Not recommended
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8/17/2006
My wife and I have lived her for nearly 7 years and I'm sorry to say that the city and general area (Tulare County/southern San Joaquin Valley) does not have much to recommend. If anything, it's worse now than it was a few years ago...
Here are a few examples of the issues and problems I have. The air pollution is dreadful most days; in Porterville you are situated right up against the foothills and yet you can rarely see the high peaks of the Sierra Nevada because of the perpetual brown haze of ozone pollution and particulate matter. Very depressing. There is a high (mostly illegal) immigrant population here; while I welcome cultural diversity I do not welcome living in a place where many people refuse to assimilate and learn English. With a high population of migrants we have an abundance of poverty, illiteracy, low wages, and an embarrassingly high rate of teenage pregnancies. One of the worst in the nation.
The public schools are generally poor quality. I think most administrators and teachers do the best they can but the fact is they are struggling with overpopulation caused by an influx of children of migrant workers (again, mostly illegal aliens).
The crime rate, especially property crime (home burglaries and especially car theft) is quite high.
Gangs have become a serious problem in this town; most of the city's murders have come about as a result of gang violence. Graffiti appears throughout the city; even when it's removed it appears soon after.
Finally there is the high unemployment rate which, like all of Tulare County, usually sits at 10% but often goes quite a bit higher. The fact is, there aren't many good industries, companies, and therefore jobs here. I think part of the problem goes back many decades...the polititicans and community leaders and others failed to recognize the importance of economic diversity. Instead, the San Joaquin Valley, especially this area, made the mistake of embracing one industry only: agriculture. How they could not recognize the long-term consequences of NOT diversifying the economy more I will never understand. As a consequence...good, high-paying jobs -- especially those in the Information Technology sector (which I'm in) are hard to come by.
If there's one positive I could offer it's this: housing is still affordable compared to the rest of California. A newer, modestly-sized home (1500 sq feet) will be around $250K. This is a lot compared to other places in the countr
Matt | Porterville, CA