Zócalo's Connecting California
Down and out on California's Central Coast
The Central Coast is one of the most affluent regions of California, but beneath the gloss there is a growing problem with poverty, especially child poverty.
By Joe Mathews • • 5m ListenWhere's the worst poverty in California? The Central Valley? The Inland Empire? Those areas both struggle with large numbers of poor. But poverty isn't just a measure of how much money one earns. It's also connected to cost of living. Few regions in the country are more expensive to live than California's Central coast. And while it may come as a surprise, Zócalo columnist Joe Mathews says an area stretching from Santa Barbara to Salinas is now at the center of an increasingly dire child poverty crisis.
Photo: View of Santa Barbara, California, from Franceschi Park. (Visit Santa Barbara)