Facts and Figures on California: Did You Know That . . . ?

California has become so phenomenal a state in size and change that to thumb through the latest California Almanac (Pacific Data Resources) is almost frightening.

The book has no date--possibly because the publishers couldn’t decide whether to call it 1990 or 1991; naturally its facts are based on years 1990 and before.

Books of statistics are usually dull reading, but the almanac is in most of its details astonishing. For example, in 1987-1988 there were 64,783 violent crimes in California public schools. In 1988 there were 76,171 inmates in California prisons, more than the populations of most cities, including Alameda, Alhambra and Redondo Beach.

I am dismayed by the growth of population in general. How many people do we need? California’s population in 1990 was 29,473,000. By 2020 it will be 39,618,536, and more than one fourth of them will be living in Los Angeles County.

The state’s population by race is 58% white, 25% Latino, 10% Asian and other, and 7% black. Oddly, the percentage of blacks is about the same as it was in 1970. By 2020 the ratio will be 41% white, 38% Latino, 14% Asian and other, and 7% black--blacks remaining stable for 50 years.

The population is aging dramatically. In 1910 the median age was 29.3 years; today it is 36.7. That means there are a lot more octogenarians around than there used to be. Ominously for men, there were 928,400 widows in 1988, but only 206,500 widowers. By the way, most of those octogenarians would be women.

California is also becoming urbanized. The farms are mechanized; the land has lost its appeal for the young. In 1990 only 52.3% of the population lived in cities. Today the figure is 91.3%.

If California were a separate nation, it would have the eighth largest economy in the world, with a gross product of $741 billion. Only Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Britain, the U.S.S.R. and the United States itself have larger economies. The California National Guard could probably overwhelm many small countries.

A reflection of the burgeoning population is the amount of non-hazardous waste disposed of in landfills statewide. In 1990 it was just under 40 million tons. By 2000 it will be more than 45 million tons. We’ve got to go back to the old-fashioned grocery bag full of unpackaged groceries. But we won’t.

There were 73,728 public law enforcement officers in the state in 1987. A thin blue line when you consider the numbers on the other side. In 1988 there were 46,976 serious crimes in Oakland alone, ranking it No. 1 in the state on the basis of crimes per capita. Los Angeles had 300,734. However, California had 99,396 attorneys in 1989. I’m not suggesting that attorneys are against the law, merely that they’re a part of the equation. By the way, 25% of our attorneys are women.

That is not to say, however, that there were no legions on the other side. There are 11,421 churches in the state, with a total of 8,157,906 adherents. If they all voted together, they could get a chimpanzee elected President.

The strain of living in this hyped-up state took its toll on mental health. In 1989 there were 4,844 patients in state mental hospitals. California has to be first in everything, except the annual salmon catch.

Not all things change. California has 14 mountains over 14,000 feet, the highest being Mt. Whitney at 14,495. They were probably pretty much the same height in 1970.

In a section called the California Quiz, the almanac asks and answers a number of questions that show the marvels, complexities and surprises of this surprising state.

Could you guess, for example, how many new Californians have been added to the state since 1980? Most likely you couldn’t. It is 5,693,000.

We have already noted that Oakland is the crime capital of the state. What is the safest city? Sunnyvale.

How many Californians have been killed by shark attacks in the past 63 years? Sixty-three. Not something you have to know, but you might win a bet sometime.

Would I be exaggerating if I said that 70% of Los Angeles homes have a VCR? The answer is no. Which means, incredibly, that 30% don’t.

How many California politicians have been convicted of political corruption in the last 12 years? 504. Amazing. I thought most of them got away with it.

What do the Yreka phlox and Burke’s goldfields have in common? They are both California endangered plants.

When they read this in the Midwest--those who are left--they’ll pack.