More than a quarter of Californians live in or near poverty, and the longstanding divide between rich and poor poses a major challenge for our state and nation. PPIC builds understanding of what economic disparities mean for households and communities, while highlighting policies that can broaden opportunity and increase well-being.
Recent Content
View All →![photo - Students in School Cafeteria Line](https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/students-in-school-cafeteria-line-320x213.jpg)
Examining the Reach of Universal School Meals in California
Caroline Danielson
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Little Diversity, Wide Wage Gaps: California’s Ten Largest Occupations
Tess Thorman, Jenny Duan, Sarah Bohn
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Video: California School Districts and the Emergency Connectivity Fund
Chansonette Buck
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How Has Poverty in California Changed over Time?
Caroline Danielson
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New FAFSA Form May Trigger Drop in College Enrollment
Selina Gomez, Kevin Cook
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Inflation Has Affected Family Spending
Sarah Bohn, Jenny Duan
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California’s Cash-Based Safety Net
Caroline Danielson
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The End of Affordable Connectivity?
Joseph Hayes, Eric Assan
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Does Transfer Reduce Regional Enrollment Gaps at CSU and UC?
Cesar Alesi Perez
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Taking Stock of California’s Capacity to House Its Homeless Population
Cesar Alesi Perez
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Testimony: Enhancing California’s Wage Data Can Help Improve Its Economic Future
Sarah Bohn
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California’s Nutrition Safety Net
Tess Thorman, Patricia Malagon
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California’s Medi-Cal Expansion Is Lowering Poverty among Undocumented Immigrants
Patricia Malagon
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Income Inequality in California
Tess Thorman, Daniel Payares-Montoya
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Are California’s Foster Youth Claiming the State’s New Tax Credit?
Caroline Danielson
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Are Eligible Undocumented Immigrants Claiming the CalEITC and Young Child Tax Credit?
Tess Thorman
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As Internet Usage Grows, Californians Are Concerned about Online Security
Joseph Hayes
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California’s Digital Divide
Joseph Hayes, Eric Assan, Niu Gao
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An Update on Homelessness in California
Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Cesar Alesi Perez
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Learning Recovery for Homeless Students Lags behind Other High-Need Groups
Brett Guinan, Julien Lafortune
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Testimony: Most Californians Are “Pretty Happy” but a Growing Share Are “Not Too Happy”
Mark Baldassare
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California’s Economy—Past, Present, and Future
Sarah Bohn
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California’s Renters
Eric McGhee, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Hans Johnson
Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government
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PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government
Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Lauren Mora, Deja Thomas
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Video: California’s Economic Future
Mary Severance
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Testimony: California’s K–12 Digital Divide Has Narrowed, but Access Gaps Persist
Niu Gao
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Chronic Absenteeism in K–12 Schools Remains Troublingly High
Emmanuel Prunty, Laura Hill
California’s Economic Future
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Learning Recovery Is Uneven for Urban and Rural School Districts
Saayili Budhiraja, Thomas Pearson, Emmanuel Prunty, Niu Gao
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Priorities for California’s Economy
Sarah Bohn, Vicki Hsieh, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Jenny Duan ...
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The Affordable Care Act Has Expanded Community Clinics in California
Shalini Mustala, Shannon McConville
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Making Sense of California’s Economy
Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Julien Lafortune, Vicki Hsieh
![photo - Los Angeles skyline in downtown showing office buildings and traffic](https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/los-angeles-california-downtown-showing-office-buildings-and-commuters-320x213.jpg)
What’s in Store for California’s Economy?
Sarah Bohn
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In First-in-Nation State Law, All Low-Income Residents Qualify for Medi-Cal
Paulette Cha, Patricia Malagon
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2023 Year in Review
Tani Cantil-Sakauye
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Video: Understanding the Reach of the California Earned Income Tax Credit
Mary Severance
![photo - Aerial View of Suburban Residential Homes in Bakersfield, California](https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/aerial-view-of-suburban-residential-homes-in-bakersfield-california-320x213.jpg)
Many California Renters Remain Financially Stressed
Hans Johnson, Eric McGhee
Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government
![photo - California State Capitol](https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/california-state-capitol-survey-cag-320x213.jpg)
PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government
Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Lauren Mora, Deja Thomas
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How Have California School Districts Used the Emergency Connectivity Fund?
Joseph Hayes, Niu Gao
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Commentary: On California Funding Formula’s 10th Anniversary, Celebrate Progress but Double Down on Fairness
Julien Lafortune, Bruce Fuller
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Most Californians Say Racial Bias Is Linked to Economic Inequality
Lauren Mora
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Is the American Dream in California Dying?
Dean Bonner
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Video: Californians and Their Economic Well-Being
Mary Severance
![photo - Women Examining Shopping Receipt at Home](https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/women-examining-shopping-receipt-at-home-320x213.jpg)
Understanding the Reach of the California Earned Income Tax Credit
Tess Thorman
![photo - Women Examining Shopping Receipt at Home](https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/women-examining-shopping-receipt-at-home-320x213.jpg)
Policy Brief: Understanding the Reach of the California Earned Income Tax Credit
Tess Thorman, Mary Severance
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Video: Health Conditions and Health Care among California’s Undocumented Immigrants
Stephanie Barton
![photo - Mother and Daughters at Check Out Counter](https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/mother-and-daughters-at-check-out-counter-320x213.jpg)
PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Economic Well-Being
Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Lauren Mora, Deja Thomas
![photo - Grandmother Serving Food to her Granddaughters at Dining Room Table](https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/grandmother-serving-food-to-her-granddaughters-at-dining-room-table-320x213.jpg)
A Look at Demographic Differences in Poverty across Regions in California
Patricia Malagon, Caroline Danielson
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Poverty in California
Sarah Bohn, Caroline Danielson, Sara Kimberlin, Patricia Malagon ...
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The Working Poor in California
Sarah Bohn, Caroline Danielson, Sara Kimberlin, Patricia Malagon ...
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Telehealth Usage among Low-income and Undocumented Californians
Shalini Mustala, Paulette Cha, Patricia Malagon
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School Vaccination Rates Vary across California
Shalini Mustala, Shannon McConville
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Low-income and Undocumented Californians Struggle with Mental Health
Patricia Malagon, Paulette Cha, Shalini Mustala
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Wage Growth Is Struggling to Keep Up with Inflation
Jenny Duan, Daniel Payares-Montoya
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Did Pandemic Aid Narrow the Digital Divide?
Darriya Starr, Joseph Hayes, Niu Gao
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Video: Funding Education in California
Stephanie Barton
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Fostering Fairness in Flood Risk Management
Sarah Bardeen
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After a Three-Year Hiatus, Californians Will Resume Student Loan Payments Soon
Jacob Jackson
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Video: Bridging California’s Digital Divide
Vicki Hsieh
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Federal Work Requirements Are Changing for Some CalFresh Participants
Tess Thorman, Caroline Danielson
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Policy Brief: Tracking CalFresh Participation among Young Children
Tess Thorman
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Video: A Conversation with Former Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon
Mary Severance
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Californians Hold Mixed Views on Their Personal Finances
Rachel Lawler
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Student Achievement on California’s K–12 Assessments
Iwunze Ugo, Emmanuel Prunty
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College Enrollment Is Holding Steady among First-time Students at UC and CSU
Hans Johnson, Jacob Jackson
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Student Loan Debt in California
Jacob Jackson, Darriya Starr
![photo - California State Capitol](https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/california-state-capitol-survey-cag-320x213.jpg)
Video: Californians and Their Government
Vicki Hsieh
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Mounting Concerns about Safety Net Hospital Closures
Shannon McConville
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Keeping Students Fed When School Is Out
Caroline Danielson
![photo - California State Capitol](https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/california-state-capitol-survey-cag-320x213.jpg)
PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government
Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas
![photo - California State Capitol Building in Sacramento](https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/california-state-capitol-building-in-sacramento-ca-usa-320x213.jpg)
Californians’ Racial Attitudes and the Reparations Task Force
Mark Baldassare
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College Gender Gap Starts Early and Extends across Races
Hans Johnson, Daniel Payares-Montoya, Marisol Cuellar Mejia
![photo - Traffic in Front of California State Capitol Building](https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/traffic-in-front-of-california-state-capitol-building-320x213.jpg)
Improving Lives through Public Policy
Tani Cantil-Sakauye
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Financial Aid Applications for College Increase after New Law
Jacob Jackson
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Pandemic-Era CalFresh Expansions Lifted Many Families Out of Poverty
Patricia Malagon, Tess Thorman
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California’s Farmworkers and Their Children Are Vulnerable to Food Insecurity
Paulette Cha
![photo - Grandmother and Granddaughter on a Video Call with a Digital Tablet](https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Grandmother-and-granddaughter-on-a-video-call-with-a-digital-tablet-1-320x213.jpg)
Video: Achieving Universal Broadband in California
Vicki Hsieh
![photo - Father Doing Financial Paperwork with Son on Lap](https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/father-doing-financial-paperwork-with-son-on-lap-320x213.jpg)
Midway through California’s Extended Tax Season, Low-Income Filers Are Claiming Larger State Credits
Tess Thorman