Los Angeles County, California

Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles (Spanish: Condado de Los Ángeles), and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States, with 9,861,224 residents estimated in 2022. Its population is greater than that of 40 individual U.S. states. Comprising 88 incorporated cities and many unincorporated areas within a total area of 4,083 square miles (10,570 km2), it is home to more than a quarter of Californians and is one of the most ethnically diverse U.S. counties.[7] The county's seat, Los Angeles, is the second most populous city in the United States and the most populous city in California, with 3,822,238 residents estimated in 2022. It is also known for being the home of the American film and television industry, a distinction it has held since the early 20th century which has given the county global prominence.

Los Angeles County
Flag of Los Angeles County
Nickname(s): 
"L.A. County", "Metro-LA", "Greater LA"
Map
Map
Map
Coordinates: 34°3′N 118°15′W / 34.050°N 118.250°W / 34.050; -118.250
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
RegionSouthern California
Metro areaGreater Los Angeles
FormedFebruary 18, 1850[2]
Named forOur Lady, Queen of the Angels
County seatLos Angeles
Largest cityLos Angeles
Incorporated cities88
Government
 • TypeCouncil–CEO
 • BodyBoard of Supervisors
 • ChairLindsey Horvath (D)
 • Chair Pro TemKathryn Barger (R)
 • Board of Supervisors
 • Chief Executive OfficerFesia Davenport
Area
 • Total4,751 sq mi (12,310 km2)
 • Land4,058 sq mi (10,510 km2)
 • Water693 sq mi (1,790 km2)
Highest elevation10,068 ft (3,069 m)
Lowest elevation0 ft (0 m)
Population
 (July 1, 2023)
 • Total9,663,345 Decrease[1]
 • Density2,430/sq mi (940/km2)
GDP
 • Total$913.292 billion (2022)
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
ZIP Codes
90xxx–918xx, 92397, 92821, 92823, 93243, 935xx[6]
Area codes213/323, 310/424, 442/760, 562, 626, 657/714, 661, 747/818, 840/909
FIPS code06-037
GNIS feature ID277283
Congressional districts23rd, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st, 32nd, 34th, 35th, 36th, 37th, 38th, 42nd, 43rd, 44th, 45th
Websitelacounty.gov

History

Brochure for Los Angeles, c. 1930.

Los Angeles County is one of the original counties of California, created at the time of statehood in 1850.[8] The county originally included parts of what are now Kern, San Bernardino, Riverside, Inyo, Tulare, Ventura, and Orange counties. In 1851 and 1852, Los Angeles County stretched from the coast to the state line of Nevada.[9] As the population increased, sections were split off to organize San Bernardino County in 1853, Kern County in 1866, and Orange County in 1889.

Prior to the 1870s, Los Angeles County was divided into townships, many of which were amalgamations of one or more old ranchos.[10] They were:

Location

As shown by the map below, Los Angeles County is bordered on the north by Kern County, on the east by San Bernardino County, on the southeast by Orange County, on the south by the Pacific Ocean, and on the west by Ventura County.

Geography

Los Angeles and adjacent counties
The historical boundaries of Los Angeles County since its establishment in 1850 as defined by the California State Legislature. The solid blue line represents the original boundaries of the county, the dashed blue lines represent the changes made to the boundaries, and the red line represents the final major boundary changes of the county made by the Legislature in 1889. This map does not include minor changes to the boundary after 1922, such as the transfer of a small amount land east of Interstate 5 to Kern County, among others. Portions or the entirety of modern day Inyo, Kern, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura counties were formerly in Los Angeles County.

Los According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 4,751 square miles (12,310 km2), of which 4,058 square miles (10,510 km2) (85%) is land and 693 square miles (1,790 km2) (15%) is water.[14] Los Angeles County borders 70 miles (110 km) of coast on the Pacific Ocean and encompasses mountain ranges, valleys, forests, islands, lakes, rivers, and desert. The Los Angeles River, Rio Hondo, Ballona Creek, the San Gabriel River and the Santa Clara River flow in Los Angeles County, while the primary mountain ranges are the Santa Monica Mountains and the San Gabriel Mountains. The western extent of the Mojave Desert begins in the Antelope Valley, in the northeastern part of the county.

Most of the population of Los Angeles County resides in the south and southwest, with major population centers in the Los Angeles Basin, San Fernando Valley, and San Gabriel Valley. Other population centers are found in the Santa Clarita Valley, Pomona Valley, Crescenta Valley and Antelope Valley.

The county is divided west-to-east by the San Gabriel Mountains, which are part of the Transverse Ranges of southern California, and are contained mostly within the Angeles National Forest. Most of the county's highest peaks are in the San Gabriel Mountains, including Mount San Antonio 10,068 feet (3,069 m) at the Los Angeles–San Bernardino county lines, Mount Baden-Powell 9,399 feet (2,865 m), Mount Burnham 8,997 feet (2,742 m) and Mount Wilson 5,710 feet (1,740 m). Several lower mountains are in the northern, western, and southwestern parts of the county, including the San Emigdio Mountains, the southernmost part of Tehachapi Mountains and the Sierra Pelona Mountains.

Los Angeles County includes San Clemente Island and Santa Catalina Island, which are part of the Channel Islands archipelago off the Pacific Coast.

Lakes and reservoirs

Major divisions of the county

National protected areas

Climate

Many parts of the state are quite dry. There is rainfall and snowfall especially in the wintertime.[15]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
18503,530
186011,333221.0%
187015,30935.1%
188033,381118.0%
1890101,454203.9%
1900170,29867.9%
1910504,131196.0%
1920936,45585.8%
19302,208,492135.8%
19402,785,64326.1%
19504,151,68749.0%
19606,038,77145.5%
19707,041,98016.6%
19807,477,4216.2%
19908,863,16418.5%
20009,519,3387.4%
20109,818,6053.1%
202010,014,0092.0%
2023 (est.)9,663,345[16]−3.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[17]
1790–1960[18] 1900–1990[19]
1990–2000[20] 2010[21] 2020[22]

2020 Census

Los Angeles County, California – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000[23]Pop 2010[21]Pop 2020[22]% 2000% 2010% 2020
White alone (NH)2,959,6142,728,3212,563,60931.09%27.79%25.60%
Black or African American alone (NH)901,472815,086760,6899.47%8.30%7.60%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)25,60918,88618,4530.27%0.19%0.18%
Asian alone (NH)1,124,5691,325,6711,474,23711.81%13.50%14.72%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)23,26522,46420,5220.24%0.23%0.20%
Some Other Race alone (NH)19,93525,36758,6830.21%0.26%0.59%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)222,661194,921313,0532.34%1.99%3.13%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)4,242,2134,687,8894,804,76344.56%47.74%47.98%
Total9,519,3389,818,60510,014,009100.00%100.00%100.00%

In 2019, the median household income in the county was $72,797.[24]

2010 Census

Ethnic origins in Los Angeles County

Los Angeles County had a population of 9,818,605 in the 2010 United States Census.[25] This includes a natural increase since the last census of 583,364 people (i.e., 1,152,564 births minus 569,200 deaths) and a decrease due to net migration of 361,895 people. Immigration resulted in a net increase of 293,433 people, and migration from within the United States resulted in a net decrease of 655,328 people.[26]

The racial makeup of Los Angeles County was 4,936,599 (50%) White, 1,346,865 (13.7%) Asian, 856,874 (9%) African American, 72,828 (0.7%) Native American, 26,094 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 2,140,632 (21.8%) from other races, and 438,713 (4.5%) from two or more races.

Non-Hispanic whites numbered 2,728,321, or 28% of the population.[27] Hispanic or Latino residents of any race numbered 4,687,889 (48%); 36% of Los Angeles County's population was of Mexican ancestry, 3.7% Salvadoran, and 2.2% Guatemalan heritage.[28]

The county has a large population of Asian Americans, being home to the largest numbers of Burmese, Cambodian, Chinese, Filipino, Indonesian, Korean, Sri Lankan, Taiwanese, and Thai outside their respective countries.[29] The largest Asian groups in Los Angeles County are 4.0% Chinese, 3.3% Filipino, 2.2% Korean, 1.0% Japanese, 0.9% Vietnamese, 0.8% Indian, and 0.3% Cambodian.

Racial and ethnic composition since 1960

Racial composition2020[30]2010[30][31]2000[31]1990[31]1980[31]1970[31]1960[31]
Hispanic or Latino48.0%47.7%44.5%37.8%27.6%18.3%-
White (non-Hispanic)25.6%27.8%31.1%40.8%52.8%--
Asian (non-Hispanic)14.7%13.5%11.9%10.2%--1.8%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)7.6%8.3%9.7%11.1%12.6%10.8%7.6%
Native American (non-Hispanic)0.2%0.2%0.8%0.5%--0.1%
Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic)0.2%0.2%%----
Mixed race (non-Hispanic)3.0%2.0%%----

Race and ancestry

Population, race, and income (2022)
Total population[32]9,721,138
White[32]2,857,09529.4%
Black or African American[32]739,3927.6%
American Indian or Alaska Native[32]135,6241.4%
Asian[32]1,453,70915.0%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander[32]24,4500.3%
Some other race[32]2,510,73825.8%
Two or more races[32]2,000,13020.6%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)[32]4,766,61649.0%
Per capita income[33]$43,171
Median household income[34]$82,516
Median family income[34]$92,506

The racial makeup of the county is 48.7% White,[35] 11.0% African American, 0.8% Native American, 10.0% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 23.5% from other races, and 4.9% from two or more races. 44.6% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. The largest European-American ancestry groups are German (6%), Irish (5%), English (4%) and Italian (3%). 45.9% of the population reported speaking only English at home; 37.9% spoke Spanish, 2.22% Tagalog, 2.0% Chinese, 1.9% Korean, 1.87% Armenian, 0.5% Arabic, and 0.2% Hindi.[36]

The county has the largest Native American population of any county in the nation: according to the 2000 census, it has more than 153,550 people of indigenous descent, and most are from Latin America.

As estimated by the Public Policy Institute of California in 2008, Los Angeles County is home to more than one-third of California's undocumented immigrants, who make up more than ten percent of the population.[37]

Los Angeles County is home to the largest Armenian population outside of Armenia.[38]

Los Angeles County contains the largest Iranian population outside of Iran of any other county or county equivalent globally.[39]

2000

Partial map of Los Angeles County showing population density in 2000 by census tract

At the 2000 census,[40] there were 9,519,338 people, 3,133,774 households, and 2,137,233 families in the county. The population density was 2,344 inhabitants per square mile (905/km2). There were 3,270,909 housing units at an average density of 806 per square mile (311/km2).

Of the 3,133,774 households 37% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48% were married couples living together, 15% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32% were non-families. 25% of households were one person and 7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.61.

The age distribution was 28% under the age of 18, 10% from 18 to 24, 33% from 25 to 44, 19% from 45 to 64, and 10% 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.0 males.

Income

Percent of households with incomes above $150k across LA County census tracts.

The median personal earnings for all workers 16 and older in Los Angeles County are $30,654, slightly below the US median; earnings, however vary widely by neighborhood, race and ethnicity, and gender.[41] The median household income was $42,189 and the median family income was $46,452. Males had a median income of $36,299 versus $30,981 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,683. There are 14.4% of families living below the poverty line and 17.9% of the population, including 24.2% of under 18 and 10.5% of those over 64.Los Angeles County has the highest number of millionaires of any county in the nation, totaling 261,081 households as of 2007.[42]

The homeownership rate is 47.9%, and the median value for houses is $409,300. 42.2% of housing units are in multi-unit structures. Los Angeles County has the largest number of homeless people, with "48,000 people living on the streets, including 6,000 veterans," in 2010.[43]As of 2017 the number of homeless people in the county increased to nearly 58,000.[44]

Religion

In 2015, there were over two thousand Christian churches, the majority of which are Catholic.[45][46] Roman Catholic adherents number close to 40% of the population. There were 202 Jewish synagogues, 145 Buddhist temples, 38 Muslim mosques, 44 Baháʼí Faith worship centers, 37 Hindu temples, 28 Tenrikyo churches and fellowships, 16 Shinto worship centers, and 14 Sikh gurdwaras in the county.[47] The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has approximately 5 million members and is the largest diocese in the United States. In 2014, the county had 3,275 religious organizations, the most out of all US counties.[48]

Law, government, and politics

Charter of the County of Los Angeles, with amendments through March 2002

Government

The Government of Los Angeles County is defined and authorized under the California Constitution, California law and the Charter of the County of Los Angeles.[49] Much of the Government of California is in practice the responsibility of local governments such as the Government of Los Angeles County.

The county's voters elect a governing five-member Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. The small size of the board means each supervisor represents over 2 million people. The board operates in a legislative, executive, and quasi-judicial capacity. As a legislative authority, it can pass ordinances for the unincorporated areas (ordinances that affect the whole county, like posting of restaurant ratings, must be ratified by the individual city). As an executive body, it can tell the county departments what to do, and how to do it. As a quasi-judicial body, the Board is the final venue of appeal in the local planning process, and holds public hearings on various agenda items.

As of 2020, the Board of Supervisors oversees a $35.5 billion annual budget and over 112,000 employees.[50] The county government is managed on a day-to-day basis by a chief executive officer and is organized into many departments, each of which is enormous in comparison to equivalent county-level (and even many state-level) departments anywhere else in the United States. Some of the larger or better-known departments include:

The Grand Avenue entrance of the Stanley Mosk Courthouse.
  • Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs – offers consumers in the county a variety of services including: consumer and real estate counseling, mediation, and small claims counseling investigates consumer complaints, real estate fraud and identity theft issues. The department also provides small business certifications and helps entrepreneurs navigate the process of opening a business.
  • Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services – administers foster care
  • Los Angeles County Fire Department – provides firefighting services for the unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, as well as 58 cities and lifeguarding services. As of November 2023, 50% of all fires in Los Angeles County are associated with the homeless or their encampments.[51]
  • Los Angeles County Department of Health Services – operates several county hospitals and a network of primary care clinics.
  • Los Angeles County Department of Public Health – administers public health programs including STD programs, smoking cessation, and restaurant inspection. The cities of Long Beach and Pasadena have their own autonomous Public Health departments assuming county functions, and county public health orders are not applicable in those cities.
  • Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services – administers many federal and state welfare programs
  • Los Angeles County Department of Public Works – operates countywide flood control system, constructs and maintains roads in unincorporated areas.
  • Los Angeles County District Attorney – prosecutes criminal suspects.
  • Los Angeles County Office of the Public Defender – defends indigent people accused of criminal offenses.
  • Los Angeles County Probation Department
  • Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department – provides law enforcement services for the unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, as well as 42 cities.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, despite its name, is not a County department. Technically it is a state-mandated county transportation commission that also operates bus and rail.

Politics

United States presidential election results for Los Angeles County, California[52][53]
YearRepublican / WhigDemocraticThird party
No. %No. %No. %
20201,145,53026.86%3,028,88571.03%89,9502.11%
2016769,74322.41%2,464,36471.76%200,2015.83%
2012885,33327.83%2,216,90369.69%78,8312.48%
2008956,42528.82%2,295,85369.19%65,9701.99%
20041,076,22535.60%1,907,73663.10%39,3191.30%
2000871,93032.35%1,710,50563.47%112,7194.18%
1996746,54430.96%1,430,62959.34%233,8419.70%
1992799,60729.04%1,446,52952.54%507,26718.42%
19881,239,71646.88%1,372,35251.89%32,6031.23%
19841,424,11354.50%1,158,91244.35%29,8891.14%
19801,224,53350.18%979,83040.15%235,8229.66%
19761,174,92647.78%1,221,89349.69%62,2582.53%
19721,549,71754.75%1,189,97742.04%90,6763.20%
19681,266,48047.65%1,223,25146.02%168,2516.33%
19641,161,06742.52%1,568,30057.43%1,5510.06%
19601,302,66149.45%1,323,81850.25%8,0200.30%
19561,260,20655.38%1,007,88744.29%7,3310.32%
19521,278,40756.21%971,40842.71%24,7251.09%
1948804,23246.51%812,69047.00%112,1606.49%
1944666,44142.68%886,25256.75%8,8710.57%
1940574,26640.58%822,71858.13%18,2851.29%
1936357,40131.62%757,35167.00%15,6631.39%
1932373,73838.55%554,47657.19%41,3804.27%
1928513,52670.22%209,94528.71%7,8301.07%
1924299,67565.51%33,5547.33%124,22827.16%
1920178,11769.10%55,66121.59%23,9929.31%
1916135,55450.59%114,07042.58%18,2976.83%
19122,1811.32%55,11033.34%108,00565.34%
190841,48356.77%22,07630.21%9,51813.02%
190432,50766.50%10,03020.52%6,34612.98%
190019,20055.10%13,15837.76%2,4907.15%
189616,89149.62%16,04347.13%1,1083.25%
189210,22644.89%8,11935.64%4,43419.47%
188813,80554.64%10,11040.02%1,3495.34%
18845,59551.67%4,68343.24%5515.09%
18802,91447.90%2,85346.90%3165.19%
18763,04245.69%3,61654.31%00.00%
18721,31251.11%1,22847.84%271.05%
186874837.70%1,23662.30%00.00%
186455542.73%74457.27%00.00%
186035620.27%70340.03%69739.69%
185652137.84%72152.36%1359.80%
185249746.41%57453.59%00.00%

Overview

Voter registration

Population and registered voters
Total population (2020)10,014,009
  Registered voters[54][note 1]5,635,97256.3%
    Democratic[54]2,993,74453.1%
    Republican[54]965,58417.1%
    Democratic–Republican spread[54]+2,028,160+36.0%
    American Independent[54]151,1142.7%
    Green[54]22,2550.4%
    Libertarian[54]42,9050.8%
    Peace and Freedom[54]34,6310.6%
    Unknown[54]44,7790.8%
    Other[54]38,8800.7%
    No party preference[54]1,342,08023.8%

In the United States House of Representatives, Los Angeles County is split between 17 congressional districts.[55] In the California State Senate, Los Angeles County is split between 13 legislative districts.[56]In the California State Assembly, Los Angeles County is split between 24 legislative districts.[57]

On November 4, 2008, Los Angeles County was almost evenly split over Proposition 8, which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages. The county voted for the amendment 50.04% with a margin of 2,385 votes.[58]

Legal system

The Los Angeles County Superior Court is the county's court of general jurisdiction, while the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California may hear cases where federal jurisdiction is present. Both are headquartered in a large cluster of government buildings in the city's Civic Center.

Historically, the courthouses were county-owned buildings that were maintained at county expense, which created significant friction since the trial court judges, as officials of the state government, had to lobby the county Board of Supervisors for facility renovations and upgrades. In turn, the state judiciary successfully persuaded the state Legislature to authorize the transfer of all courthouses to the state government in 2008 and 2009 (so that judges would have direct control over their own courthouses). Courthouse security is still provided by the county government under a contract with the state.

Unlike the largest city in the United States, New York City, all of the city of Los Angeles and most of its important suburbs are located within a single county. As a result, both the county superior court and the federal district court are respectively the busiest courts of their type in the nation.[59][60]

Many celebrities have been seen in Los Angeles courts. In 2003, the television show Extra (based in nearby Glendale) found itself running so many reports on the legal problems of local celebrities that it spun them off into a separate show, Celebrity Justice.

State cases are appealed to the Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District, which is also headquartered in the Civic Center, and then to the California Supreme Court, which is headquartered in San Francisco but also hears argument in Los Angeles (again, in the Civic Center). Federal cases are appealed to the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which hears them at its branch building in Pasadena. The court of last resort for federal cases is the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.

Crime

The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.

Cities by population and crime rates

Cities by population and crime rates (2012)
CityPopulation[63]Violent crimes[63]Violent crime rate
per 1,000 persons
Property crimes[63]Property crime rate
per 1,000 persons
Agoura Hills20,667120.5823611.42
Alhambra84,4691491.761,91922.72
Arcadia57,295570.991,38824.23
Artesia16,793603.5726215.60
Avalon3,795133.436416.86
Azusa47,1112204.671,20425.56
Baldwin Park76,6442613.411,58520.68
Bell36,0622256.2466218.36
Bellflower77,8863043.901,80223.14
Bell Gardens42,7691252.9272817.02
Beverly Hills34,677892.571,08131.17
Bradbury1,06700.00109.37
Burbank105,0572432.312,49323.73
Calabasas23,442130.5523810.15
Carson93,2335205.582,70929.06
Cerritos49,8561202.411,87037.51
Claremont35,469401.1390125.40
Commerce13,0351128.591,01077.48
Compton98,0571,21812.422,39924.47
Covina48,5881513.111,65133.98
Cudahy24,2011516.2434714.34
Culver City39,5281794.531,76044.53
Diamond Bar56,470550.9795216.86
Downey113,6283813.353,53731.13
Duarte21,673713.2850723.39
El Monte115,3563953.422,23019.33
El Segundo16,931382.2459535.14
Gardena59,8022874.801,32122.09
Glendale194,9022331.203,04315.61
Glendora50,903591.161,29325.40
Hawaiian Gardens14,493694.7619313.32
Hawthorne85,6926377.432,18125.45
Hermosa Beach19,830542.7267834.19
Hidden Hills1,88700.0042.12
Huntington Park59,0793736.311,91732.45
Industry22268306.311,1105,000.00
Inglewood111,4887807.002,67323.98
Irwindale1,4471510.37243167.93
La Canada Flintridge20,584120.5832415.74
La Habra Heights5,41361.11448.13
Lakewood81,3822272.792,06225.34
La Mirada49,312981.9977615.74
Lancaster159,1558595.403,49821.98
La Puente40,4791212.9952112.87
La Verne31,575501.5882326.06
Lawndale33,3121675.0139711.92
Lomita20,591954.6139118.99
Long Beach469,8932,7055.7614,13130.07
Los Angeles3,855,12218,5474.8187,47822.69
Lynwood70,9085417.631,37319.36
Malibu12,854151.1732925.60
Manhattan Beach35,719621.7485523.94
Maywood27,8501756.2828610.27
Monrovia37,199812.1894825.48
Montebello63,5381462.301,77527.94
Monterey Park61,270751.221,02216.68
Norwalk107,2954334.042,60924.32
Palmdale155,2948125.233,39321.85
Palos Verdes Estates13,66160.441369.96
Paramount54,9972444.441,53627.93
Pasadena139,3824333.113,37924.24
Pico Rivera63,9882614.081,78027.82
Pomona151,5111,0216.745,05533.36
Rancho Palos Verdes42,335350.8349811.76
Redondo Beach67,8561902.801,59623.52
Rolling Hills1,89100.002714.28
Rolling Hills Estates8,20291.1012915.73
Rosemead54,6561432.6291316.70
San Dimas33,923511.5066819.69
San Fernando24,039773.2038015.81
San Gabriel40,376882.1855013.62
San Marino13,364130.9718313.69
Santa Clarita179,2483421.912,74215.30
Santa Fe Springs16,492996.001,27277.13
Santa Monica91,2153954.333,39837.25
Sierra Madre11,09840.3611210.09
Signal Hill11,198433.8453647.87
South El Monte20,452884.3039919.51
South Gate95,9665535.762,54526.52
South Pasadena26,045271.0444317.01
Temple City36,148381.053549.79
Torrance147,8511901.292,69018.19
Vernon11427236.843112,728.07
Walnut29,658371.2538212.88
West Covina107,8612812.613,22429.89
West Hollywood34,9713389.671,64246.95
Westlake Village8,40630.3615418.32
Whittier86,7402472.852,50228.84

Other statistics

Crime in 2013

  • Homicides: 386[64]
  • Thefts: 54,971 [65]
  • Burglaries: 17,606
  • Car Thefts: 15,866[65]
  • Robberies: 10,202
  • Violent Crimes: 20,318[65]
  • Rapes: 843
  • Assaults: 8,976[65]
  • Murders: 297

Ecology

Many introduced species, such as this Indian peafowl, adapt readily to urban living and Los Angeles County's mild climate.

According to the authors of Wild L.A., a book about urban biodiversity, "Los Angeles is the birdiest county in the country with over 500 recorded species." L.A.'s amenable climate supports a large number of introduced, tropical and migratory species.[66] Because of the county's wide range of biomes it is possible to see desert bighorn sheep and green sea turtles in the same day, without crossing the county line.[66] The range of habitats in the county is "greater than in many states, with mountains, wetlands, desert, ocean, meadows and chaparral, each with its own endemic species."[67] There are at least 100 species of trees, and 1000 species of non-native plants, in the urban areas of the county.[68]

Economy

Employment by industry in Los Angeles County (2015)

Los Angeles County is commonly associated with the entertainment and digital media industry; all five major film studiosParamount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, and Walt Disney Studios—are located within the county. Numerous other major industries also define the economy of Los Angeles County, including international trade supported by the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach, music recording and production, aerospace and defense, fashion, and professional services such as law, medicine, engineering and design services, financial services.[69] High-tech sector employment within Los Angeles County is 368,500 workers,[70] and manufacturing employment within Los Angeles County is 365,000 workers.[71][72] Despite a business exodus from Downtown Los Angeles since the COVID-19 pandemic, the city's urban core is evolving as a cultural center with the world's largest showcase of architecture designed by Frank Gehry.[73]

The following major companies have headquarters in Los Angeles County:

Education

The Los Angeles County Office of Education provides a supporting role for school districts in the area. The county office also operates two magnet schools, the International Polytechnic High School and Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. There are a number of private schools in the county, most notably those operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese. The county's public education sector is run by numerous school districts with the Los Angeles Unified School District being the largest one running public schools primarily within the city of Los Angeles and its immediately neighboring cities.

Colleges

Universities

K–12 schools

Sites of interest

L.A. County Fair at dusk, 2008
Photo of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art during its 2005 Ancient Egypt exhibit.

The county's most visited park is Griffith Park, owned by the city of Los Angeles. The county is also known for the annual Rose Parade in Pasadena, the annual Los Angeles County Fair in Pomona, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Los Angeles Zoo, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the La Brea Tar Pits, the Arboretum of Los Angeles, and two horse racetracks and two car racetracks (Pomona Raceway and Irwindale Speedway), also the RMS Queen Mary located in Long Beach, and the Long Beach Grand Prix, and miles of beaches—from Zuma to Cabrillo.

Venice Beach is a popular attraction whose Muscle Beach used to attract throngs of tourists admiring "hardbodies". Today, it is more arts-centered. Santa Monica's pier is a well known tourist spot, famous for its Ferris wheel and bumper car rides, which were featured in the introductory segment of the television sitcom Three's Company. Further north in Pacific Palisades one finds the beaches used in the television series Baywatch.[76] The fabled Malibu, home of many film and television stars, lies west of it.

In the mountain, canyon, and desert areas one may find Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park, where many old Westerns were filmed. Mount Wilson Observatory in the San Gabriel Mountains is open for the public to view astronomical stars from its telescope, now computer-assisted. Many county residents find relaxation in water skiing and swimming at Castaic Lake Recreation Area – the county's largest park by area – as well as enjoying natural surroundings and starry nights at Saddleback Butte State Park in the eastern Antelope Valley – California State Parks' largest in area within the county. The California Poppy Reserve is located in the western Antelope Valley and shows off the State's flower in great quantity on its rolling hills every spring.

Museums

Entertainment

Music venues

Walt Disney Concert Hall

Amusement parks

Other attractions

Other areas

Angeles National Forest

Transportation

Major highways

Air

Los Angeles International Airport

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), located in the Westchester district, is the primary commercial airport for commercial airlines in the county and the Greater Los Angeles Area. LAX is operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), an agency of the City of Los Angeles.

Other important commercial airports in Los Angeles County include:

The following general aviation airports also are located in Los Angeles County:

The U.S. Air Force operates three airports in Los Angeles County:

Rail

Los Angeles is a major freight-railroad transportation center, largely due to the large volumes of freight moving in and out of the county's sea port facilities. The ports are connected to the downtown rail yards and to the main lines of Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe headed east via a grade-separated, freight rail corridor known as the Alameda Corridor.

Passenger rail service is provided in the county by Amtrak, Los Angeles Metro Rail and Metrolink.

Amtrak has the following intercity Amtrak service at Union Station in the city of Los Angeles:

Union Station is also the primary hub for Metrolink commuter rail, which serves much of the Greater Los Angeles Area.

Light rail, subway (heavy rail), and long-distance bus service are all provided by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). Other smaller regional transit agencies that provide public transit to specific regions of Los Angeles County include LADOT, Long Beach Transit, Montebello Bus Lines, Norwalk Transit, Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus serving the western LA region , Santa Clarita Transit, Torrance Transit, Glendale Beeline, Foothill Transit serving the San Gabriel Valley region, and the Antelope Valley Transit Authority serving the Lancaster and Palmdale area in the Antelope Valley region.

Sea

The county's two main seaports are the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach. Together they handle over a quarter of all container traffic entering the United States, making the complex the largest and most important port in the country, and the third-largest port in the world by shipping volume.

The Port of Los Angeles is the largest cruise ship center on the West Coast, handling more than 1 million passengers annually.

The Port of Long Beach is home to the Sea Launch program, which uses a floating launch platform to insert payloads into orbits that would be difficult to attain from existing land-based launch sites.

Catalina Express ferries link the Catalina Island city of Avalon to the mainland at San Pedro and Long Beach, as well as Dana Point in Orange County.

Water

Water is provided by at least 200 independent water districts or agencies.[78] Statewide droughts in California have placed a strain on the county's water security.[79] Statewide droughts in California have further strained Los Angeles County's water security.[80]

Communities

Cities

There are 88 incorporated cities in Los Angeles County. According to the 2018 Estimate, the most populous are:[81]

Largest cities, 2018 Estimate
CityPopulation
Los Angeles
3,990,456
Long Beach
467,354
Santa Clarita
210,089
Glendale
201,361
Lancaster
159,053
Palmdale
156,667
Pomona
152,361
Torrance
145,182
Pasadena
141,371
El Monte
115,586
Downey
112,269
West Covina
106,311
Norwalk
105,120
Burbank
103,695

Unincorporated areas

Census designated places

Unincorporated Communities

Proposed Communities

See: Los Angeles Almanac MAP: Unincorporated Areas and Communities of Los Angeles County

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Los Angeles County.[83]

county seat

RankCity/Town/etc.Municipal typePopulation (2020 Census)
1 Los AngelesCity3,898,747
2Long BeachCity466,742
3Santa ClaritaCity228,673
4GlendaleCity196,543
5LancasterCity173,516
6PalmdaleCity169,450
7PomonaCity151,713
8TorranceCity147,067
9PasadenaCity138,699
10East Los AngelesCDP118,786
11DowneyCity114,355
12West CovinaCity109,501
13El MonteCity109,450
14InglewoodCity107,762
15BurbankCity107,337
16NorwalkCity102,773
17ComptonCity95,740
18CarsonCity95,558
19Santa MonicaCity93,076
20South GateCity92,726
21HawthorneCity88,083
22WhittierCity87,306
23AlhambraCity82,868
24LakewoodCity82,496
25BellflowerCity79,190
26Baldwin ParkCity72,176
27Redondo BeachCity71,576
28LynwoodCity67,265
29MontebelloCity62,640
30Pico RiveraCity62,088
31Florence-GrahamCDP61,983
32Monterey ParkCity61,096
33GardenaCity61,027
34ArcadiaCity56,681
35South WhittierCDP56,415
36Diamond BarCity55,072
37Huntington ParkCity54,883
38Hacienda HeightsCDP54,191
39ParamountCity53,733
40GlendoraCity52,558
41CovinaCity51,268
42RosemeadCity51,185
43AzusaCity50,000
44CerritosCity49,578
45Rowland HeightsCDP48,231
46La MiradaCity48,008
47AltadenaCDP42,846
48Rancho Palos VerdesCity42,287
49Culver CityCity40,779
50San GabrielCity39,568
51Bell GardensCity39,501
52La PuenteCity38,062
53MonroviaCity37,931
54ClaremontCity37,266
55Temple CityCity36,494
56West HollywoodCity35,757
57Manhattan BeachCity35,506
58San DimasCity34,924
59WestmontCDP33,913
60BellCity33,559
61Beverly HillsCity32,701
62LawndaleCity31,807
63La VerneCity31,334
64WalnutCity28,430
65South PasadenaCity26,943
66West Whittier-Los NietosCDP25,325
67MaywoodCity25,138
68West Rancho DominguezCDP24,347
69WillowbrookCDP24,295
70San FernandoCity23,946
71CalabasasCity23,241
72West Puente ValleyCDP22,959
73West CarsonCDP22,870
74CudahyCity22,811
75East San GabrielCDP22,769
76ValindaCDP22,437
77DuarteCity21,727
78LomitaCity20,921
79La Cañada FlintridgeCity20,573
80LennoxCDP20,323
81Agoura HillsCity20,299
82Stevenson RanchCDP20,178
83La Crescenta-MontroseCDP19,997
84South San Jose HillsCDP19,855
85Hermosa BeachCity19,728
86South El MonteCity19,567
87Santa Fe SpringsCity19,219
88CastaicCDP18,937
89El SegundoCity17,272
90ArtesiaCity16,395
91VincentCDP15,714
92Walnut ParkCDP15,214
93East Rancho DominguezCDP15,114
94Hawaiian GardensCity14,149
95Palos Verdes EstatesCity13,347
96Avocado HeightsCDP13,317
97Lake Los AngelesCDP13,187
98San MarinoCity12,513
99CommerceCity12,378
100Sun VillageCDP12,345
101Signal HillCity11,848
102Quartz HillCDP11,447
103View Park-Windsor HillsCDP11,419
104Marina del ReyCDP11,373
105Sierra MadreCity11,268
106MalibuCity10,654
107East WhittierCDP10,394
108Del AireCDP10,338
109CitrusCDP10,243
110Charter OakCDP9,739
111West AthensCDP9,393
112Alondra ParkCDP8,569
113TopangaCDP8,560
114Rolling Hills EstatesCity8,280
115Westlake VillageCity8,029
116South San GabrielCDP7,920
117ActonCDP7,431
118Ladera HeightsCDP6,654
119South Monrovia IslandCDP6,515
120East PasadenaCDP6,021
121La Habra HeightsCity5,682
122Mayflower VillageCDP5,402
123North El MonteCDP3,730
124AvalonCity3,460
125Agua DulceCDP3,451
126Rose HillsCDP2,927
127Desert View HighlandsCDP2,676
128Val VerdeCDP2,399
129San PasqualCDP2,101
130Rolling HillsCity1,739
131Hidden HillsCity1,725
132Elizabeth LakeCDP1,651
133Leona ValleyCDP1,555
134LittlerockCDP1,535
135IrwindaleCity1,472
136Hasley CanyonCDP1,195
137Green ValleyCDP1,036
138BradburyCity921
139Lake HughesCDP544
140IndustryCity264
141VernonCity222

See also

Notes

References

External links