Countywide Community Indicator Report Unveiled

Irvine, CA, April 08, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Today the 2012 Community Indicator Report was presented to the Children and Families Commission. The report annually tracks countywide trends related to the economy, environment and populace and ranks the County against the state, nation and other peer regions to determine whether key attributes are improving, declining or remaining constant. The data in the report allows decision makers and stakeholders to ascertain if investments are effective and sustainable.

In many cases, it is a guiding document for future investments and program development to establish Orange County as a successful place to live and work. A few notable indicators include:

· Orange County students outperform students statewide with the majority of K-12 students scoring “proficient” or better. Also, in 2011, 63% of Orange County students scored proficient or better in the English Language Arts and 60% scored proficient or better in math, marking two and three percentage point improvements since 2009, respectively.

· There was a spike in reported cases of vaccine-preventable disease among young children, reversing Orange County’s previous gains in this area. The majority of cases – 194 out of 206 – were whooping cough.

· Almost half of Orange County public school students were eligible for free or reduced-priced school meals.

· Orange County’s crime rate is the lowest among national peers and decreased for the sixth consecutive year.

Currently the third largest county in California, and the sixth largest county in the nation, Orange County have more residents than 20 of the country’s states, including Mississippi, Arkansas, Kansas, Utah and Nevada. Forbes 2011 national rankings placed Orange County 109th out of 200 metro areas ranked based on 2010 year-end employment numbers.

Orange County is a racially and ethnically diverse region, consisting of nearly 44% of residents self-identifying themselves as Non-Hispanic White, followed by 34% Hispanic and 18% Asian/Pacific Islander. Although Orange County’s median age is 36, one year younger than the national median, the 2010 census reported an aging population compared to 10 years prior, with the proportion of baby boomers and the senior population growing while the percent of residents under age 44 is shrinking.

According to FBI Uniform Crime Reports, crime in Orange County over the last 10 years has dropped a total of 19%. Compared to peers, Orange County has the lowest overall crime rate, as well as the lowest violent and property crime rates.

Tourism in Orange County also generated $552 million in 2010, which is a substantial increase compared to $508 million in 2009.

Other subjects in the report include:

· Per Capita Income
· Educational Attainment and Academic Performance
· High-Tech Growth and Diversity
· Prenatal Care
· Family Housing Security
· Community Health and Prosperity
· Family Safety
· Crime Rate
· Renewable Energy
· Mobility and Transit
· Voter Participation