1 L a p k o f f & G o b a l e t D e m o g r a p h i c R e s e a r c h , I n c . www.Demographers.com
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City of Salinas
Census 2020 Redistricting Report
No Need to Adjust Council District Boundaries
February 28, 2022
California state law requires that after each U.S. Census, cities that elect Council members by District must investigate whether the total populations of the election districts are still almost equal based on the new Census counts. If not, the Council District boundaries need to be adjusted. This is called redistricting.
In this report, we document our assessment of whether the current Council District boundaries (adopted in 2012, using Census 2010 population counts) need to be adjusted. Our analysis shows that the City’s 2020 Council District populations are still sufficiently equal (within legal limits). Therefore, no boundary adjustments are required. This report documents our findings.
Current Council Districts
Salinas has six Council members and each member lives in and is elected by residents of their election district.
Map 1 shows the current boundaries. We converted the 2012 Council District boundaries into 2020 Census geography and calculated the total 2020 population of each District.
Evaluation of Population Equality
Current California law requires cities to use Census population data adjusted by the California Statewide Database (SWDB). The SWDB adjusted 2020 Census counts by reassigning prison inmates to their pre-incarceration home addresses.
Table 1 shows the total (adjusted) 2020 population of each Council District. A total of 164,232 people were counted as residents of the City. The “ideal population” of each District is one-sixth of the total population, or 27,372. If the actual counts deviate (differ) very much, redistricting is required.
The following paragraphs explain Table 1.
2 Table 1: Current Council Districts’ 2020 Total Populations
The populations of Council Districts do not need to be exactly equal; the presumptive guideline (based on Court decisions) is that a districting plan should not exceed “10 percent deviation,” which we explain by referring to Table 1. Table 1 shows each Council District’s total population, as well as its deviation, or difference, from the ideal District population. For example, District 1 had a 2020 population of 26,840, which is 532 persons less than the ideal.
This number represents a deviation of (minus) 1.9 percent from the ideal population (-532 divided by 27,372).
A plan’s total deviation can be calculated in two ways – by using the numerical differences or the percent differences in District populations from the ideal. Both approaches measure the difference between the least- and most-populous Districts’ total populations.
(1) The difference between the least and most populous District must not exceed 10 percent of the ideal population. The ideal District population is 27,372, and a 10 percent deviation is 2,737. To be considered balanced, the difference between the least- and most-populated Council Districts must not exceed 2,737.
District 1 has the smallest 2020 total population (532 fewer people than ideal). District 5 has 1,462 more people than ideal. The difference in population between Districts 1 and 5 is 1,994, which is less than the allowable difference of 2,737.
The “plan deviation” is expressed as a percentage and is calculated by dividing the difference between the least and most populous Districts by the ideal population: 1,994 divided by 2,737, which is 7.3 percent.
(2) We also report percentage differences: we calculated each District’s percentage difference from the ideal District population. To arrive at the deviation, we compared the least- and most-populated Districts (Districts 1 and 5). Council District 1 has a percentage deviation of (minus) 1.9 percent. Council District 5 has a percentage 2011 District2020 PopulationDeviation% Deviation1 26,840-532 -1.9%2 27,079-293 -1.1%3 27,177-195 -0.7%4 26,955-417 -1.5%5 28,834 1,462 5.3%6 27,347-25 -0.1%Total 164,232 1,994 7.3%Ideal Population27,372Using official redistricting data from California Statewide Database City of Salinas 2012 Plan - Population Balance 3 deviation of (plus) 5.3 percent. The sum of the absolute value of the percentage deviations is 7.3 percent.
Conclusion
Because the deviation of Salinas’ Council Districts is less than the permitted 10 percent maximum deviation, the City can continue to use the current boundaries (adopted in 2012) until after the next U.S. Census.
Map 1: Current City Council Districts