area is why there's not serious upzoning in any of the many municipalities of the Bay Area. I can understand the idea of trying to preserve historic neighborhoods in some or much of San Francisco proper, but the Bay Area hosts many municipalities, many of them connected by transit and many of them having pretty forgettable histories and architecture and few in long-standing communities. What are the overarching reasons for why no municipalities upzone to take advantage of the large demand and build themselves into a large thriving city?
Why on earth would you think homeowners want their neighborhood "upzoned" and tore up to build more density?
Austin was the finest city in the Western World from 1965-1985 with a metropolitan population of 350,000. Austin has added a million metropolitan residents since, brutal on infrastructure. It's all about jobs, we have them...
Shucks. We had that happen just two years ago. We live in a very nice neighborhood that reliably makes the 50 Best Suburbs clickbait that comes around yearly on different websites. School system ranked in the top 100-200 in the country, too.
So when the people moved down the street from Connecticut, we all essentially showed up to say "Hello" and do the general Southern thing of bringing brownies, dropping off phone numbers, etc. etc.
The husband was nice enough, but the wife was literally complaining about our city and state from the minute we arrived. As in, "Well, I hope I'm going to like it here," was one of the first things she said. Mind you, they moved because the economy was sucking wind in Connecticut and their taxes were through the roof. And the town they came from, after I went home to check, has a pretty undistinguished school system. But it was this constant plaint on her part, wondering if we could possibly live up to the burg from which she hailed. Her husband has managed to acclimate really well. Heck, we've hauled him to a couple of college games. But she just basically whines about how we do it down here. That's the kind of person I'm talking about.
Okay that's on her though. I've met both native and transplant complainers, but that's all they do, complain then move on. Some people you cant please. If they want to make their own selves miserable then whatever. At least her husband tries to make the best of his time.
As long as she's not trying to run for mayor and jack up your taxes so she can build herself southern New Haven, I don't see the problem. Not all natives enjoy where they live either. I have native friends who complain. "It sucks here, I wanna go to Oregon." Well okay then go, it doesn't affect me.
You can't keep aiming at transplants, unless they're walking around in Patriots jerseys.
No clearly I don't. It's great in some ways though, because it can eventually help drive people to other cities.
Well there is only so much room in the Bay Area even for highly educated and high earning individuals which there are quite a lot of here. Glad we can help out other cities and Make America Great Again.
Well there is only so much room in the Bay Area even for highly educated and high earning individuals which there are quite a lot of here. Glad we can help out other cities and Make America Great Again.
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