Jobs Housing Balance
A central premise of environmentally beneficial development is the concept of the Jobs-Housing Balance. In our region, it is generally accepted that a Jobs/Housing ratio of 1.4-1.5 is healthy for a community to economically exist while minimizing the impacts of daily commuter traffic [1]. Achieving this ratio supports housing that is affordable, and employment opportunities that are closer to those residences.
In the San Francisco Bay Area Megaregion, the counties with too high a ratio (too many jobs or too few houses) are Santa Clara, San Mateo and San Franciso. Those with a deficient ratio (too many houses or too few jobs) include San Joaquin. The remaining counties in the Bay Area are somewhat balanced.
EDD maintains a good volume of information about employment destinations and where the workers live [3]. The data is from 2010, accumulated over the previous 2 years.
In Alameda County, nearly the same number of people commute inward as outward. Alameda County as a whole is balanced [4]
Santa Clara County has 100,000 too few workers (or 100,000 too many jobs) [5]
San Fransico county has 162,000 too few workers (or 162,000 too many jobs) [6]
San Joaquin County has 18,000 too few jobs (or 18,000 too many workers)[7]
Here's another perspective from Curbed [8]