Text-only version of this email
October 27, 2023
Dear Atlas users,
Recent headlines have focused on the Bay Area’s population loss over the last few years. But how did the region’s population — and
its demographics — change during the 2010s? Our explores the trends and what they mean for our future. Explore our findings and
more updates from the Atlas:
At a Glance: The Bay Area’s Shifting Population
The Bay Area added more than half a million people between 2010 and 2020. However, our reveals that population growth during this
period was uneven across the nine counties. Smaller cities in the East Bay and South Bay saw larger rates of population growth,
while unincorporated areas in the North Bay and South Bay lost residents. The region’s racial and ethnic demographics are also
quite different than they were a decade ago. By 2020, people of color and multiracial people comprised nearly two-thirds of all
residents (64 percent), a notable rise from 50 percent in 2010. Despite this growth, Black and indigenous populations across the
region have still declined.
Advocating for Language Equity in the Bay Area
The nine-county Bay Area is home to speakers of more than 160 languages. More than 200,000 households across the region don’t
speak English well or at all. These largely speak Asian languages or Spanish. For farmworkers, many of whom speak other indigenous
languages from Mexico, the situation is even more precarious: safety messages aren’t often translated into the languages they
speak. , a farmworker and organizer who predominantly speaks Chatino, has pushed to increase language access. In 2022, she and
other farmworkers successfully advocated for the creation of an emergency operations plan that requires employers in Sonoma County
to provide safety training and information to workers in their preferred languages. .
ICYMI: Examining the Diversity of Bay Area Elected Officials
Our — mayors, city council members, supervisors, and district attorneys — reveals more people of color are running for office and
winning local elections throughout the nine-county region. Between 2019 and 2023, the region’s share of elected officials of color
increased from 29 percent to 37 percent. Despite this steady increase, people of color remain vastly underrepresented, given that
they make up 60 percent of the region’s population. Additionally 25 percent of Bay Area cities still have no people of color
represented in their city government. Want to delve deeper? on the relationship between real estate interests held by local
elected officials and their voting patterns on housing legislation.
Connect with Our Team
The Atlas team regularly engages with local advocates and organizations. Are you interested in hosting a presentation or training?
Contact us: .
Thank you,
Bay Area Equity Atlas team
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