Tri-City Demographics

Fremont is the fourth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, combined with its neighboring cities of Newark, and Union City. The region has a combined population of 313,000 and covers 132 square miles.

Superimposed on the growing number of elders in the community has been a major demographic shift in Fremont’s population. In 1980, Fremont’s population was predominantly Caucasian, 76%, and in 2008, no ethnic group now constitutes a majority.

Asians, which include, Chinese, Taiwanese and East Indians as well as others now make up 50% of Fremont’s residents. Fremont also has one of the largest Afghan immigrant and refugee populations in the U.S.  47% of the population is foreign born and 57% speaks a language other than English in their own homes.

The increase of diverse cultures presents many opportunities for growth and learning but also challenges in the delivery of culturally appropriate services. [click chart to enlarge]

Strategic Planning for Older Adults

In 2005, the City of Fremont conducted 14 focus groups in 9 languages to better understand the needs of older adults in the community. Many older adults stated that they were not aware of local services and programs for seniors that existed in the community, did not know how to access them, and many, due to cultural and language barriers, did not feel comfortable in accessing them.

As a result, the City of Fremont Human Services Department, in collaboration with its partner organizations, developed the Community Ambassador Program for Seniors, an innovative model that would help reach out and assist seniors from representative ethnic and faith organizations in the Tri-City area.

The program is part of the larger, Robert Wood Johnson funded project, Pathways to Positive Aging. Visit www.tceconline.org for more information on this program.