SACRAMENTO’S HISPANIC ECONOMIC REPORT SUMMARY
The Greater Sacramento region (consisting of El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba county) is home to over 560,000 Hispanic residents. About one-in-five residents in the region is Hispanic and the Hispanic population is projected to grow over the next twenty years.
Age
The Hispanic population is younger than the non-Hispanic population with 31% of the Hispanic population being under the age of eighteen compared to 19% of the non-Hispanic population.
Heritage & Citizenship
The vast majority of Hispanics under the age of eighteen were born in the United States (94%) and/or are United States citizens (96%), while (39%) of adult Hispanics are born outside of the country (39%) and not be citizens (22%). About 83% of Hispanics living in the Sacramento region are of Mexican heritage.
Income
The median family income for Hispanic Households in the region is $61,300 representing 73% of the median income for non-Hispanic households. The median family income for Hispanics consistently trailed that of non-Hispanic households between 2010 and 2019. In 2019, Hispanics in Yuba and Yolo Counties had the lowest median household income in 2019 ($50,300) compared to Sacramento County which had the highest ($85,400).
Education
At all levels of schooling, there is an educational attainment gap between Hispanic and non-Hispanic students. 17% of the region’s Hispanic population has at least a Bachelor’s Degree, which represents less than half of rate of educational attainment in the non-Hispanic population (36% have at least a Bachelor’s Degree). The graduation rate for high school Latinos in the region is 82%, which is 6% below the graduation rate for white students. 33.4% of Hispanic high school graduates meet CSU or UC requirements compared to 45.8% of non-Hispanic students.
Digital Access
Hispanic households are more likely to rely on solely smartphones for access to the internet compared to non-Hispanic households. 85.4% of non-Hispanic households have access to a desktop or laptop computer compared to 79.6% of Hispanic households.
Labor
Hispanics in the Greater Sacramento region are more active in the labor force (67% participation vs 60% for Non-Hispanics) and have higher unemployment rates (4.5% versus 3.6% unemployment). (2019) Hispanics in the region are over-represented in occupations fields such as Farming, Cleaning and Maintenance, and Construction and under-represented in fields such as Education, Management, and Health Care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hispanics were more likely to work jobs that could not be completed remotely.
Socioeconomic Status
Hispanics are more likely to lack health insurance coverage (especially young adults), live at or below the poverty line (19% of Hispanics vs 11% of non-Hispanics in 2019), and receive SNAP benefits than non-Hispanics (10.6% of Hispanics versus 5.11% of non-Hispanics).
From the personal interviews with community members
In interviews, Hispanic students expressed the significant financial burden of the pandemic on employment for themselves and their families, in addition to anxieties about COVID-19 exposure for family members working “essential jobs”. All participants felt that the pandemic had highlighted the underappreciated work of Hispanics employed in crucial jobs in the agriculture and service industries. They felt that Hispanics were more important to the economic future of the region than ever before.
WE ARE SACRAMENTO
Business Owner
BILA CASTILLO
Bila founded Bila’s Hair Studio in 2016, and now has six employees who serve a diverse community in Sacramento’s Arden-Arcade area. When COVID-19 forced her small business to close for nearly six months, Bila Castillo was determined to focus on the opportunities around her. She encouraged her employees to pursue additional training and certifications so that they could emerge from the pandemic with new skills they might not otherwise have had the time to acquire. Castillo’s resilience in the face of unprecedented challenges is a testament to the tireless efforts of Hispanic small business owners across the Sacramento region.
She believes Latinos need to work together to share information and resources that will help their small businesses make the greatest economic impact in the region.
“We need to speak. We need to tell other people what we want, what we need, what I’m going for. Everybody can be successful in different ways, but we need to get educated.”
CEO
ROBERT RODRIGUEZ
Robert Rodriguez is the CEO of Sacramento headquartered Cambria Solutions, sees more opportunities for individuals to advocate for other Latinos and provide mentorship as Latino prominence rise in business and government. Rodriguez wants the Hispanic community, and everyone in society, to think broadly about representation for racial minorities and women.
“I think, why not us? Why can’t we do it? I look around and somebody is asking, why is it that we can’t do this? Why don’t we have more representation? Why don’t we have more Latino millionaires? Why don’t we have more Latino companies in the Fortune 500? I think when we look at it from a different perspective, it opens our eyes and gives us new goals to achieve and maybe new gaps that need to be filled up.”
Family
QUISPE FAMILY
In the decade since moving to the region, the Quispe family has found economic opportunity in Sacramento along with a diverse community which allows them to connect with both local Hispanics and people from all walks of life through their neighbors, faith, careers, and philanthropy.
“Sacramento provides the opportunity to be proud of our culture, our food, and language. Wherever I go, there is people who look like me, and make me feel welcome.”
Student
MIRIAM MARTINEZ
After growing up in Los Angeles, Miriam Martinez moved to Sacramento to study pre-health at Sacramento City College. Sacramento has offered a welcome change of pace from the competitive climate in Southern California. She feels a stronger, more close-knit connection with other Hispanics in the less populous Sacramento region than in Los Angeles.
In her experience, Latinos in the Sacramento region are more likely to be second, third, or even fourth generation and are more willing to share resources with everyone.
Sacramentans are also more active in giving back to their community through volunteer efforts, an important value to Martinez who hopes to have a career serving others in the medical profession.
“Here in Sacramento, it’s more like if I get a little piece of bread, you get a little piece of bread too.”
Student
JONATHAN HERNANDEZ
Jonathan is a first-year college student who aspires to earn a graduate degree in history and become an educator. He was born in the United States, but was raised by his grandmother in Mexico. His parents always encouraged him to work toward his academic goals and take advantage of the opportunities he was offered.
In his view, Hispanics play a crucial role in Sacramento’s economy, but lack representation in white collar careers and influential positions.
Jonathan believes Hispanics are an integral part of the Sacramento region’s economy.
“We may not run it, but we surely do keep it running.”
REVEALING THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF HISPANICS ACROSS THE GREATER SACRAMENTO REGION... THE HISPANIC ECONOMIC REPORT IS HERE!
The development of this report would not have been possible without the financial support of the following community partners:
Sac State
SACHCC Foundation
3fold
Sierra Health Foundation
SO MANY REASONS TO SHARE!
Thank you so much for helping us spread the word about the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s State of Hispanics 2021 and the debut of the Hispanic Economic Report during Hispanic Heritage Month. Save and share these approved assets. Feel free to copy and paste or personalize the following to fit your brand or style. And, make sure to use these graphics and #JuntosSacramento, #sachispanics with each post!
Hot off the press – The Hispanic Economic Report!
The Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce recently released its findings in The Hispanic Economic Report. This robust report includes information about employment, educational, and socioeconomic status, as well as insight into the inequities that surround the Greater Sacramento Hispanic population.
Did you hear? @SacHispanics just released their Hispanic Economic Report. It has lgreat info pertaining to the Greater Sacramento Hispanic Community.
#JuntosSacramento
#sachispanics
Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
Our partners at @SacHispanics presented the Hispanic Economic Report at the recent State of Hispanics 2021 event. It is full of informative statistics and trends involving the Greater Sacramento Hispanic Community. Don’t miss it!
#juntossacramento
#latinos#sachispanics
#latinosunidos
#sacramentoproud
We are so grateful to at @SacHispanics for the work they did to create the Hispanic Economic Report! #JuntosSacramento If you missed the State of Hispanics 2021 event and still want access to the information shared in the report, click here.