PolicyLink and PERE
55
An Equity Profile of Orange County
Percent of Latino adults
with an associate's degree
or higher:
20%
Highlights
• Although Orange County ranks high among the 150 largest regions in
terms of the share of residents with an associate's degree or higher, it
ranks even higher in terms of those who lack a high school diploma.
• Educational outcomes for Latinos have improved since 2000, but this
population is not on track to meet future job requirements.
• The pursuit of education and employment has increased for all youth.
While the number of disconnected youth has been on the decline,
youth of color are still far more likely to be disconnected and less likely
to finish high school than their white counterparts.
• According to early development indicators, Latino children are less
prepared for kindergarten than their peers in other racial/ethnic
groups.
• Communities of color face greater health challenges in the region. For
example, Black and Latino communities face high rates of obesity.
Readiness
Number of disconnected
youth of color:
26,600
Ranking among the 150
largest regions of adults with
less than a high school degree:
#19
How prepared are the region's residents for the 21
st
century economy?
Equitable regions are ready for the future, with a skilled, ready
workforce and a healthy population.
