MENDOCINO CO., 2/20/25 — How are Mendocino County women faring compared to women in other California counties? This question would have been impossible to assess before the 2020 creation of the California Women’s Well-Being Index (WWBI). Through a collaboration between the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls and the nonprofit California Budget & Policy Center, the WWBI was instituted to offer a county-level analysis that can aid in developing targeted policy recommendations and interventions.
Gender data has often been ignored, which tends to make the life experiences of women invisible. While studies and reports on gender equality and women’s issues in California have been undertaken, the WWBI index is unique because it is a groundbreaking resource not only for policymakers, but for advocates, grant funders, and researchers working to improve the lives of women in California. It serves as a long-term tracking tool to monitor progress and disparities over time.
Last year was the next major update of the index since it was first released and reflects how women’s well-being has changed within the Covid 19 post-pandemic landscape. So how does Mendocino County do?
The California Budget & Policy Center’s team of executive director Laura Pryor, policy analyst Hannah Orbach-Mandel and policy research associate Nishita Nair recently dived into compiling a Mendocino County-specific fact sheet. Out of the 58 counties in California, Mendocino County ranked 43rd in terms of women’s well-being. When looking at the county’s total population of 91,601, the breakdown by gender is 51% female, 49% male. The county is the 15th largest in California. For a detailed breakdown of performance across all indicators, the California Budget & Policy Center has provided an accessible interactive map.
The WWBI shows that Mendocino County’s overall ranking reflects a combination of strengths and areas needing improvement across five key dimensions: Health, Personal Safety, Employment and Earnings, Economic Security, and Political Empowerment.
Health-related indicators
The county performs moderately in health-related indicators, with access to healthcare services and women’s physical health metrics aligning closely with state averages. However, the county is ranked 53rd (out of 58) in healthcare coverage, with 10.9% of women in the county lacking health insurance. (The state average is 8.6%.)
Said Nair, “Even though the county was ranked in the bottom 10 counties for healthcare coverage, the county has seen an improvement compared to 2016.” In fact, that figure has improved considerably: in 2016, 20.8% of county women did not have healthcare coverage. Added Nair, “In some positive news, Mendocino County is ranked 17th for the proportion of women receiving adequate prenatal care at 77.7%. This is above the state average, which is just 73.4%.”
Domestic violence and sexual assault
Orbach-Mandel pointed out that the county faces challenges in personal safety, particularly concerning domestic violence incidents. A state median safety dimension includes factors such as neighborhood safety, fatal accidents, hospital visits due to assault, domestic violence, sexual assault, and the suicide rate.
She said, “Mendocino is ranked 55th out of 58 in hospital visits due to assault and last with the suicide rate where Mendocino County is ranked 58th. Yet, women face fewer obstacles to their neighborhood safety where Mendocino County is ranked 17th. Digging into that, 92% of women in the county feel safe all or most of the time in their neighborhoods.”
Pryor explained that in the county, comparing genders, men suffer more fatal accidents than women. “Specifically, there were 74 fatal accidents [per 100,000 women], while there were 78 fatal accidents per 100,000 men.” But statewide, the rate for women is just 29, far lower than the average in Mendocino County. “The statewide average fatal accident for men is 79, which is roughly equal to the rate in Mendocino County. These data suggest that fatal accidents are a specifically large issue for women in Mendocino County.”
Orbach-Mandel said, “I also want to highlight the domestic violence and sexual assault indicators. Mendocino County is about in the middle. For domestic violence Mendocino County is ranked 27th.” The domestic violence indicator is measured as annual number of calls made to local law enforcement agencies for assistance related to domestic violence. Sexual assault is measured as the average annual reported number of sexual assaults per 100,000 females, in which Mendocino ranks 28th with 86 assaults. Orbach-Mandel continued, “When we look over time, both the rate of fatal accidents and the suicide rate did increase since 2016, while neighborhood safety remained the same.”
The sexual assault indicator uses data from the California Department of Justice. The data for the number of hospital visits due to assault comes from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information, while data for suicide rates comes from the California Department of Public Health.
Economic security
According to California Budget & Policy Center’s in-depth analysis, employment opportunities and earnings for women in Mendocino County are below the state average, indicating economic disparities that may affect overall well-being. High childcare costs relative to median income pose significant financial challenges for single mothers. Also, women’s representation in local political offices is limited, suggesting a need for increased political engagement and support for female leadership.
Access to the internet is low for both men and women. 58% of women have access to a computing device and high-speed internet, compared with 54% for men. This means 56% of Mendocino County’s population has access to a computing device and high-speed internet, far lower than the statewide average of 75%. Clearly, digital equity is a challenge for the entire county. Said Nair, “In today’s world, internet access is essential for education, employment, healthcare, and civic participation. Without it, too many women in Mendocino County are being blocked from opportunities that could improve their economic security and overall well-being.”
Political representation
According to Orbach-Mandel, “A key area for improvement is political representation. Mendocino County has had zero women representing it in the state legislature for the past eight years. Ensuring that women have a voice in policymaking is essential for advancing gender equity and addressing the issues that impact women’s well-being across the county.”
Mo Mulheren, representing the 2nd District on the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors, chimed in on the necessity of women’s political involvement. “I am one of just a handful of women to serve as a county supervisor in the history of Mendocino County, and that really shows how underrepresented women have been in local government. Women bring important perspectives to leadership and we are not at the table as decisions are being made without us. I’d love to see more women step up, run for office and get involved because representation matters, not just for us but for future generations.”
The local response to the WWBI has been enthusiastic. Marilyn Bose, a member of Soroptimist International of Noyo Sunrise said, “This is a great insight into the Mendocino County population focusing on women in our county. I appreciate the work the center did for us. Now let’s use it to improve the lives of women and girls.”
Paloma Patterson, interim CEO of West Business Development Center said, “The Women’s Well-being Index provides important insights into the challenges women face in Mendocino County, highlighting the urgent need for action in areas such as economic security, health, and digital access. The data reinforces what we see daily—women, particularly in rural regions—face systemic barriers to advancement, from the wage gap to limited access to capital and digital tools. At West Center, we are committed to addressing these gaps by supporting women entrepreneurs, expanding digital literacy, and advocating for greater access to funding for rural women-owned businesses. Entrepreneurship can be a powerful pathway out of low-wage jobs, and with the right resources, women in Mendocino County can build sustainable businesses that strengthen our local economy.”
” Mendocino County has had zero women representing it in the state legislature for the past eight years. ”
What a bullshit statement. California and mendocino are run by women. Don’t believe a word of this POS so called journalism.
State legislature means assemblymembers and senators. Mike McGuire, Jim Wood, and Chris Rogers – all dudes – have been representing Mendocino County since 2014.
Interesting. How is Nevada County, rural, about the same population, doing so well? At least we do better overall than Humboldt, Trinity and, especially Del Norte. But poverty and suicide are scary.
Hospitals.