Description—

•The population of Hollister in 2007 was 49,589. There are 83 people per square mile, a relatively low population density (Zip Code 95023 People Data).

•Median age is 31.8, younger than the US median of 37.6. In Hollister 58.18% of people are married. 8.79% are divorced. The average household size is 3.36 people. About 48% have children living with them. (Zip Code 95023 People Data).

•The Census Bureau reports that 63.15% of people are “white,” 0.94% are African-American, 2.79% are Asian, 1.15% are Native American, and 31.74% claim “Other.” Fully 52.12% of the people claim Hispanic ethnicity, meaning 47.88% are non-Hispanic . (Zip Code 95023 People Data).

•Median household income is $68,041. Occupations are:

Management, Business, and Financial Operations 13.50%

Professional and Related Occupations 17.48%

Service 14.90%

Sales and Office 25.57%

Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 3.44%

Construction, Extraction, and Maintenance 11.83%

Production, Transportation, and Material Moving 13.27%

(Zip Code 95023 Economy Data).

•The unemployment rate is 6.4 percent (Zip Code 95023 Economy Data).

•Median home value in Hollister is $575,000. Renters make up 29.56% of the population (Zip Code 95023 Economy Data).

•Air quality is 59 on a scale to 100 (higher is better). This is based on ozone alert days and number of pollutants in the air, as reported by the EPA. Water quality in Hollister is 20 on a scale to 100 (higher is better). The EPA has a complex method of measuring watershed quality using 15 indicators. Superfund index is 100 on a scale to 100 (higher is better). This is based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts . (Zip Code 95023 Health Data).

•Hollister violent crime, on a scale from 1 (low crime) to 10, ranks 4. Violent crime includes: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. The US average is 3. Hollister property crime, on a scale from 1 (low) to 10, is 3. The US average is 3 (Zip Code 95023 Crime Data).

•Cost of living indices are based on a US average of 100. An amount above 100 means Hollister is more costly than the US average. Hollister cost of living is 137.11 (Zip Code 95023 Cost of Living Data).

•Census data show that 69.17% of the people in Hollister are religious, meaning they affiliate with a religion. 62.19% are Catholic; 4.29% are Protestant; 1.93% are LDS; 0.68% are another Christian faith; 0.00% in Hollister are Jewish; 0.08% are an Eastern faith; 0.00% affiliate with Islam (Zip Code 95023 Religion Data).

•Major employers are the hospital, school district, a chocolate factory, a boat factory, farm and ranches, construction. There’s a high degree of civic involvement and lots of church organization (Zip Code 95023 Economy Data). Commuters travel an average 36 minutes, with many heading to Silicon Valley and spending more than average in their cars. (Zip Code 95023 Transportation Data).

•Community Foundation, an umbrella group for non-profits in the county, works with major donors and provides non-profit status and services to organizations. There are 121 non profits in the city (Non-profit).

Assets: Strong sense of pride and participatory ethic among long-time residents; agricultural heritage that continues to animate many activities and the identity of the community; Pinnacles National Monument and generally beautiful open space areas; innovative economic ventures such as tourism, wine-making and organic farming; housing is less expensive than in surrounding areas; potential for strong redevelopment project; strong non-profits, service organizations, and faith community.

Challenges and needs

•A sustainable local economy must be developed, with industry and jobs. There is little economic development being undertaken in the county, which will as a result not grow its economy in ways that raise the standard of living.

•Downtown is not a hub for shopping, entertainment, or activity. There is considerable leakage to Gilroy, Salinas, and elsewhere for shopping of all kinds. Local retailers find it difficult to compete pricewise.

•Service industry does not have a trained workforce; hospitality industry training and local small business management are real training needs.

•Anchor stores have left downtown, so the downtown doesn’t draw foot traffic as merchants would like. Highway 25 through downtown creates hazards for pedestrians, who often choose to shop out of town.

•Salaries are low in most sectors, so it’s hard to attract and keep qualified professionals. High housing costs are an added disincentive.

•Sewage and water moratoria are limiting new building, so home prices are high. Even before the current crisis, there was an unusually high rate of mortgage foreclosure in the county.

•Housing segregation is marked, and low income pockets exist on the west side and the northeastern section of town, as well as in the Veterans Park and R.O. Hardin School areas.

•There are trailer parks, homeless encampments, private labor camps and a county labor camp. Getting census data on these populations is difficult.

•A homeless Task Fore shelter operates late November-March, but emergency housing is needed year round, and transitional housing for families and singles is simply not available in San Benito County.

•Demographic data on human needs is hard to obtain.

•Poverty levels are relatively high, and more than half of the school children in the county qualify for school lunch programs.

•Hunger is increasing among seniors, migrants, and others. Demand at the Community Pantry is up by one-third this year.

•Shifting populations of strawberry and other agricultural workers create needs that are hard to service; more migrant workers are staying in US rather than risking annual border crossings to go home.

•Issues common to migrant populations affect Hollister’s: invisibility due to fear, lack of participation due to invisibility and fear.

•Hollister schools spend $4,540 per student. The state average is about $7,800 this year.

•Drop-out rate is reportedly higher at SBHS than the 8-10 percent officially claimed, due to undercounting. Hispanic dropout rate is alarming—perhaps at 30 percent.

•There is a need for a second high school and stable administration in the school district.

•There is a need for vocational and transfer programs at the Gavilan site. Small Business Development Center’s closure was a real loss for Hollister, though a Hartnell representative comes to meet with business owners periodically.

•Diabetes and obesity are major problems.

•Mental health services are lacking, though the county provides some. There is no residential psych unit and often people needing services must go to Santa Cruz or elsewhere.

•Services are needed for Oaxacan immigrants who do not speak Spanish at all or whose Spanish is a second language.

•The county has a fantastic resource in Pinnacles National Monument, but it is underutilized by locals, especially by the Hispanic population.

•Homeowners with Silicon Valley jobs don’t get involved in or informed about the community. Most clubs and many churches draw the bulk of their membership from long-time residents rather than newcomers.

•Pesticide use is a hidden health issue.

•Aged infrastructure will require significant investments county-wide.

•Gangs are active, and there have been more drive-by shootings in 2007 than ever.

•Meth is made in the county, especially in rural meth labs, creating a problem for law enforcement. Meth use is a major issue for youth.

•Police and fire services are underfunded; the fire department would have trouble handling more than one emergency at a time.

•Civic debate is often acrimonious, with candidates and other public figures engaging in venomous accusations, frequent attacks, even lawsuits; there is a need for better ethical standards in political work.

•Emergency food aid, especially for proteins, is stretched to fill need. There is growing hunger among Anglos, seniors, working poor and those without adequate house; there is a need for culturally appropriate nutritional information, community gardening.

•Library needs a bookmobile to better serve entire county