AN ADDITIONAL 1.4 MILLION PEOPLE BY 2020

The Bay Area’s population is growing larger, older, and more diverse. By 2020, 7.8 million people will inhabit the Bay Area, 1.4 million more than in 1995. However, the region is growing more slowly than the State of California. Between 1995 and 2020, the population of the Bay Area will grow approximately 22 percent, while California’s will jump 53 percent.

In absolute numbers, the most significant growth will occur in Santa Clara, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties. The steepest rate of growth will occur in the less populated North Bay counties of Solano, Sonoma, and Napa.

A GRAYING POPULATION

The most dramatic demographic change will be the sharp increase in the number of people 65 and older. Between 1995 and 2020, this age group will nearly double, growing from 12 percent of the population in 1995 to 20 percent in 2020. But the most startling increase will be in the over-85 age bracket, which will more than double, expanding from 91,600 ( or 1.4 percent of the population) in 1995 to more than 223,000 (2.8 percent) in 2020.

BAY AREA RESIDENTS LIVE LONGER

Due to its longer average life expectancy, the population of the Bay Area will grow grayer than the rest of the state. People born in the region are likely to live approximately six months longer than those born in other parts of California, and two years longer than the national average. The average life expectancy for Bay Area residents was 77.8 in 1994, compared to 75.7 for the U.S. as a whole. This longevity may be attributed to a healthier life style and the region’s demographics. On average, Asians and Latinos tend to live longer than other ethnic/racial groups.

Projected Ethnicity in 2020
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A DIVERSE REGION GROWING MORE SO

By 2020, more than 50 percent of the people living in our region will be persons of color, in contrast to 40 percent in the state as a whole. Caucasians will fall from 61 percent to 47 percent of the population between 1995 and 2020. At the same time, the Hispanic population will grow from 16 percent to 24 percent of the population; Asian/Pacific Islanders will increase from 16 percent to 20 percent. The African-American population will remain relatively constant at about 9 percent.