Per Capita Income

Per capita income is defined as total income divided by total population.  It is a statistical measure of the potential relative cost of labor in the area.  Changes in per capita income indicate trends in a county's standard of living, or the availability of resources to an individual, family, or society.  Per capita income tends to follow the business cycle, rising and falling accordingly.

While Yuba County and its cities have seen a significant increase in per capita income between 1990 and 2000, it still is considerably lower than the rest of the state.  In 2000, California's per capita income was $22,711 whereas Yuba County's was only $14,124.  Slightly higher than the county per capita income were cities in Yuba County, Yuba City MSA at $15,776, Marysville at $15,315, and Wheatland at $14,889.

Median Household Income

Median household income is the level of income at which half of all families are above and half of all families are below.  It is a popular measure of income level for individuals living in the area; however, it is not a major determinant of the standard of living.  It is possible for a region like Yuba County to have a high standard of living, but a low median-household income.  This could be due to a favorable environment or lower cost of living expenses, which can increase the quality of life.  The median household income in 2000 for Yuba County was $30,460 versus the state which was $47,493.