SUMMARY OF WHAT WAS FOUND

What does this report show?  It shows our strengths and weaknesses.  It shows that San Mateo County is a pleasant place to live with a high quality of life.  It is expensive to live here and we have serious traffic problems.  Our population is increasing and there is crime in our neighborhoods, but both rates are below the state and national averages.  Many of us are fairly well off, but there are still some who require assistance.  We appreciate our libraries and schools, but their funding remains an issue.  We have many green parks, but few are within walking distance of our homes.  We are generally healthy, but there are some negative health trends and not all have adequate health care.

Population
The rate of growth in the county's population has begun to level off and is below the state growth rate.

Mortality
Deaths from Most of the preventable diseases are decreasing, while deaths due to homicide, suicide, and drugs are rising.

Communicable Diseases
The incidence of communicable diseases are generally declining, though the rate for some, such as AIDS and tuberculosis, continues to rise.

Maternal Health
Overall, there is a high percentage of mothers who are receiving adequate prenatal care, though up to one-third of Hispanic, African-American, and teenage mothers often do not receive adequate care.

Substance Abuse
People Provided Treatment and DUI Arrests The number of arrests for driving under the influence, while fluctuating, continues to decrease.  It is expected that the number of those seeking help for substance abuse will remain constant, but could increase if funding and programs are increased.

Community Safety
The rates of felony and misdemeanor crimes are declining, but the rates of juvenile crimes and domestic violence calls continue to increase.

Living in Poverty
It is very hard to get an accurate measurement of those living in poverty, but it appears that the number of people receiving assistance continues to rise.  There is an uneven geographic distribution of persons living in poverty.

Housing Affordability
Housing is expensive and we are behind the state and nation in providing affordable single-family housing.  Condominiums and rentals are generally more affordable than single-family homes for those with a median level income.

Homelessness
It is difficult to get an accurate measurement of the number of homeless, but it is estimated that 41 percent of the homeless are children.

Unemployment
The unemployment rate has consistently been below that of state and national figures.  While there have been cyclical increases and declines over the last few years, the overall rate is higher than it was in 1985.

Employment Trends
An increase in jobs will occur in the business services and transportation/communication/utilities industries.  However, the largest increase is expected in the service industry, with most of those jobs being insecure, low-paying and without benefits.

High School Dropouts
The county has a low overall high school dropout rate; but almost 50 percent of dropouts are Hispanic.

Per-Pupil Funding
Public school expenditures per student have increased, but California is still behind the national average.  There is also significant disparity within the county among schools, especially elementary.

Needs of Children: Child Abuse Referrals
Although the overall number of child abuse referrals has risen since 1988, the rates have fluctuated, Suggesting a leveling-off trend.

Needs of Children: Child Care
A significant unfulfilled demand for child care exists.  There has been a slight increase in availability but the cost continues to rise.

Public Library Use
Library use is higher than the state average and continues to increase, despite reduction in operating hours. Operating expenses are rising while funds are decreasing.

Volunteerism
There seems to be a widespread perception that there is a high rate of volunteerism in the county, but measuring volunteerism is extremely difficult.  While the number of volunteers we measured fluctuated, the trend seems to be fairly steady.

Voter Participation
Voter participation has remained consistent, with the highest turnout for presidential elections.  However, only a small percentage of potentially eligible voters actually vote.

City Parks
The county is fortunate to have a lot of park lands.  However, most of them are not located within the urban areas, primarily because our cities were developed before existing standards were set.

Land Use
The proportions of rural and developed land seem to he stable.  Future land use patterns will become a very important indicator.

Transportation
The number of motor vehicles on county roads continues to increase and congestion remains a problem.

Agriculture
Acres of land in agricultural production have remained fairly consistent.  The majority of agricultural acreage is devoted to vegetable and field crops; however, more revenue is generated by floral and nursery crops.  The number of organic farms continues to rise.

Air Quality
Our air quality is good, partially because of geography and prevailing winds.  The state standards for ozone pollution are rarely exceeded, the standard for particulates (PM 10) is exceeded approximately 10 days a year.

Quality Of Drinking Water
The county has an exceptionally good source of water and very high-quality water is provided to consumers.

Water Consumption
Per capita, commercial and industrial water use has leveled off and residential use has decreased.

Biodiversity
The county's biological diversity was significantly diminished by past development, and numerous plants and animals have been listed as threatened or endangered.  More information is needed on the condition of native habitats.  The Audubon Christmas bird counts fluctuate; commercial fish catches, except for salmon, have been increasing.

Sustainability
Finally, the concept of sustainability is gaining acceptance.  Over half of the cities in the county indicate that their General Plans included the concept of sustainability even if it was not explicitly referred to as such.