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Census Numbers Show Downtown Population Over 50K

By Eric Richardson
Published: Wednesday, March 09, 2011, at 04:23PM
Census Map blogdowntown

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Downtown Los Angeles added more than 15,000 residents over the last ten years according to numbers released by the US Census Bureau on Tuesday.

Population in the main tracts that define Downtown grew from 35,884 in 2000 to 51,329 in 2010 (See update below for caveats and explanation).

Adding in Chinatown, the Downtown area is now home to 59,006.

The highest growth came in the Historic Core, which added more than 4,500 residents in the area bounded by 2nd, 9th, Hill and Los Angeles. The blocks are now home to 8,312.

South Park added more than 2,100 residents, while City West added 1,300.

Tuesday's release was the first in a series of datasets to come from the 2010 Census.

Explore the growth by census tract using this interactive map:

Update (3/13 3pm): Updated map to use 2010 tracts and a 2000 population computed from 2000 census blocks. For more information, see the blogdowntown Census Maps page.

Update (Wed 11:30pm): Finally found the line data for the 2010 tracts and I do need to correct my numbers slightly. 2060.32 is east of the L.A. River, so that's 5,275 people who shouldn't count toward Downtown (and the same for 2060.50 and its 2,146 people). If you take them out, though, you also need to account for how to remove them from the 2000 data, which isn't broken down at the river. You also would need to add in some spots in Chinatown and Pico Union that aren't counted.

Census tract 2060.31 now covers the entire Arts District / Industrial District east of Alameda between the 101 and the 10. That's 2,957 residents.

Conclusion? The 15,000 new residents number is still roughly accurate, but that 51,000 number is a little inexact (though it's still roughly correct).

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User_32

() on March 09, 2011, at 06:27PM – #1

The numbers are higher than the estimates that have been made by the BIDs and other groups over the past few years. That's great. The population of downtown is now past that "tipping point" of no return whereby the services that have been holding back from locating here, should now start to arrive.


User_32

rob on March 09, 2011, at 09:50PM – #2

pretty lose with your boundaries aren't you? The map above includes portions of Boyle Heights, which is one of the densest communities in Los Angeles. with the census figures coming out, is there any talk or redistricting the city. downtown los angeles is craved up pretty bad, its needs to redrawn so the one council member represents the area.


User_32

on March 09, 2011, at 10:00PM – #3

Past census data has included number of vehicles per household...I'm interested in the percent of households with no car ownership. I also can't wait to dig into the ethnic/income/gender info...and compare changes from last census...

Too bad there's no doggie data...damn pet numbers would be off the charts


Eric Richardson () on March 09, 2011, at 10:09PM – #4

rob: Agreed, though I would say that if you look at the area encompassed by that tract, it's all west of the freeway and not truly up into Boyle Heights. As population grows, tracts get changed and divided, so we'll gradually get a better picture. I used the 2000 tracts, since I couldn't accurately apportion the historic data in any more granular a fashion.

Bottom line, though: Boundaries are always arbitrary.


Don Garza on March 09, 2011, at 11:36PM – #5

Rob , the city council redistricting fight is about to happen again , Rumors are that the 14tb council district member will make the recommendation to try to take a bigger piece of the downtown pie , just like all the others before him,and if Jan Perry in the 9th council district saying she is not afraid to fight to become mayor is any indication of her ferocity , be prepared for an all out war between the 9th and 14th again , with skid row being the scrimmage line. It will also depend on what the big business groups want for downtown.. so be watching this brawl coming to a hearing room near you..


User_32

Rich on March 10, 2011, at 12:12AM – #6

Rob, while the portions of the census data extending into east past the river may appear to include dense Boyle Heights, a quick satellite comparison shows that those areas are lightly populated and mostly industrial in the south and southeastern portions.

There are a few dense public housing projects on the northeastern side of that tract that would add, what, a thousand residents to the data? That actually puts DTLA's population almost exactly at what the BID estimates it is for this year.

However, the data also doesn't include the large residential buildings south of Sunset. I'd say it's a wash, and DT's population estimate (as most DT residents define DTLA, anyway) is pretty spot on.

Here's to 15,000 more.


Kevin Lynn on March 10, 2011, at 02:51AM – #7

I think it is very good we finally have up to date and relevant data. But there is a more general problem. In the 1920's when the population of the City of Los Angeles was 1,000,000 we had 15 city council members. The population is over 4,000,000 now and we still have 15 city council members. Hence, we have 4 times less democracy/representation than we did 100 years ago.


User_32

Vero Queero on March 10, 2011, at 09:11AM – #8

It looks like tract 2092 City West does not include south of Wilshire, so you're "missing" 1010, Glo, 1100 Wilshire and Vero (and Medici but I think that was there before 2000) and I'm sorry, but we consider ourselves part of City West & it's much more Downtown here than Westlake.


Eric Richardson () on March 10, 2011, at 09:22AM – #9

Vero: It actually goes down to 7th, but only west to Lucas. That puts 1010, Glo and 1100 in, but Vero and Medici out. Similarly, the north edge of the tract misses Visconti.

I think we'll get a more precise population number once the census block data comes out and breaks the tracts down.


Simon Ha on March 10, 2011, at 10:31AM – #10

Does the Census specify how many children live in downtown with breakdowns for different age groups?

I know many of the kids in my neighborhood will reach kindergarten age in a few years, including mine. I'm interested to see what the actual demand is for South Park and if the number can support a school in the area.

There are kids in my building that are attending Solano Avenue Elementary School and are very happy but it's not very local.


Eric Richardson () on March 10, 2011, at 11:31AM – #11

Simon: I believe it will, but the first data to be released only gave population, housing units and some initial race numbers.


User_32

downtown vibe on March 10, 2011, at 03:38PM – #12

Eric,

Thanks for digging up this very important data.

Downtown needs to be unified under one Council District. After this last election, this is more important than ever!

I hope that the local stakeholders will begin having meaninful discussions about who will represent their community best....and SOON...before a committee decides this for us.


Don Garza on March 10, 2011, at 04:55PM – #13

downtown vibe , the new way redistricting happens is as a result of community input now,,just like the last time , so be prepared to be there and be heard...


User_32

KJ1 on March 10, 2011, at 06:59PM – #14

To Downtown Vibe, when I read you mention, "Community stakeholders", that leads me to ponder just who these "stakeholders" are now. I would say with these numbers of residents, it's us! The loft/condo owners and renters! I rarely hear their voices politically on this and the other DT blog. I hear about what the landlords of very large building/s want. With all due respect to this and the other DT blog, where was the political aftermath coverage of the election that just took place? Where was the analysis of what it meant for people living here? I looked to this blog for these answers and found none.

It's about time people start demanding their voice be heard over the large property owners who seem to be commandeering everything around here.


User_32

J-M on March 10, 2011, at 11:18PM – #15

I'll echo KJ1 on that last comment. The property developers and politicos seem to have a pretty good spin control of the media Downtown, including the blog comment boards now.


Don Garza on March 11, 2011, at 11:45AM – #16

Just to be fair, it isn't just the loft condo developers in that possible scenario , it is also the low income housing developers ... maybe we just need new blog coverage and media sources downtown...


User_32

ChisaiKaya on March 11, 2011, at 05:41PM – #17

since we are on the topic of DTLA census...my building manager sent out an e-mail the other day that DCBID is also conducting a 2011 DTLA residents survey. I've lived in DTLA for 5 years now and I didn't know there was such survey when we lived at another building!!

There are some interesting stats from the 2008 survey, see:

http://www.downtownla.com/files/DCBID-Downtown-LA-Demo-Study-2008.pdf

If you are a DTLA resident and is interested in taking the 2011 survey, go to:

http://www.downtownla.com/survey-2011.asp


Jazmine May Graza on March 14, 2011, at 03:10PM – #18

Have you pressed the #dtlaLOVEbutton yet? Show your love for #DTLA and press it today! http://ow.ly/4ehsf LIKE this page and spread the love toO!



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