Welcome to the Bay Area Equity Atlas, a comprehensive data support system to track the state of equity across the region and inform solutions for inclusive prosperity.
Our Work
The Latest
For the past five years, the Bay Area Equity Atlas has tracked data on the diversity of local elected officials. Despite some progress, our latest analysis indicates that 25 percent of Bay Area cities still have no people of color on their city councils.
Support for Equity Campaigns
Testifying in support of just cause eviction protections before city council. Talking with your neighbors about the need for transit investment. Building a coalition to address the jobs-housing imbalance in the region. Community leaders from San Jose to Concord are using Bay Area Equity Atlas data to power their campaigns.
In Their Own Words...
“ “I didn't want to be an elected official, but I was motivated to run for office because I just didn't see anybody in the race who was going to be willing to have values radical enough to do what residents actually needed to be done.””
Antioch City Councilmember Tamisha Torres-Walker had no political ambition — an admission of her own. However, she ran for office because she felt that none of the other candidates reflected the values and lived experiences of the city’s communities of color. People of color account for 73 percent of Antioch’s total population, but only 45 percent of elected officials representing the city, which includes Contra Costa County electeds, are people of color. When Councilmember Torres-Walker won her first term in 2020, she became the first Black Latina to join the five-member city council. She stepped into office clear on her priorities: to uplift and support communities of color. During her tenure, she has helped pass progressive policies like rent stabilization, guided the creation of a mobile mental health crisis team, and secured funding for transitional housing and violence prevention. Learn more.
Photo: Felix Uribe
