THE SOCIAL AND HEALTH CHARACTERISTICS OF CALIFORNIA CITIES

This DataWatch presents information from nationally recognized sources on sociodemographic characteristics, crime, and hospitals for the six teen largest cities in California. Recognizing that effective health s ystem changes will require attention to these critical issues, the rep ort identifies their status in a single year and documents changes sin ce 1980. It also provides comparisons among these cities and for the 1 00 largest U.S, cities. Synthesis of information indicates a wide rang e in status among these cities for most characteristics but concludes that, on a number of specific measures, the largest California cities have lost ground compared with their U.S. city counterparts.