Editor’s note: I’m reposting this from January 26, since the Buxton Report is getting more visibility in our community. I attended a presentation in Grass Valley at that time. The report was presented again at a county ERC meeting this week.
This eats at some people, but as I often write, our community is “purple” politically — not red. A recent market analysis by Buxton for the City of Grass Valley, discussed at this week’s Council meeting, confirms this notion.
In fact, “steadfast conservatives” — while noteworthy — is outpaced by “urban commuter families” and “professional urbanites.”
We are absolutely a community in transition. We need to elect leaders who get this. Businesses that want to succeed ought to get it too. Our future in this economic “cul de sac” depends on it.
“Based on the spending patterns and consumer habits of households within Grass Valley’s trade area, the following were identified as dominant profiles representing over 60 percent of all trade area households,” the Buxton Report reads.
Urban Commuter Families (22.26%). This segment consists primarily of upscale, college-educated Baby Boomer families and couples. They enjoy leisure and low-impact activities, and prefer to buy functional clothes over designer labels at stores like Sears and JC Penney’s. With a high rate of homeownership, they like to spend at Home Depot, Lowe’s and Pottery Barn.
Professional Urbanites (14.89%). This segment consists primarily of upper-middle class retirement oasis in the metropolitan sprawl containing very active empty nesting couples and older singles. With most residents over the age of 65, the adults in this cluster boast college degrees with above average incomes. They like to buy clothes at upscale boutique stores like Talbot’s and Ann Taylor and home furnishings from big-box stores like Costco, Home Depot and Bed, Bath & Beyond.
Comfy Country Living (7.54%). This segment consists primarily of empty nesting couples and retirees residing in quite small-town community. Predominantly white households who are married. College-educated with an above average age are solidly middle-class from a mix of well paying white-collar and blue-collar jobs in manufacturing, retail and food services.
Steadfast Conservatives (7.93%). Home to high-school educated mature singles and couples living in middle-class urban blue collar neighborhoods. A quietly aging cluster, home to mature singles and couples living in midscale urban neighborhoods. Households tend to be white, high school-educated and middle class.
More details are here.
Filed under: Uncategorized
While we are all agog over the possibility of locating a big box retailer in western Nevada County, we may want to consider what is necessary to re-develop a former big box site once the anchor tennent leaves.
http://northwestlandlawforum.com/2011/07/re-developing-%E2%80%9Cbig-boxes%E2%80%9D-due-diligence-is-key/
This is a hard lesson many communities are learning as they struggle to redevelop these sites. It might be wise for the site to preplanned for failure as a condition of approval for any new big box retail.
These statistics don’t feel right.
I know a lot of local folks, young and old, who are making very little money compared to workers in other counties. They are doing a lot of the heavy lifting that keeps our towns rolling and many rent and work in substandard conditions, have no health insurance and cannot afford our “pinecone” prices.
Where do they, the working poor, the impoverished and the homeless fit into the percentages?
You might note Judith that the above percentages only total to 50% of the population. I have to assume the remainder are children, the poor, the indigent, in short, the “other half”. I will review the report again to see how they are counted.
By the way these figures jive with one demographic surveying that SBC has done over the years, although there is significant regional variation in the Sierra.
Thanks Steve,
50%, that’s huge in a way.
Additionally, of course, there are the college educated entrepreneurs working out of their homes, such as we, or the non-commuting, non-retired tech-type employees or consultants working at home, also college educated, who work at home because they don’t want to drive down the hill, and who shop locally. I know a bunch of folks like that in Nevada County.
That “other half” is perhaps comprised of a variety of income levels, not just the impoverished.
So, 50% of the community does not factor into the survey?
I am just wondering why the bias.
If you click on the “more detail here” link at the bottom of Jeff’s post, you can read the actual survey – more demographic types are listed there than Jeff posted above.
Also note that the purpose of the survey was “to research and verify Grass Valley’s trade area, its retail potential and customer profile, and a match list of suitable retailers and restaurants.”
Just finished reading the full survey and demographic and psychographic profile–and it covers 100%–the full 100% was not spotlighted in the synopsis.