Each Bay Space county growing old sooner than the U.S.

We’re actually growing old, Bay Space. And quick.

The area grayed quickly over the past decade, in accordance with new Census knowledge launched Thursday, with the populations in all 9 Bay Space counties outpacing the nation of their upward median-age swing.

Marin County, our undisputed grandparent, shot as much as a median age of 48.2 — a full decade older than the area’s younger in Santa Clara County. After COVID began, San Francisco’s median age — that means half the inhabitants is older and half youthful — shot up 2 years to 40.5 in simply two years.

Examine that to the US’ median age, which climbed about 1.5 years from 2012 to 2022, in accordance with the brand new Census Bureau knowledge.

It’s the newest proof of the area’s growing old inhabitants that has additionally proven up in current census experiences, together with a 38% spike within the variety of residents 65 and older over the past decade and a 12% drop in youth 5 and below.

What’s behind the Bay Space traits? The reasons level primarily to at least one factor.

“We’ve one of many worst affordable-housing crises within the nation, and one of many highest prices of dwelling,” mentioned Abby Raisz, analysis supervisor on the Bay Space Council Financial Institute, an financial coverage suppose tank.

In Santa Clara County, specialists say that the affordability disaster is offset by tech corporations, which are a magnet for younger households who preserve the county’s inhabitants on the youthful facet. In different elements of the area, like Marin County, younger individuals are being repelled by the sky-high price of dwelling and will not be drawn again by compelling job prospects. In 2022, Marin had a median age greater than 9 years above the nationwide median.

Marin was nearly 5 years older than the second-oldest Bay Space county, Sonoma, which had a median age of 43.3. Napa (42.9), San Mateo (41.3), Contra Costa (40.7), San Francisco (40.5), Alameda (39.3), Solano (39.1) and Santa Clara (38.2) spherical out the record.

San Francisco’s median age spiked nearly 2 years after 2020, a direct hyperlink to the pandemic when younger individuals who may work remotely fled huge city facilities for more room.

When counties have a considerably older inhabitants, it may pressure native sources. Seniors are much less prone to work fulltime and due to this fact contribute much less to revenue tax income, specialists say. However on the similar time, they rely closely on public companies, reminiscent of entry to good well being care.

“Cities and counties that don’t get forward of this (growing old pattern are) … going to seek out themselves with a well being care disaster as these older folks don’t have entry to the well being companies they want,“ mentioned Matthew Lewis, director of communications for the pro-housing group California YIMBY.

And it’s not only a Bay Space drawback.

Many counties in Southern California present related indicators of fast growing old. Los Angeles County, for instance, has had a median age enhance of about 2.9 years from 2012 to 2022, which is about on par with Marin County’s enhance. However L.A.’s median age, 38.2, was nonetheless a full 10 years youthful than Marin’s.

In the meantime, some rural elements of the state, reminiscent of Lake County and Shasta County, have gotten youthful since 2012. The median age for Lake County dropped 1.9 years to 43.9, and Shasta declined 0.8 years to 41.4.

Trying on the long-term trajectory of the Bay Space, our inhabitants solely appears to be getting older. It’s a pattern that specialists consider is prone to proceed into the long run.

“The beginning price is simply persevering with to sluggish,” Raisz mentioned. “The implications for the (future) labor power are fairly dramatic and drastic.”