Los Angeles hits a milestone: 4 million people and counting - Los Angeles Times
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Los Angeles hits a milestone: 4 million people and counting

A view of downtown Los Angeles from Hilltop Park in Signal Hill.
(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
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Los Angeles gained 42,470 people between 2016 and 2017.

That might not seem like a lot, but it was enough to push the city’s population over the 4-million mark — to 4,041,707, according to a new state report.

The milestone isn’t much of a surprise, given that other studies already put the city’s population at 4 million. But it’s a mark that underscores Los Angeles’ place as the dominant population center in California.

The rest of the Top 10:

  • San Diego: 1,406,318
  • San Jose: 1,046,079
  • San Francisco: 874,228
  • Fresno: 525,832
  • Sacramento: 493,025
  • Long Beach: 480,173
  • Oakland: 426,074
  • Bakersfield: 383,512
  • Anaheim: 358,546

Here’s a look at L.A.’s path to 4 million people:

950

Population: 1.9 million

California was in the midst of post-World War II suburbanization. Much of the city was developed before the war, but the 1950s saw vast housing tracts going up in the San Fernando Valley.

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Milestones: Los Angeles came out of World War II poised to become an economic powerhouse, thanks in part to defense spending.

1960

Population: 2.4 million

As the move to more suburban-like neighborhoods continued, the city’s population surged. Signs of decline in the central city, however, were becoming apparent.

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Milestones: Disneyland opened in Anaheim, while the Cold War fueled defense spending in Southern California.

City Hall is seen beyond the Bunker Hill neighborhood in 1960.
(File photo / Los Angeles Times)

1970

Population: 2.8 million

By 1970, downtown L.A. had started to look more vertical, with the rise of skyscrapers the decade before.

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Milestones: A freeway system connected Southern California in dramatic ways, and the Manson Family murders shocked the world.

The tall buildings in downtown Los Angeles rise above a blanket of smog in October 1973.
(Fitzgerald Whitney / Los Angeles Times)

1980

Population: 2.9 million

The 1980 census found whites made up less than half of the city’s residents, making L.A. a majority minority city. While the shift had been predicted, it was notable. A Times story on the findings noted that “Hispanics” — already 28% of the population — were projected to become the largest single ethnic group in the city by 1984.

Milestones: A new skyline began to form in downtown L.A. and other areas, notably Century City; Tom Bradley was elected the city’s first black mayor.

Shoppers fill a sidewalk in downtown Los Angeles in 1980.
(Larry Davis / Los Angeles Times)

1990

Population: 3.4 million

The 1980s saw a boom that took many experts by surprise. It was fueled by rising Latino and Asian populations, both through immigration and births. By 1991, Latinos were the majority group in L.A.

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Milestones: Los Angeles hosted the Olympics in 1984, and the city was riveted by the Lakers’ “Showtime” era. L.A. got a gleaming skyline, while income and racial disparities became more evident.

Marc Anthony entertains a downtown L.A. crowd in the 1990s.
(Carey, Bob / Los Angeles Times)

2000

Population: 3.6 million

Growth slowed again in the 1990s, as the region was hit by a severe recession, riots and the Northridge earthquake.

Milestones: Defense downsizing and corporate consolidation sent the city into a tailspin that was worsened by riots and natural disasters.

Throngs of fans crowd the streets during a Lakers parade in 2000.
(Lori shepler / Los Angeles Times)

2010

Population: 3.7 million

The most recent full census found modest population growth marked by continued increases in L.A.’s diversity.

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Milestone: Gentrification began to take hold in downtown and other areas.

An aerial view of downtown Los Angeles from the Goodyear Blimp on Thurs., May 27, 2010.
(John W. Adkisson / Los Angeles Times )
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