La Verne, California
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La Verne is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 31,334 at the 2020 census.<ref name=2020Census />
History
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The area was home to Native Americans.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The European history of the area dates back to the 1830s when Ygnacio Palomares and Ricardo Véjar received the Template:Convert Rancho San Jose land grant from Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado in 1837. The land included the present day cities Pomona, Claremont, San Dimas, Glendora, and La Verne. The adobe that Palomares built in 1837 is still preserved in Pomona as La Casa Primera de Rancho San Jose (The First House). Palomares soon moved a mile or so northeast and constructed the Ygnacio Palomares Adobe. He ensured that a nephew, Jose Dolores Palomares, secured a tract of land a mile west.
In the mid-1880s, entrepreneur Isaac W. Lord purchased a tract of Jose Palomares' land and convinced the Santa Fe Railroad company to run its line across towards Los Angeles. Lord had the land surveyed for building lots and in 1887 had a large land sale, naming the new town 'Lordsburg' after himself. He also had a large Lordsburg Hotel constructed, but the land boom was over when it was completed. It sat empty for several years until sold to four members of the German Baptist Brethren Church, who persuaded others of that denomination that it would be an excellent site for a new institution of higher learning. Lordsburg College was founded in 1891.
In 1906 the town was incorporated as "La Verne." Residents grew field crops, and then began planting citrus trees, which flourished. Lordsburg became known as the "Heart of the Orange Empire." The city of La Verne flourished as a center of the citrus industry until after World War II, when the citrus industry slowly faded away. Two orange groves are on the grounds of the La Verne Heritage Foundation.
Geography
La Verne is a suburb Template:Convert east of Los Angeles, located in the Pomona Valley below the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains part of the Angeles National Forest, a habitat known to support black bears.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of Template:Convert.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020"/> It is to the east of San Dimas and to the west of Claremont. The city of Pomona lies to the south. California State Route 210 bisects La Verne in an east–west direction, and Historic U.S. Route 66 also passes through the city.
Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, La Verne has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Demographics
La Verne first appeared as a city in the 1910 U.S. census<ref name=1910CensusCA/> as part of the now defunct San Jose Township (pop 7,696 in 1900).<ref name=1900CensusCA/> It became part of the larger East San Gabriel Valley Division in the 1960 U.S. census<ref name=1960CensusCA2/> and since 2000, as the East San Gabriel Valley Census County Division (CCD).<ref name=2000CensusCA/>
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | 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> | % 2000 | % 2010 | Template:Partial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 20,129 | 17,197 | 14,373 | 63.62% | 55.36% | 45.87% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 975 | 992 | 906 | 3.08% | 3.19% | 2.89% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 110 | 98 | 81 | 0.35% | 0.32% | 0.26% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 2,244 | 2,310 | 3,379 | 7.09% | 7.44% | 10.78% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 41 | 54 | 47 | 0.13% | 0.17% | 0.15% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 44 | 58 | 183 | 0.14% | 0.19% | 0.58% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 780 | 719 | 1,180 | 2.47% | 2.31% | 3.77% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7,315 | 9,635 | 11,185 | 23.12% | 31.02% | 35.70% |
| Total | 31,638 | 31,063 | 31,334 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020
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The 2020 United States census reported that La Verne had a population of 31,334. The population density was Template:Convert. The racial makeup of La Verne was 55.3% White, 3.1% African American, 1.1% Native American, 11.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 11.9% from other races, and 17.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 35.7% of the population.<ref name=DP1>Template:Cite web</ref>
The census reported that 99.4% of the population lived in households, 0.4% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.2% were institutionalized.<ref name=DP1/>
There were 11,844 households, out of which 29.1% included children under the age of 18, 53.5% were married-couple households, 4.2% were cohabiting couple households, 28.7% had a female householder with no partner present, and 13.7% had a male householder with no partner present. 24.0% of households were one person, and 14.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.63.<ref name=DP1/> There were 8,439 families (71.3% of all households).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The age distribution was 19.2% under the age of 18, 8.0% aged 18 to 24, 21.8% aged 25 to 44, 27.5% aged 45 to 64, and 23.5% who were 65Template:Nbspyears of age or older. The median age was 45.9Template:Nbspyears. For every 100 females, there were 90.0 males.<ref name=DP1/>
There were 12,218 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert, of which 11,844 (96.9%) were occupied. Of these, 71.1% were owner-occupied, and 28.9% were occupied by renters.<ref name=DP1/>
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $104,565, and the per capita income was $50,951. About 6.3% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2010
At the 2010 census La Verne had a population of 31,063. The population density was Template:Convert. The racial makeup of La Verne was 23,057 (74.2%) White (55.4% Non-Hispanic White),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 1,065 (3.4%) African American, 265 (0.9%) Native American, 2,381 (7.7%) Asian, 61 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 2,822 (9.1%) from other races, and 1,412 (4.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9,635 persons (31.0%).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The census reported that 30,387 people (97.8% of the population) lived in households, 501 (1.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 175 (0.6%) were institutionalized.
There were 11,261 households, 3,582 (31.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 6,286 (55.8%) were married couples living together, 1,438 (12.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 489 (4.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 420 (3.7%) unmarried couples living together, and 74 (0.7%) homosexual partners living together. 2,517 households (22.4%) had one person and 1,429 (12.7%) had someone who was 65 or older living alone. The average household size was 2.70. There were 8,213 families (72.9% of households); the average family size was 3.16.
The age distribution was 6,605 people (21.3%) under the age of 18, 3,106 people (10.0%) aged 18 to 24, 6,678 people (21.5%) aged 25 to 44, 9,417 people (30.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 5,257 people (16.9%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 42.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.
There were 11,686 housing units at an average density of 1,364.9 per square mile, of the occupied units 8,388 (74.5%) were owner-occupied and 2,873 (25.5%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.4%. 22,995 people (74.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 7,392 people (23.8%) lived in rental housing units.
During 2009–2013, La Verne had a median household income of $77,040, with 7.9% of the population living below the federal poverty line.
2000
Mapping L.A. reported that in 2000, Mexican (17.7%) and German (12.2%) were the most common ancestries. Mexico (22.3%) and the Philippines (11.8%) were the most common foreign places of birth.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Government
La Verne is located in the 5th district of Los Angeles County, and is represented by supervisor Kathryn Barger.
In the state legislature, La Verne is in the 22nd Senate District,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> represented by Democrat Susan Rubio.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and in Template:Representative.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the United States House of Representatives, La Verne is in the 31st District represented by Democrat Gil Cisneros<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the United States Senate, California is represented by Alex Padilla (D) and Adam B. Schiff (D).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Pomona Health Centre in Pomona, serving La Verne.<ref>"Pomona Health Centre." Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. Retrieved on March 27, 2010.</ref>
Public safety
The La Verne Police Department provides law enforcement services for the city of La Verne.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2018, the La Verne Police Department appointed its first woman captain, Colleen Flores.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Samuel Gonzalez is the current chief of police.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The La Verne Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of La Verne.
Education
The University of La Verne is located on 3rd Street in La Verne.
The Bonita Unified School District serves the city. Bonita High School is located on D Street.
Lutheran High School<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was located on Fruit Street and closed in 2024. Damien High School is a Catholic boys' school located at the intersection of Damien and Bonita Avenues. Calvary Baptist Schools is located at the intersection of Damien Avenue and Forestdale Street.
Transportation
Regional train service is provided by Metrolink at the Pomona–North station, while local bus service is provided to the Pomona–Downtown station by Foothill Transit. A shuttle operates to Cal Poly Pomona.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Los Angeles Metro Rail A Line has been extended east from its current terminus in Azusa to Pomona. Light rail service at La Verne/Fairplex station, located between the University of La Verne and the Pomona Fairplex, commenced on September 19, 2025.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In popular culture
In the 1967 film The Graduate, the finale wedding scene was shot in La Verne (not Santa Barbara as presented in the movie) at the United Methodist Church of La Verne.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The wedding scene in Wayne's World 2 was also filmed at the United Methodist Church of La Verne.
In 1998, actor Christian Slater was sentenced to 90 days in the La Verne jail for domestic assault <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Notable people
- Ewell Blackwell - Major League Baseball pitcher, Bonita High School alumnus
- Noah Clarke - professional hockey player
- Glenn Davis - American football player, Heisman Trophy winner, Bonita High School alumnus, class of 1943
- Jason David Frank - MMA fighter, Bonita High School alumnus
- Jeffrey Garcia - comedian, voice actor, radio DJ, has a house in La Verne
- Erin Gruwell - author of The Freedom Writers Diary, Bonita High School alumnus
- Sugar Shane Mosley - professional boxer, lives in La Verne
- Paula Jean Myers-Pope - diver, four-time Olympic medalist<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Ryan Stonehouse - American football player
References
External links
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