News & Reports

 San Benito Lost 43% of Farmland (1,091 Acres Lost per Year)‬

CA Department of Conservation Report

According to the California Department of Conservation, San Benito County has lost 43% of its "Important Farmland" since 1984 when data collection began. The website containing this data is found at:

https://www.conservation.ca.gov/dlrp/fmmp/Pages/SanBenito.aspx


Here's a link to the spreadsheet for San Benito County (Historic Land Conversion, 1984 to 2020):

https://tinyurl.com/Lost-SBC-Farmland


Above is the most recent data available. The data highlighted in yellow (in spreadsheet) was used to calculate the percentage of "Important Farmland" lost since 1984:

 

                -39,281/ 91,319 = -43% 

 

Note that the annual average loss of "Important Farmland" in San Benito County is -1,091 acres.



 San Benito is Fastest Growing County in California (2020-2023)‬

Data from U.S. Census

San Benito County's Population Change During 2020-2023


The latest U.S. Census data (March 2024) shows San Benito to be the fastest-growing county in California during the period from 2020 to 2023. This data is from the U.S. Census link:

   https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html


After you click on the link above, scroll down the U.S. Census web page to see the Section titled "Annual and Cumulative Estimates of Resident Population Change for Counties and County Rankings: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023 (CO-EST2023-CHG-01)" and click on "California" to view the spreadsheet for California Counties. You can see that San Benito is ranked "1.0" in the column on the far right under cumulative change.


Another way to determine that San Benito is the fastest growing county in California is by sorting the spreadsheet for California Counties' population change from 2020-2023 (U.S. Census data), "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023 (CO-EST2023-POP"), which can be viewed at the link below:

 https://tinyurl.com/CA-Counties-2020-2023

 This spreadsheet shows that San Benito County is the fastest-growing county in California from 2020 to 2023, with a population increase of 6.175 % during this period.


In contrast, from 2020 to 2023, San Benito's neighboring counties (Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Monterey) actually declined in population.


San Benito the Second Fastest-Growing County in California During 2010-2019


During the prior decade (2010-2019), the U.S. Census data shows that San Benito was the second fastest-growing county in California. See data at this link:

https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/time-series/demo/popest/2010s-counties-total.html


After you click on the link above, scroll down the U.S. Census web page to see the Table titled "Cumulative Estimates of Resident Population Change for Counties and County Rankings: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2019" and click on "California" to view the spreadsheet for California Counties. You can see that San Benito is ranked "2" in the column on the far right (percent change from 2010 to 2019).


Another way to determine that San Benito is the second fastest growing county in California from 2010-2019 is by analyzing the data for California Counties' population change from 2010-2019,"Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2019". The sorted spreadsheet for California Counties' population change from 2010-2019 can be viewed at the link below:

  https://tinyurl.com/CA-Counties-2010-2019

 

The spreadsheet above shows that San Benito County was ranked number two, as the second fastest-growing county in California from 2010 to 2019, with a population increase of  13.6 % during the prior decade.


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