La Palma, California
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La Palma (Template:Respell; Spanish for "the palm") is a city in Orange County, California, United States. The population was 15,581 at the 2020 census,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> up from 15,568 at the 2010 census.<ref name="U.S. Census Bureau">Template:Cite web</ref>
History
La Palma was incorporated on October 26, 1955. It was originally incorporated as Dairyland, and was one of three dairy cities in the region (the other two being Dairy Valley, now Cerritos, and Dairy City, now Cypress) but when the dairies moved east in 1965, the name of the community was changed to La Palma, after the region's Spanish heritage and its main thoroughfare, La Palma Avenue.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of Template:Convert. Template:Convert of it is land and Template:Convert of it (1.32%) is water. This makes it the smallest city in Orange County in terms of area.
Biogeography
The most common native species: Hairy Sand Verbena, Red Sand Verbena, and Pink Sand Verbena. <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Climate chart
Demographics
La Palma was first listed as a city in the 1970 U.S. census.<ref name=1970CensusCA/> Prior to that, the area was part of unincorporated Anaheim Township.<ref name=1950CensusCA/>
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop 1990<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | Template:Partial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 11,066 | 8,119 | 5,592 | 4,329 | 3,324 | 71.86% | 52.75% | 36.29% | 27.81% | 21.33% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 381 | 633 | 696 | 773 | 766 | 2.47% | 4.11% | 4.52% | 4.97% | 4.92% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 128 | 37 | 37 | 26 | 18 | 0.83% | 0.24% | 0.24% | 0.17% | 0.12% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 2,028 | 4,699 | 6,874 | 7,432 | 7,835 | 13.17% | 30.53% | 44.61% | 47.74% | 50.29% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 43 | 36 | 77 | 0.28% | 0.23% | 0.49% | ||||
| Other race alone (NH) | 14 | 32 | 35 | 43 | 54 | 0.09% | 0.21% | 0.23% | 0.28% | 0.35% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x | x | 395 | 442 | 568 | x | x | 2.56% | 2.84% | 3.65% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,782 | 1,872 | 1,736 | 2,487 | 2,939 | 11.57% | 12.16% | 11.27% | 15.98% | 18.86% |
| Total | 15,399 | 15,392 | 15,408 | 15,568 | 15,581 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020
The 2020 United States census reported that La Palma had a population of 15,581. The population density was Template:Convert. The racial makeup of La Palma was 25.2% White, 5.1% African American, 0.6% Native American, 50.8% Asian, 0.6% Pacific Islander, 7.5% from other races, and 10.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.9% of the population.<ref name=DP1>Template:Cite web</ref>
The census reported that 99.8% of the population lived in households, 0.2% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.<ref name=DP1/>
There were 5,160 households, out of which 34.1% included children under the age of 18, 61.4% were married-couple households, 3.3% were cohabiting couple households, 23.3% had a female householder with no partner present, and 12.0% had a male householder with no partner present. 15.4% of households were one person, and 9.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.01.<ref name=DP1/> There were 4,156 families (80.5% of all households).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The age distribution was 18.8% under the age of 18, 8.4% aged 18 to 24, 24.1% aged 25 to 44, 28.4% aged 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65Template:Nbspyears of age or older. The median age was 44.1Template:Nbspyears. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males.<ref name=DP1/>
There were 5,270 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert, of which 5,160 (97.9%) were occupied. Of these, 68.0% were owner-occupied, and 32.0% were occupied by renters.<ref name=DP1/>
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $115,833, and the per capita income was $53,050. About 3.6% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2010
The 2010 US Census<ref name="U.S. Census Bureau"/> reported that La Palma had a population of 15,568. The population density was Template:Convert. The racial makeup of La Palma was 5,762 (37.0%) White (27.8% Non-Hispanic White),<ref name="quickfacts.census.gov">Template:Cite web</ref> 802 (5.2%) African American, 56 (0.4%) Native American, 7,483 (48.1%) Asian, 41 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 760 (4.9%) from other races, and 664 (4.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2,487 persons (16.0%).
The census reported that 15,548 people (99.9% of the population) lived in households, 14 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 6 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 5,080 households, 1,949 (38.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,331 (65.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 641 (12.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 240 (4.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 134 (2.6%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 26 (0.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 716 households (14.1%) were one person and 389 (7.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.06. There were 4,212 families (82.9% of households); the average family size was 3.37.
The age distribution was 3,423 people (22.0%) under the age of 18, 1,418 people (9.1%) aged 18 to 24, 3,805 people (24.4%) aged 25 to 44, 4,445 people (28.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,477 people (15.9%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 41.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.
There were 5,224 housing units at an average density of 2,852.0 per square mile, of the occupied units 3,648 (71.8%) were owner-occupied and 1,432 (28.2%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.0%. 11,315 people (72.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 4,233 people (27.2%) lived in rental housing units.
According to the 2010 United States Census, La Palma had a median household income of $87,289, with 7.2% of the population living below the federal poverty line.<ref name="quickfacts.census.gov" />
Economy
Top employers
According to La Palma's 2023 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report,<ref>ACFR</ref> the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ADP | 565 |
| 2 | La Palma Intercommunity Hospital | 395 |
| 3 | Applecare Medical Group | 278 |
| 4 | Arcadia | 179 |
| 5 | Beacon Day School | 147 |
| 6 | Tech Knowledge Associates LLC | 93 |
| 7 | Walmart Stores | 92 |
| 8 | Quiet Logistics | 87 |
| 9 | Sunrise Assisted Living | 78 |
| 10 | CJ Foods USA | 75 |
Government
| District | Incumbent |
|---|---|
| District 1 | Debbie S. Baker |
| District 2 (At large) | Janet Keo Conklin |
| District 3 | Vikesh P. Patel |
| District 4 (At large) | Nitesh P. Patel, Mayor Pro Tem |
| District 5 | Mark I. Waldman, Mayor |
According to the Orange County Registrar of Voters, as of May 15, 2025, La Palma has 10,076 registered voters.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Of those, 2,998 (35.87%) are registered Democrats, 2,637 (31.55%) are registered Republicans, and 2,446 (29.27%) have declined to state a political party/are independents.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Federal, state, and county representation
In the United States House of Representatives, La Palma is in Template:Representative<ref>Template:Cite GovTrack</ref> since 2025.
In the California State Senate, La Palma resides within California's 36th senatorial district,<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> represented by Republican Tony Strickland since 2025.
In the California State Assembly, La Palma resides within California's 67th State Assembly district,<ref name=":0" /> represented by Democrat Sharon Quirk-Silva since 2016.
For the Orange County Board of Supervisors, La Palma resides within the 1st district,<ref name=":0" /> represented by Janet Nguyen since 2024.
Education
- Los Coyotes Elementary: Centralia Elementary School District
- G.B. Miller Elementary: Centralia Elementary School District
- Steve Luther Elementary: Cypress School District
- Walker Junior High School: Anaheim Union High School District
- John F. Kennedy High School: Anaheim Union High School District
- Beacon Day School for Children with Autism and Related Disorders: Private
Infrastructure
Los Cerritos Community News serves the city.
Transportation
Orange County Transportation Authority operates three bus routes in La Palma.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Emergency services
Fire protection in La Palma is provided by the Orange County Fire Authority with ambulance transport by Care Ambulance Service. The La Palma Police Department provides law enforcement services.
Health Care
La Palma is served by one health care facility:
- La Palma Intercommunity Hospital (Hospital)
Water Services
Water in La Palma is supplied by the City of La Palma Public Works & Community Services Department, which sources its water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. This water is imported from both Northern California and the Colorado River. Additionally, groundwater is supplied by Orange County Water District, sourced by an underground aquifer that replenishes from the Santa Ana River, local rainfall, and imported water.<ref>La Palma 2024 WQ Report</ref>
Crime
The Uniform Crime Report (UCR), collected annually by the FBI, compiles police statistics from local and state law enforcement agencies across the nation. The UCR records Part I and Part II crimes. Part I crimes become known to law enforcement and are considered the most serious crimes including homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, and arson. Part II crimes only include arrest data.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The 2023 UCR Data for La Palma is listed below:
| Aggravated Assault | Homicide | Rape | Robbery | Burglary | Larceny Theft | Motor Vehicle Theft | Arson | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Palma | 11 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 39 | 229 | 58 | 2 |
Notable people
- Hugo Arellano (born 1998) – soccer player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Nathan Baesel (born 1974) – actor<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Ami Bera (born 1965) – U.S. representative for California<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Derrick Deese Jr. (born 1998) – National Football League (NFL) player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- John Lamb (born 1990) – Major League Baseball (MLB) player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Steve Rotter (born 1998) – volleyball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
References
External links
Template:Cities of Orange County, California Template:Greater Los Angeles Area Template:Portal bar Template:Authority control