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Lawndale is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 31,711.
History
From the 1780s onward, the area that is now Lawndale was part of the Rancho Sausal Redondo, a land grant given by the Spanish colonial government that includes much of what is now the South Bay region. In the late 19th century, it became a major agricultural center, dominated by Japanese farmers. After World War II, the immense demand for housing from returning veterans and California newcomers resulted in Lawndale's formation as a bedroom community. In the 1960s, continuing high demand for affordable housing resulted in the replacement of many of the original bungalows and ranches with two- and three-story apartment buildings.
Lawndale's largely unplanned densification led to lingering urban decay, exacerbated by the decline of the aerospace sector in southwestern Los Angeles County at the end of the Cold War. From the 1960s onward, many residents of the South Bay knew it only as the run-down neighborhood they had to rush through while en route to the more scenic environs of the Beach Cities.
Around 2000, as the Los Angeles County coastline reached "build-out," real estate prices soared along all of the Santa Monica Bay shoreline. Many young people who wished to live in the Beach Cities found that they simply could not afford to do so, and settled in less glamorous inland cities such as Lawndale. As a result, the city has undergone rapid gentrification. The process has been further accelerated by the 2003 completion of a successful urban renewal project along the city's stretch of Hawthorne Boulevard (California State Highway 107), a major South Bay thoroughfare.
Geography
Lawndale is located at 33°53'12" North, 118°21'13" West (33.886764, -118.353556)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.1 km² (2.0 mi²). 5.1 km² (2.0 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 31,711 people, 9,555 households, and 7,022 families residing in the city. The population density is 6,183.7/km² (16,036.7/mi²). There are 9,869 housing units at an average density of 1,924.5/km² (4,990.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 42.24% White, 12.61% African American, 0.99% Native American, 9.63% Asian, 0.91% Pacific Islander, 27.07% from other races, and 6.55% from two or more races. 52.08% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 9,555 households out of which 45.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% are married couples living together, 19.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% are non-families. 18.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 4.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.31 and the average family size is 3.80.
In the city the population is spread out with 31.9% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 35.8% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 5.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 29 years. For every 100 females there are 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 99.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $39,012, and the median income for a family is $37,909. Males have a median income of $29,033 versus $2,902.50 for females. The per capita income for the city is $13,702. 17.3% of the population and 14.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 22.4% of those under the age of 18 and 6.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
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