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Sonoma County's Economic Indicators    

This publication evaluates Sonoma County's competitive position in three major categories (economy, equity, environment) relative to five similar California counties. It uses ten indicators, and establishes a composite index. For details on how this index is created, see page 38 in Sonoma County's publication.

The publication also has many other charts which which the authors used to further describe Sonoma County. You can create those charts by clicking here.

Click on the publication's image to view their publication in pdf format.

 
Here's how you can do it (view a sample, click here.)
Here are links to data used in Sonoma County's Economic Indicators. Complete each table independently to create a chart. When you have completed the last one, click "Create Composite Index" and you will see the overall results, using Sonoma County's methodology.

  • Get the data for your county and 4 comparison counties.
  • Enter the data to create your chart (graph).
  • With your mouse, right-click on the graph to "save image as" and save it as a .jpg on your computer. You can insert it into any report or put it on the web. You can also use mouseover to obtain the underlying data used in the chart. The data is shown below the graph. You can copy and paste it into an excel spreadsheet.
Economy: Unemployment Rate
  1. Get your data (a zipped excel file).

  2. Open it and find your counties.

  3. Enter the unemployment rate from column J in the table to your right.
  4. Choose your Bar Style & "Create your chart"
Title:
County name
Bar style:
Check here to load same counties for graphs below
Economy: Average Annual Payroll Growth
  1. Get your data
  2. Choose "California"
  3. Choose your county
  4. Select "Business-Private-Non-Farm Total",
  5. Click "Go".
  6. Scroll down to "Private nonfarm annual payroll for 2004".
  7. Click "Compare" and enter the results for your counties in the table to the right.
  8. Repeat for a 2000 (or choose a different base year).
  9. Choose your Bar Style & "Create your chart"

This data does not include farms or independent business owners with no employees.
Title:
County name
Bar style:
Economy: Job Growth
  1. Get your data
  2. Choose "California",
  3. Choose your county and
  4. Select "Business-Private-Non-Farm Total",
  5. Click "Go".
  6. Scroll down to "Private nonfarm employment for pay period including March 12, 2004, percent change 2000-2004".
  7. Click Compare and enter the results for your counties.
  8. Choose your Bar Style & "Create your chart"

This does not include farms or independent business owners with no employees.
Title:
County name
Bar style:
Economy: Establishment Growth
  1. Get your data
  2. Choose "California",
  3. Choose your county
  4. Select "Business-Private-Non-Farm Total"
  5. Click "Go".
  6. Scroll down to "Private nonfarm establishments 2004".
  7. Click "Compare" and enter the results for your counties.
  8. Repeat for 2003.
  9. Choose your Bar Style & "Create your chart"

This does not include farms or independent business owners with no employees.
Title:
County name
Bar style:
Equity: Income Distribution
  1. Get your data
    This data is not available for small counties.
  2. Select "People"
  3. Select "Income" in the left navigation panel.
  4. Select "Income by Household". This will give you the national information.
  5. In the left Navigation panel, select "Change Geography".
  6. Then select "State...County".
  7. Choose "California".
  8. Then choose your County
  9. Click "Show Result"
  10. Look down the chart and you will see "Median Income" and "Mean income" (average income).
  11. Repeat this for each of your counties.
  12. Choose your Bar Style & "Create your chart"

Alternative data source for small counties
Sonoma County was able to use data from the American Community Survey. However, this survey does not report on small counties. Therefore we have an alternative source that provides similar information.

  1. Get data
  2. Select "County".
  3. In Box 2 hold your control button down and select the counties you are comparing.
  4. Click "continue".
  5. On the next screen, choose "2003" (2004 does not have the complete data we need)
  6. Click "Continue."
  7. In Box 5, choose "U.S. Census Bureau" for your income source and in Box 6 select "Median Household Income".
  8. Then, click "View Data."
  9. Enter the data in the "median" column.
  10. Go back to Box 5 and choose "US BEA - Local Data" and in Box 6 choose "Per Capita Personal Income"
  11. Then, click "View Data."
  12. Enter the data in the "mean" column.
  13. Choose your Bar Style & "Create your chart"
Title:
County name
Bar style:
Equity: Middle-Income Households
  1. Get your data
  2. Select "People" and "Income" in the left navigation bar.
  3. Select "Income by Household". This will give you the national information.
  4. In the left navigation bar, select "Change geography".
  5. Select "State....County".
  6. Then select "California".
  7. Select your County
  8. Click "Show Result".
  9. Enter the data from the households column for each income level and the Median income for the final row.
  10. Repeat for your other counties.
  11. Choose your Bar Style & "Create your chart"
Title:
County
Less than $10,000
$10,000-$14,999
$15,000-$24,999
$25,000-$34,999
$35,000-$49,999
$50,000-$74,999
$75,000-$99,999
$100,000-$149,999
$150,000-$199,999
$200,000+
Median income
Bar style:
Equity: Educational Attainment
  1. Get your data
    This information is not available for small counties.
  2. Select "People" and "Education" in the left navigation bar.
  3. Select "Educational Attainment". This will give you the national information.
  4. In the left navigation bar, select "Change geography".
  5. Then select "State...County."
  6. Select "California."
  7. Choose your county
  8. Click "Show Results."
  9. Enter the data for "people 25 years or older with bachelors, masters, professional and doctorate".
  10. Repeat for your comparison counties.
  11. Choose your Bar Style & "Create your chart"
Title:
County name
Bar style:
Equity: College Enrollment
  1. Get your data
    This information is not available for small counties.
  2. Select "People" and "Education" in the left navigation bar.
  3. Select "School Enrollment". This will give you the national information.
  4. In the left navigation bar, select "Change geography".
  5. Select " State...County".
  6. Then select "California".
  7. Choose your county
  8. Click "Show Result".
  9. Scroll down to "Population 18 years and over Enrolled in college or graduate school". Enter the percentage.
  10. Repeat for your comparison counties.
  11. Choose your Bar Style & "Create your chart"
Title:
County name
Bar style:
Environment: Waste per Capita

  1. Get your data
  2. Choose your county and
  3. Choose "Overall by Business Group".
  4. Click "Submit".
  5. Enter the total tons (centered at the top of the table).
  6. Then choose "Residential Sector"
  7. Click Submit
  8. At the top before the material types, look for "regional estimate of overall residential waste and enter the number. Above it, look for population and enter it in the population column.
  9. Repeat for your other counties.
  10. Choose your Bar Style & "Create your chart"
Title:
County name
Bar style:
Environment: Air Quality
  1. Get your Data
  2. Find your counties and look under the "Good" columns. The data is displayed on 3 pages, however a few of the smallest counties are not listed.
  3. Next to the "Good" days put the number of days with AQI (this is the total number of days they took measurements).
  4. Choose your Bar Style & "Create your chart"

Title:
County name
Bar style:

California Academy for Economic Development
550 Bercut Drive, Suite G; Sacramento, CA 95814
916-448-8252; (fax) 916-448-3811