Editing Kings County, California (section)

==Economy==
The economy is based on agriculture. About 87% of Kings County's 890,000 acres is agricultural farmland. The gross value of all agricultural crops and products produced during 2018 in Kings County was $2,351,983,000. Kings County is 10th among California counties in agricultural production. The top commodity in 2018 was milk with a value of $676.7 million. Other major agricultural commodities included pistachios, cotton, cattle and calves, almonds and processing tomatoes.<ref>2018 Kings County Crop Report, Kings County Department of Agriculture/Measurement Standards, July 16, 2019</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.countyofkings.com/home/showdocument?id=20326 |title=2018 Crop Report |website=www.countyofkings.com |access-date=July 21, 2019}}{{title missing|date=May 2022}}</ref> Another major employer is [[NAS Lemoore]], the [[U.S. Navy]]'s newest and largest master jet base. According to a Navy study in 2008, payroll, base spending, retiree and veterans' checks total more than $1 billion in annual economic impact to the region.<ref>''Fresno Bee'', February 22, 2016</ref>  Other important employers include a [[Del Monte Foods]] tomato processing plant, [[Adventist Health]], the [[J. G. Boswell Company]], an [[Olam International]] tomato processing facility, [[Leprino Foods]], the largest [[mozzarella]] cheese maker in the world, the Kings County Government and the [[California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation]] which operates three state prisons in Kings County.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/majorer/countymajorer.asp?CountyCode=00003|title=Major Employers in California|website=Labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov|access-date=November 7, 2017}}</ref>

In 2011–2013, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that the median household income in the county was $47,035 and that 17.6% of the population was below the [[poverty line]].<ref>''Hanford Sentinel'', November 15–16, 2014</ref> In 2018, according to the U.S. [[Bureau of Economic Analysis]], average per capita income was $35,306 in Kings County, which ranked it last of California's 58 counties.<ref>''Fresno Bee'', November 18, 2019</ref> Per capita personal income is calculated by dividing the population by the total personal income of the area's residents. In Kings County's case, the U.S. Census Bureau's estimated population of 151,366 was used for that calculation. However, the population estimate includes incarcerated persons with little or no income.

The homeownership rate was 54.2% at the time of the 2010 census.<ref name="Fresno Bee, May 15, 2011">''Fresno Bee'', May 15, 2011</ref> According to Zillow Real Estate Research, an estimated 24% of homeowners in the county owned their homes free and clear in the third quarter of 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zillow.com/blog/research/2013/01/09/free-and-clear-american-mortgages/ |title=Free and Clear American Homeowners &#124; Zillow Real Estate Research |access-date=January 22, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123140531/http://www.zillow.com/blog/research/2013/01/09/free-and-clear-american-mortgages/ |archive-date=January 23, 2013 }}</ref>

Taxable sales in 2015 totaled about $1.7 billion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boe.ca.gov/news/tsalescont15.htm|title=Taxable Sales In California 2015 - Board of Equalization|first=California State Board of|last=Equalization|website=www.boe.ca.gov|access-date=March 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315080128/http://www.boe.ca.gov/news/tsalescont15.htm|archive-date=March 15, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Kings County did not escape the effects of the [[Great Recession]]. The unemployment rate in May 2012 was 14.9%, up from 10.1% in July 2008. However, the rate had dropped to 9.8% in February 2020 at the eve of the [[COVID-19]] pandemic. The unemployment rate had risen to 16.8% in April of that year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/data/labor-force-and-unemployment-for-cities-and-census-areas.html|title = Labor Force and Unemployment Rate for Cities and Census Designated Places}}</ref>  According to the California Employment Development Department, as of December 2012, civilian employment totaled 53,100 and an additional 8,900 people were unemployed. Many residents of Kings County were employed in services (31,900 persons, including 14,800 government employees) and agriculture (5,500 employees) as well as in some manufacturing enterprises (4,300 employees) and construction (1,000 employees).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.calmis.ca.gov/file/lfmonth/hanf$pds.pdf |title=Hanford-Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area |access-date=April 10, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721071429/http://www.calmis.ca.gov/file/lfmonth/hanf$pds.pdf |archive-date=July 21, 2011 }}</ref>  Jeffrey Michael, director of the Business Forecasting Center at the [[University of the Pacific (United States)|University of the Pacific]], stated in an October 2010 newspaper interview that nearly half of Kings County's personal earnings come from government jobs, which pay more than agricultural employment.

Kings County's dairy industry dropped from $670 million in milk sold in 2008 to $411 million in 2009 - a 39% drop.<ref>''Hanford Sentinel'', October 2–3, 2010</ref> By mid-2009, the price paid to milk producers had dropped to a point that was far below the cost of production according to a July 2009 quote from Bill Van Dam, [[Chief executive officer|CEO]] of the Alliance of Western Milk Producers.<ref>''Hanford Sentinel'', July 11, 2009</ref> By December 2010, milk prices had increased to about $13 per hundredweight from a low of below $10 in 2009. However, the price of corn used for feed had increased because of its use by the ethanol industry. Van Dam was quoted that month as saying that at current prices, dairy operators are at or close to the break-even point.<ref>''Hanford Sentinel'', December 18, 2010</ref>  By the summer of 2012, it was reported that despite a milk price of about $15 per hundredweight, the rising cost of cattle feed had caused many dairy farmers to sell all or part of their herds and even file for bankruptcy.<ref>''Fresno Bee'', August 19, 2012</ref>  In 2014, milk prices were topping $22 per hundredweight and the value of milk sold rose to $970 million in that year.<ref>''Fresno Bee'', June 17, 2015</ref>  However, by March 2016 milk was reportedly selling closer to $13 per hundredweight.<ref>''Hanford Sentinel'', March 10, 2016</ref>