STOCKTON, Calif. — A new study commissioned by Stockton's University of the Pacific is aiming to shed light on how the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation have impacted San Joaquin County.
The idea for the study, published Tuesday by the university's Center for Business and Policy Research, came after study organizers found one in three households in San Joaquin County did not have enough income to cover emergency food, health care or child care expenses before the pandemic.
"Thinking about that really got us wondering about what have the impacts of the pandemic been on that statistic and what has been the experience," said Thomas Pogue, one of the study's partners. "We've been tracking the socio-economics of San Joaquin County and in the Northern California region for many years now in various projects."
While many of San Joaquin County's inflation statistics matched nationwide and statewide trends, some factors set the region apart, Pogue says.
San Joaquin County moved from being the 23rd most expensive place to rent nationally in Jan. 2020, to the 22nd most expensive place in Jan. 2023.
The study also found eating food at home has increased by 29.3% while eating out has increased by only 17.8%.
"That was really showing that a lot of businesses have had to absorb some of those increased costs and relates to some of the stories and experiences that we've heard about the challenges that inflation has created for workers, for employers, and for families as a whole," said Pogue.
Back at home, the study found the average cost of living for a working family in San Joaquin County is 23% higher than the national average, but the county still ranks among the least expensive urban areas in the state.
"It really is important to understand the need to increase those better-paying jobs," said Pogue. "As well as to contextualize the very real challenges that people might be facing even though their incomes don't seem that low in the national context."
The study was conducted in partnership with the San Joaquin Council of Governments.
Pogue hopes that in addition to giving people a better sense of the costs families and individuals face in Northern California, the study will also help guide policy changes.
"[We're] just trying to create some awareness and discussion about these ripple effects and broader impacts as we look to a post-pandemic policy era," said Pogue. "It's important to recognize that there's still a lot of difficult transitions that we're needing to navigate."
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