SCAG Publishes New Demographic Analysis for Southern California

SCAG’s “Post-Pandemic Housing and Economic Trends in Southern California from the American Community Survey 2023 One-year Estimates” report, published during the 2024 Southern California Demographic Workshop hosted by SCAG and the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy on Sept. 24, analyzes recently published 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) one-year data to compare trends in the region to California and the United States for various topics over the past decade before the pandemic, and the three years post-pandemic.

According to the report, 2023 ACS data shows that real household income growth in Southern California outpaced national growth over the past year and the last decade, reflecting long-term economic well-being for the region’s median household. However, income varied widely across the region’s six counties. Housing affordability continued to be a challenge, with median home values rising significantly over the past decade. While the region’s homeownership rate remained lower than the rest of California and the United States, homeownership rates for younger households—those in their mid-20s to mid-40s— exceeded pre-pandemic levels and stabilized over the past three years, reversing a downward trend since 2006. 

Data on commute modes from the ACS and additional survey data suggest that 2024 might be approaching a “new normal” for post-pandemic work arrangements. The share of remote work decreased modestly in 2023, a smaller drop compared to 2022, and remained well above pre-pandemic levels. The region has also seen post-pandemic recovery in the arts and entertainment sector as well as the accommodation and food services sector. 

The 2023 ACS one-year estimates data released Sept. 12 are the nation’s most current source for local statistics and can inform planning decisions and investments related to housing, transportation, and social conditions. The full “Post-Pandemic Housing and Economic Trends in Southern California from the American Community Survey 2023 one-year Estimates” report is available to download and read online.