Health & Safety

• Access to health care services continues to be largely controlled by managed care and public safety net programs
• Injury/fatality rates on Highway 108 are among the highest in the state. Local law enforcement received a significant grant to address this issue
• Health Care access is a growing issue evidenced by few physicians accepting MediCal, limited primary care availability and a trend towards decreasing preventive care utilization by the poor
• Prenatal care initiated during the first third of pregnancy declined by 5% as compared to a decline of 2% in California
• Elder, dependent and child abuse are considerably higher than the overall state rates of abuse
• Substance abuse continues to be a problem
• Murder, robbery and motor vehicle theft rates are lower than the state, while, rape, aggravated assault and burglary rates are higher

Education & Learning

• More students are taking the SATs than 3 years ago
• The percent of local 10th grade students passing the California High School Exit Exam is higher than the state average
• Child care availability increased. However, we experience a continuing gap between specific needs for child care and availability, especially for infants and after-school ages, and for evenings and weekends
• Enrollment in Kindergarten through Grade 12 continues to decline resulting in less funding for local schools
• Adult education opportunities and participation are increasing at all levels
• Reading habits increased in the past five years

Natural Resources & Recreation

• Most days we meet state and federal air quality standards
• Based on current water quality tests from our two largest water suppliers, our drinking water is essentially safe and pollutant free
• Water quality diminishes as the water flows downhill through populated areas
• Residents and millions of visitors access a wide variety of recreational opportunities
• Wild bird counts and migratory deer studies indicate fairly steady populations which imply a healthy environment
• Collaborative efforts between agencies are helping to assure healthy, fire-resistant forests

Economy & Infrastructure

• The percent and Infrastructure change in retail growth exceeds the state rate for the first time since 2002
• Two key employers grew over the past two years
• Manufacturing jobs continue to decline since 2005
• We rank in the lower half of the state for median income
• Tourism spending continues to grow, primarily from international visitors
• Housing prices decreased and the time a home is on the market increased since the last Profile was published
• Pavement condition and ongoing maintenance of the county road system continue to be major concerns
• Broadband communication penetration grew from 12% of households in 2005 to 55% in 2007

Arts & Heritage

• While the arts serve to attract cultural tourists, the impact of visitor spending has increased minimally since 2005 and its impacts are significantly less than shown in Calaveras and Amador counties
• Public support for arts education remains high
• There are a wide variety of visual and performing arts programs available in Tuolumne County, but arts groups remain financially vulnerable
• Attendance at local museums and state historic parks is mixed, while rodeo attendance increased
• Historic communities, commissions, and citizens groups continue to encourage local land use planning which includes historic preservation goals

IN CONCLUSION

This is a county of yesterday, today, and tomorrow that we hope is captured in this indicator study. Tuolumne County is a place of unique natural, historic, and cultural features. It is home to active people enhancing and protecting community identity, while striving for economic, social and environmental balance.

Those of us who worked on the Tuolumne County Profile 2008 believe that quality of life in our county is related to the aesthetic, scenic, philanthropic, recreational, artistic, and rural features we enjoy.