blog post Californians’ Outlook Is Bleak as Low-Income Families Struggle By Dean Bonner, Vicki Hsieh Dec 16, 2020 Families with annual incomes of less than $40,000—about one in five California households—have been disproportionately affected by the current economic downturn, with the impact varying across regions.
Fact Sheet Poverty in California By Sarah Bohn, Caroline Danielson, Sara Kimberlin, Patricia Malagon Oct 18, 2023 With the end of many pandemic relief programs, poverty rates—especially for children—have gone up in the last two years.
Report The Impact of Health Insurance on Poverty in California By Caroline Danielson, Patricia Malagon, Shannon McConville Mar 27, 2023 The Affordable Care Act has helped millions of Californians gain health insurance over the past decade. In addition to improving access to care, the ACA has increased financial well-being. This analysis focuses on the significant contribution of publicly funded health coverage—particularly Medi-Cal—to family resources across the state.
blog post The High Cost of Drought for Low-Income Californians By Ellen Hanak Jun 18, 2015 Poor rural communities are being hit hard by the drought. Solutions will be challenging.
blog post California’s Population Shifts May Lead to New Income Divides By Eric McGhee Aug 16, 2022 While housing costs are often cited as a reason for leaving California, they can also drive migration within the state—with potential consequences for income patterns across regions.
blog post Telehealth Usage among Low-income and Undocumented Californians By Shalini Mustala, Paulette Cha, Patricia Malagon Oct 17, 2023 A variety of changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic have expanded telehealth use among low-income and undocumented Californians. The experience of patients in Los Angeles County—home to the state's largest immigrant population and a significant share of its undocumented residents—sheds light on the prospects for telehealth to improve health care access for undocumented immigrants in our state.
blog post Who’s Leaving California—and Who’s Moving In? By Hans Johnson, Eric McGhee Feb 7, 2024 The primary driver of California's population loss over the past few years has been residents moving to other states. We examine the latest demographic data for those moving out of and into our state and discuss factors that underlie these decisions.
Report Low-Income Students and School Meal Programs in California By Caroline Danielson Mar 12, 2015 School nutrition programs help improve nutrition among vulnerable children. In so doing, they help build a better future for these children and the state. Now that California is implementing the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), there is additional reason to make sure all students who are eligible for free or low-cost meals enroll in these programs. Along with English Learners and foster youth, low-income students—in other words, students who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals—are targeted for additional funds under the LCFF. This renewed focus on enrollment could also prompt further consideration of participation in school nutrition programs. This report looks at factors that might be linked to variations in student enrollment and participation in free or reduced-price meals. Not surprisingly, we find that districts with higher poverty rates identify higher levels of eligibility than wealthier districts. Low-income high school students appear to be enrolled at levels comparable to younger students, but students in elementary school districts are much more likely to participate in lunch programs than students in other types of districts. We also find that schools in districts with higher shares of foreign-born residents have modestly lower participation levels (but not identification of low-income students). Finally, we find evidence that schools with smaller enrollments are more successful than larger schools at identifying and serving low-income students. One way to further the goal of full enrollment among low-income students is to cut the large share of low-income students who must submit applications for free or reduced-price meals. Achieving this objective is arguably an important part of a larger state effort to integrate social safety net programs and services.
Fact Sheet Income Inequality in California By Tess Thorman, Daniel Payares-Montoya Apr 17, 2024 California’s income gap narrowed in 2022, but the disparity between high and low incomes is wider in California than in most other states. Over the longer term, income inequality has been driven by earnings growth among college-educated workers.
Report Keeping College Affordable for California Students By Kevin Cook, Jacob Jackson Dec 1, 2021 California’s financial aid programs reduce tuition for most students. But the state and its higher education institutions can improve college access and success by providing additional aid to lower-income students, addressing growing non-tuition costs, and eliminating barriers that increase the time it takes to earn a degree.
