Fresno ranks last on national list for extra income, but at least it has great corn

The headline on this column is in jest. But two recent reports dramatically show how Fresno’s most basic need is not being met.

It’s not a lack of corn, cantaloupes or almonds. Produce in the San Joaquin Valley remains amazingly good and in supply, despite the drought. Thanks go to the region’s farmers.

But the wages that agriculture pays is another story. The impact of the farming economy is reflected in a new study about wages. Using data from the U.S. Census, the report by an online analysis firm known as Stacker found that five of the lowest-wage counties in California are in the central San Joaquin Valley.

As reported by Melissa Montalvo of Fresnoland, Tulare County ranks 12th in the state for lowest wages. The median household income is $52,534, which is 33.2% below the state average and 19.2% below the national average; 11.6% of households there earn less than $15,000 a year.

Fresno County ranked 18th, with a median household income of $57,109. The county earnings are 27.4% below the state average, and 12.1% below the national average.

The other counties ranked were Madera (No. 26), Kings (25), Merced (No. 16) and Mariposa (8). (The smaller the number of the list, the lower the wages.)

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Fresno County had the largest number of workers among the Valley counties, at 12%, making less than $15,000 per year.

Poor income measure

The city of Fresno earned another distinction in a second study: bottom of the list on a study of “alternative income” for the 50 largest metro areas in the nation.

That’s right, the city came in dead last for alternative median income. What is that? Basically, anything outside of normal wages from a job. Social Security and retirement fund payments are alternative income. So are self-employment earnings or public assistance. This analysis was done by Self Financial, an online company that helps people manage their money.

Not surprisingly, places with large numbers of retirees did well on the Self list. No. 1 was the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale area of Arizona. Its residents earned $24,400 a year from alternative income, likely because of retirement savings.

Fresno, by contrast, was No. 50 with yearly median alternative income of $16,500. The median total income was $55,000, also low on the list.

More schooling, better jobs

Those findings are new, but the issue of low wages and poverty subsistence in Fresno is not. The prescription for improvement is also well known.

First, more of the Valley’s young people need to get advanced education or career technical training. The more schooling or certifications one has, the better job opportunities become. The Valley’s community colleges and Fresno State leaders are keenly aware of this and have lots of programs to get people into classes and majors that will lead to jobs and, ultimately, building wealth.

Second, jobs that pay higher wages are needed. Former Fresno Mayor Lee Brand helped lead the way in getting retailing giants Amazon, Ulta and Gap to set up distribution centers in the city. His pitch was that a young person with a high school degree could go to work in one of the centers and earn a living wage plus medical and other benefits.

But even better jobs are needed today if a young person growing up in Fresno is to have any hope of ever buying a home, given the rapid escalation in home values.

To that end, the Fresno City Council and Mayor Jerry Dyer put a renewed emphasis on economic development in the budget that just got adopted. A new economic development director is to be hired; City Manager Georgeanne White is interviewing candidates right now.

The council also allocated $50,000 more to the city’s contract with the Economic Development Corp., a separate group that works with cities and the county to lure industry to the area.

Additionally, the mayor has created “concierge” planning managers to help businesses get their projects through City Hall approvals with due speed.

Outside of climate change and drought impacts, nearly all of Fresno’s problems tie back to poverty and lower-than-average wages. Everyone in the city has a stake in this — elected leaders, government professionals, business owners and managers, educators and yes, even the media. All hands are needed to lift this region’s standard of living. There’s no time to waste.