Housing Element- Housing Needs
BACKGROUND
AREA PROFILE
Mono County is located on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and is bordered to the east by the state of Nevada. Approximately 94 percent of the County's 3,103 square miles is publicly owned; as a result, tourism and recreation-oriented enterprises are the primary economic activity in the County. The major population center, and the County's only incorporated area, is the town of Mammoth Lakes. The remainder of the County's residents are scattered in small communities throughout the County.
Communities in the County include: Topaz, Coleville and Walker in the Antelope Valley; Bridgeport, the County seat, in the Bridgeport Valley; Mono City and Lee Vining in the Mono Basin; June Lake in the June Lake Loop; Long Valley, McGee Creek, Crowley Lake, Aspen Springs and Sunny Slopes in Long Valley; Swall Meadows and Paradise in the Wheeler Crest area; and Chalfant, Hammil and Benton in the Tri-Valley.
SOURCES FOR DEMOGRAPHIC & HOUSING DATA
The majority of the demographic and housing data in the following sections are from the U.S. Census 2010. The census data presented here are a synopsis of the data available from Census 2010. Complete census files can be found at http://factfinder.census.gov. Additional demographic and economic information was obtained from the California Department of Finance (www.dof.ca.gov), HCD, and the Mono County IT department.
CENSUS 2010
The 2010 census went to great efforts to reach every individual housing unit, however the census did not include the “long form” that in past census’ has provided much of the detailed demographic information. Starting in 2005, an annual survey, the American Community Survey (ACS), has been sent to a small sample population and replaced the traditional long form format. While promising to deliver much more accurate and timely demographic information in the future, due to the small population size of our communities, there is currently a large amount of error in the ACS data. This error will decrease over time, but portions of the 2010 ACS data are too unreliable and in this document, the 2000 census figures are retained when error in the 2010 ACS is assumed to be high.
Census Designated Place (CDP) A CDP is a concentration of population identified by the Census Bureau for statistical purposes. 89.3% of the population in the unincorporated county lives within one of the 15 CDPs identified in Mono County and therefore the CDP has replaced the use of census tracts/blocks for general demographic analysis.
EXISTING NEEDS
POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS
POPULATION GROWTH
Population growth trends in Mono County and its only incorporated city, the Town of Mammoth Lakes, continue a long-term trend of steady growth that began around 1960 (Figure 1). The highest rate of growth occurred in the 1970s and 1990s. In the 1990s, the percentage of the County’s total population living in the Town of Mammoth Lakes increased from 48 percent of the total population in 1990 to a majority 55 percent in 2000 and again increased up to 58 percent in 2010 (Figure 2). The California Department of Finance projects a modest population increase rate of .7% per year through 2013 (Table 1).
CHART - FIGURE 1& 2
TABLE 1-2
ETHNICITY
In the 1990 census, the ethnic composition of Mono County was predominantly white (93 percent), with 3.7 percent American Indian, <1 percent Black, 1.3 percent Asian, and 1.9 percent Other Race. Persons of Hispanic Origin, which includes people of all races, encompassed 11.3 percent of the population. In 2000, the population was 85.4 percent white, 4.8 percent American Indian, <1 percent Black, <1 percent Asian, <1 percent Pacific Islander, 6.0 percent Other Race, and 2.4 percent two or more races. While this seems a drop in the white population, it probably reflects more of a change in the way ethnicity was tabulated in the census data rather than a real change in the population. In 2010, the population was 76.1% white, 16.6% Hispanic, 3.5% American Indian, 2.1% 2 or more races, 1.1% Asian and less than .3% Black, Pacific Islander and Other Race (Table 2 & 3). The data shows a continued increase in the Hispanic population.
Table 3: Total Population Percentage by Race, CDP, Mono County 2010
The percentage of the population identifying themselves as Hispanic or Latino, of whatever race, increased in the unincorporated area, rising from 12.4 percent of the population in 2000 to 16.6 percent of the population in 2010 (Table 2 & 3), a numerical increase of 291 persons, from 699 in 2000 to 990 in 2010. During this same period, the Hispanic/Latino population in Mammoth Lakes increased from 22.2 percent of the town's population in 2000 to 33.7 percent of the town's population in 2010. The State Department of Finance is projecting that the Hispanic population in the County will rise dramatically over the next forty years, to 30 percent of the total County population in 2020 and 43 percent of the total in 2060 (see Table 4). Although Mammoth Lakes has a large Hispanic population, the rise in the Hispanic population could impact housing in the unincorporated area, as many of the Hispanic population tend to be lower-paid service workers in need of low to moderate-income housing.
Table 4: Projected Population by Race
AGE
The median age in the unincorporated area is not officially calculated by the census bureau, however the average median age of the individual CDPs is 45.2, significantly older than the median age within the Town of Mammoth Lakes at 32.6. The number of seniors 65 years and older increased from 10 percent of the unincorporated population in 1990 to 12 percent in 2000, to 14.2 % in 2010. Coleville had the highest percentage of children under 18 presumably in the Marine Corps housing in Coleville. The Antelope Valley also had one of the highest percentages of seniors 65 years and older. The Long Valley/Wheeler Crest and Tri-Valley planning areas also had high percentages of children under 5 and seniors 65 years and older.
Table 5: Age Characteristics by CDP, 2010.
Source: US Census 2010
The State Department of Finance is projecting that the population in the County will age over the next twenty years, with the percent of the total County population that is elderly (65 years and over) rising from 14.2 percent in 2010 to 18.2 percent of the total in 2060 (see Table 10).
Table 6: Projected Population by Age
HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS
HOUSEHOLD SIZE
The 2010 census reports the total number of households in the unincorporated county to be 2,539 Average household countywide decreased slightly from 2.51 in 1990 to 2.42 in 2010 Coleville had the highest average household sizes, with 2.89 persons per household. McGee Creek and Paradise had the lowest average household sizes, with 1.95 persons/household and 2.07 persons per household, respectively (Table 7).
Table 7: Household Characteristics by CDP, 2010
HOUSEHOLD TENURE
The overall number of renters in the unincorporated area decreased from 40 percent of all occupied units in 1990 to 32 percent 2010. The south county CDPs generally have very high rates of owner occupied units, the highest being Paradise at 95.9%. North county CDPs have higher renter occupied units with Coleville the highest at 71.9% due to the marine base housing. Vacant units, used as seasonal homes are widespread and make up 32.7% of all units in the unincorporated county. June Lake has the highest rate of seasonally vacant homes at 59.4%.
Table 8: Tenure of Occupied and Vacant Units by CDP, 2010.
OVERCROWDED HOUSEHOLDS
The U.S. Census Bureau defines an overcrowded household as a housing unit occupied by more than one person per room (not including kitchens and bathrooms). Units with more than 1.51 persons per room are considered severely overcrowded and indicate a significant housing need. Overcrowding is not a significant housing situation in unincorporated Mono County. Using ACS data there were 47 overcrowded households, or 1.8 percent of the total households in the unincorporated area (Table 9). The statewide overcrowding rate for households in 2010 was 15.2 percent of all households, significantly higher than Mono County. Of the 47 overcrowded households, 57 percent were renters. This may indicate a disproportionate overcrowded situation for renters, however, overcrowded renter households represented only 2.5 percent of all renter households in the unincorporated area in 2010, significantly less than the statewide overcrowding rate for renters of 23.9 percent in 2010. Less than1 percent of all households in the unincorporated area were severely overcrowded in 2010. Of the 20 households identified as being severely overcrowded, 0 of them were owner households, all 20 were renter households.
EXTREMELY LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS
Extremely low-income households are those with income less than 30 percent of the area’s median income. Mono County’s median income in 2013 was $79,600. Income limits are adjusted depending on the number of people in the household. For a four-person household, the current income limit for an extremely low-income household is $19,575. For a one-person household, the income limit is $13,725.
Households with extremely low income may have a variety of housing needs. In Mono County, households receiving assistance through the CalWORKS program, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or disability income may be considered extremely low-income households. Mono County also has a large population of service workers earning minimum wage who may fall into the extremely low-income category, depending on the number of workers in a household. The California Economic Development Department provides Occupational Employment Statistics for the Eastern Sierra Region showing wages for a variety of occupations.
Table 10: Occupational Wage Data
Estimated data on the number of extremely-low income households in the County is available through the ACS. In 2011, there were approximately 442 extremely-low income households in the unincorporated area, 17.4 percent of the total number of households. This is a dramatic increase from 2000 when only 7.5% of households were considered extremely low income, however, this is likely due to the small sample size of the ACS. 37 percent of the extremely-low income households were renters; 63 percent were homeowners. Households are considered to be overpaying for housing if payments for rent or mortgage are 30 percent or more of household income. 96% of extremely low income renters pay over 30% of their income on housing costs.
Table 11: Extremely Low Income Households by Tenure, 2011
EMPLOYMENT, INCOME & POVERTY
OVERALL EMPLOYMENT TRENDS
The following discussion of employment trends in Mono County is excerpted from Eastern Sierra Region Projection Highlights (Alpine, Inyo, and Mono Counties) prepared by the California Employment Development Department (www.labormarkerinfo.edd.ca.gov).
Industry
Total employment, including Self-Employment, Unpaid Family Workers, Farm Employment and Nonfarm Wage and Salary Employment in the Eastern Sierra Region is expected to grow about 1.6 percent annually between 2004 and 2014. Employment is anticipated to increase by almost 2,800 total jobs to about 20,200 jobs in 2014. The projected growth rate for this three-County area is equal to the growth rate of California, which is about 1.6 percent annually.
Nonfarm Wage and Salary Employment, which accounts for 91 percent of total employment, is expected to grow 1.7 percent annually for the next ten years in the Eastern Sierra Region. Six out of ten new jobs are forecasted to occur in Government (800), Leisure and Hospitality (440), and Retail Trade (380).
Occupations
Occupational projections for the period 2004 to 2014 forecast:
• 2,740 new jobs from industry growth,
• 4,620 jobs openings from Net Replacements,
• A combined total of 7,360 job openings.
The top 50 occupations with the most job openings will generate 65 percent of all job openings in the Eastern Sierra Region during the 2004-2014 projections period, accounting for almost 4,800 total job openings. Of the top 50 occupations with the most job openings, 41 require work experience or on-the-job training. Food preparation and Office and Administrative Support account for 18 of the 50 occupations with the most job openings.
The 32 fastest growing occupations are all expected to grow at an annual rate of 1.6 percent or more. Of the 32 fastest growing jobs, 27 require work experience or on-the-job training. There are seven occupations in Construction scattered throughout the top 32 fastest growing occupations.
EMPLOYMENT TRENDS UNINCORPORATED AREA
The Available ACS data for employment has a high margin of error (total estimated workforce is larger than the total unincorporated population), and while included in the following tables, data from the 2000 census or other sources was left in place as it is assumed to be of much higher accuracy.
Employment data for March, 2009 from the Employment Development Department and the 2011 ACS in parenthesis where applicable, show the following current employment by industry (not seasonally adjusted):
MAJOR EMPLOYERS IN MONO COUNTY
The following list of major employers in Mono County was developed using the 2009 America's Labor Market Information System Employer Database (California Employment Development Department, www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov). Many of these employers are located in Mammoth Lakes, a significant commute from many areas of the County.
CHART
INCOME
The overall median household income in the unincorporated area based on the ACS 2008-2012 data was $61,868, up from $45,325 in 2000. The median household income varied significantly, however, throughout the County with the communities near Mammoth Lakes generally having higher overall income levels. The median household income based upon HCD income limits for Mono County in 2012 was $79,600.
Table 13: Household Income by CDP, 2012
POVERTY
The total number of persons with income below poverty level in the unincorporated area decreased from 563 in 1989 to 438 in 1999. During the same time period, the number of persons with income below poverty level decreased for all age groups, except 18-64 years old, which increased from 282 to 292 persons, and in all planning areas except June Lake, which increased from 30 to 39 persons and Long Valley/Wheeler Crest, which increased from 19 to 38 persons. ACS poverty data for Mono County has not yet been released from the 2008-2012 ACS data set.
Table 13.2 Persons with income below poverty level, 1989 and 1999
