SAN FRANCISCO, July 20 (UPI) -- People living in the United States illegally make up about 8 percent of the population in the San Francisco region, a study says.
The Public Policy Institute of California said its report, released Tuesday, was the first effort to get a regional estimate of the illegal immigrant population. It put the number at 536,000.
"Unauthorized immigrants are a part of our communities. They're not just in a few pockets," said Laura Hill, a demographer and one of the report's authors. "This isn't a situation that is isolated to one or a few counties. These folks are likely to be pretty well-integrated in the places where they are."
The percentage of illegal immigrants in San Francisco and other older urban areas in the region appears to be dropping, the report said. The authors said many appear to be moving to other parts of California or to other states.
The Napa Valley with its vineyards and wineries had one of the highest percentages of illegal residents at 12.8 percent.
