Over the past four decades, population growth across the Central Coast has come almost entirely from communities of color. Between 1980 and 2021, the population of color in the tri-county region increased by over 575,000, accounting for nearly all of the region’s net population growth during that period.

That growth reflects families putting down roots, building businesses, and shaping the region’s economy and culture. Yet the communities responsible for the Central Coast’s expansion face some of the steepest barriers to housing affordability, wage growth, and economic stability. When the populations driving a region’s growth cannot afford to live there, the region loses the workers, consumers, and families it depends on.

The Central Coast’s future depends on whether it can support the communities fueling its growth. Affordable housing, quality schools, and career pathways are economic necessities for a region that needs to retain the people who have built and continue to sustain it.

Insights & Analyses: Central Coast

• The region’s population growth can be attributed to an increase in the number of BIPOC between 1980 and 2021.
• The number of BIPOC residents in the tri-county region have increased by over 575,000 between 1980 and 2021.