Bellflower, California | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nickname: "The Friendly City" | |
| Motto: "Growing Together" | |
 Location of Bellflower in Los Angeles County, California. | |
  Bellflower, California Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates:33°53′17″N118°7′39″W / 33.88806°N 118.12750°W /33.88806; -118.12750 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Los Angeles |
| Founded | 1906[1] |
| Incorporated | September 3, 1957[2] |
| Named after | Yellow bellflower apple |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Ray Dunton |
| • Mayor Pro Tem | Sonny Santa Ines |
| • City council[3] | Dan Koops Wendi Morse Victor A. Sanchez |
| • City Manager | Ryan C. Smoot |
| Area | |
• Total | 6.17 sq mi (15.97 km2) |
| • Land | 6.12 sq mi (15.84 km2) |
| • Water | 0.050 sq mi (0.13 km2) 0.86% |
| Elevation | 72 ft (22 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 79,190 |
| • Density | 12,945.4/sq mi (4,998.23/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP codes | 90706, 90707 |
| Area code | 562 |
| FIPS code | 06-04982 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1652671,2409822 |
| Website | www |
Bellflower is a city in southeasternLos Angeles County, California, in theLos Angeles metropolitan area. It was founded in 1906 andincorporated on September 3, 1957. As of the2020 census, the city had a total population of 79,190, up from 76,616 at the2010 census. This made it the 65thmost densely populated city in the United States, of cities over 50,000 residents (and the 8th most densely populated city in California).[5]
The original title to the Bellflower area dates back to 1784 with one of the first Spanish land grants in California. The Bellflower area was a hunting and fishing spot due to an abundance of wild game, ducks and geese, carp and perch. The area was also used for cattle and grazing dairy cows but settlers moved away. Willow, bamboo, and underbrush, wild grape, blackberry, and rose bushes were grown along the river the name of The Willows and The Wilderness.[6]
The site was formerly rich farmland watered by artesian wells and floodwaters of the now-containedSan Gabriel River. In 1906, F.E. Woodruff, a local real estate investor,[7] founded the first municipality on the site, which was named Somerset in 1909 when a post office was established there.[8] However, the proponents of the name 'Bellflower' claimed that the US Post Office Department rejected the name 'Somerset' to prevent confusion withSomerset, Colorado.[8] The present name is derived from thebellflower apple, which was grown in local orchards during the early 1900s.
Originally settled by dairy farmers of Dutch, Japanese, and Portuguese descent, Bellflower and neighboringParamount served first as the apple and later the milk production centers for Southern California, until soaring post-World War II property values forced most of the farmers to move several miles east to the Dairy Valley/Dairyland/Dairy City area (now the cities ofCerritos,La Palma, andCypress). These farms were in turn converted into large housing subdivisions for Los Angeles's growing population that worked in the region's skilled industrial and service sectors. As a result, amongst the highly diverse backgrounds in Bellflower, there remains today a notable number of residents of Dutch descent; Bellflower is one of the only cities in the US to boast multiple Dutch grocery stores.[9]
After Bellflower was incorporated in 1957, its gradual metamorphosis from agricultural center to residential suburb continued. From the 1950s through the late 1960s, Bellflower Boulevard, the city's main thoroughfare, was a thriving commercial strip for shopping. Numerous retail and franchise restaurant firms began on this street, which also featured middle- and high-end boutiques, arts and crafts shops, and other small shopkeeps alongside larger department stores and banks. Today, Bellflower is an urban community within greater Southeast Los Angeles, and ranks amongst themost densely populated cities in the United States.[10] It is asister city withLos Mochis,Sinaloa, Mexico.[11]
Bellflower is located at33°53′17″N118°07′39″W / 33.888165°N 118.127604°W /33.888165; -118.127604.[12]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.2 square miles (16 km2). 6.1 square miles (16 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (0.86%) is water.
Bellflower is bordered byDowney on the north and northwest,Norwalk andCerritos on the east,Lakewood on the south,Long Beach on the southwest, andParamount on the west. Bellflower is part ofSoutheast Los Angeles County and the "Gateway Cities Council of Governments" (GCOG).
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 45,909 | — | |
| 1970 | 52,334 | 14.0% | |
| 1980 | 53,441 | 2.1% | |
| 1990 | 61,815 | 15.7% | |
| 2000 | 72,878 | 17.9% | |
| 2010 | 76,616 | 5.1% | |
| 2020 | 79,190 | 3.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[13] 1860–1870[14][15] 1880-1890[16] 1900[17] 1910[18] 1920[19] 1930[20] 1940[21] 1950[22] 1960[23][24] 1970[25] 1980[26] 1990[27]2000[28] 2010[29] 2020[30] | |||
Bellflower first appeared as a city in the1960 U.S. census[23] as part of the Downey-Norwalk census county division.[24] Prior to 1960, the area was included in the unincorporated portion of the now defunct Downey Township (1950 pop. 109,659).[22]
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[31] | Pop 2010[32] | Pop 2020[30] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 22,403 | 14,971 | 10,815 | 30.74% | 19.54% | 13.66% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 9,239 | 10,374 | 10,131 | 12.68% | 13.54% | 12.79% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 280 | 229 | 183 | 0.38% | 0.30% | 0.23% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 6,976 | 8,720 | 9,855 | 9.57% | 11.38% | 12.44% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | 475 | 567 | 531 | 0.65% | 0.74% | 0.67% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 188 | 163 | 376 | 0.26% | 0.21% | 0.47% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 1,814 | 1,508 | 2,049 | 2.49% | 1.97% | 2.59% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 31,503 | 40,085 | 45,250 | 43.23% | 52.32% | 57.14% |
| Total | 72,878 | 76,616 | 79,190 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
The2020 United States census reported that Bellflower had a population of 79,190. The population density was 12,945.9 inhabitants per square mile (4,998.4/km2). The racial makeup of Bellflower was 21.5%White, 13.3%African American, 1.7%Native American, 12.8%Asian, 0.7%Pacific Islander, 33.3% fromother races, and 16.6% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 57.1% of the population.[33]
The census reported that 98.6% of the population lived in households, 0.8% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.6% were institutionalized.[33]
There were 24,631 households, out of which 40.5% included children under the age of 18, 44.4% were married-couple households, 7.9% werecohabiting couple households, 29.8% had a female householder with no partner present, and 17.9% had a male householder with no partner present. 18.4% of households were one person, and 7.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.17.[33] There were 18,728families (76.0% of all households).[34]
The age distribution was 23.4% under the age of 18, 10.2% aged 18 to 24, 29.2% aged 25 to 44, 25.0% aged 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males.[33]
There were 25,220 housing units at an average density of 4,122.9 units per square mile (1,591.9 units/km2), of which 24,631 (97.7%) were occupied. Of these, 39.2% were owner-occupied, and 60.8% were occupied by renters.[33]
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $77,602, and theper capita income was $29,633. About 10.6% of families and 13.2% of the population were below the poverty line.[35]
At the2010 census Bellflower had a population of 76,616. The population density was 12,416.7 inhabitants per square mile (4,794.1/km2). The racial makeup of Bellflower was 32,337 (42.2%) White (19.5% Non-Hispanic White),[36] 10,760 (14.0%) African American, 731 (1.0%) Native American, 8,865 (11.6%) Asian, 615 (0.8%) Pacific Islander, 19,732 (25.8%) from other races, and 3,576 (4.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 40,085 persons (52.3%).[37]
The census reported that 75,877 people (99.0% of the population) lived in households, 399 (0.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 340 (0.4%) were institutionalized.
There were 23,651 households, 11,029 (46.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 10,992 (46.5%) wereopposite-sex married couples living together, 4,812 (20.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,965 (8.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,666 (7.0%)unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 170 (0.7%)same-sex married couples or partnerships. 4,618 households (19.5%) were one person and 1,540 (6.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.21. There were 17,769 families (75.1% of households); the average family size was 3.67.
The age distribution was 21,749 people (28.4%) under the age of 18, 8,493 people (11.1%) aged 18 to 24, 22,418 people (29.3%) aged 25 to 44, 17,339 people (22.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 6,617 people (8.6%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 31.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
There were 24,897 housing units at an average density of 4,034.9 per square mile, of the occupied units 9,459 (40.0%) were owner-occupied and 14,192 (60.0%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.1%. 31,897 people (41.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 43,980 people (57.4%) lived in rental housing units.
According to the 2010 United States Census, Bellflower had a median household income of $49,637, with 17.1% of the population living below the federal poverty line.[36]
As of 2000,Mexican andGerman were the most common ancestries.Mexico and thePhilippines were the most common foreign places of birth in 2000.[38]
According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report,[39] the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kaiser Permanente Medical Group | 419 |
| 2 | Taco Nazo | 196 |
| 3 | City of Bellflower | 192 |
| 4 | Tulaphorn Inc (McDonald's franchisee) | 157 |
| 5 | GeorgeChevrolet | 148 |
| 6 | Cerritos Vista Healthcare Center | 134 |
| 7 | Bel Tooren Villa Convalescent Hospital | 114 |
| 8 | Superior Grocers | 106 |
| 9 | Harbor Health Care | 99 |
| 10 | Norm's Restaurants, LLC | 97 |
In theCalifornia State Legislature, Bellflower is inthe 30th senatorial district, represented byDemocrat Bob Archuleta. In theCalifornia State Assembly, it is inthe 62nd Assembly district, represented byDemocrat Jose Solache.[40]
In theUnited States House of Representatives, Bellflower is mostly covered by the 42nd congressional district which is represented byRobert Garcia (D–Long Beach).[41]
Fire protection in Bellflower is provided by theLos Angeles County Fire Department from stations 23 and 98. Ambulance transport is provided byCare Ambulance Service.
TheLos Angeles County Sheriff's Department operates the Lakewood Station inLakewood, serving Bellflower.[42] In addition the sheriff's department operates the Bellflower Substation in Bellflower.[43]
TheUnited States Postal Service Bellflower Post Office is located at 9835 Flower Street.[44]Los Cerritos Community News serves the city.
TheArtesia Freeway (State Route 91) passes east–west through the southern portion of Bellflower, theSan Gabriel River Freeway (Interstate 605) runs north–south just east of the city, and theCentury Freeway (Interstate 105) runs east–west just north of the city.
Bellflower is served by bus service fromLos Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) andLong Beach Transit. The city also operatesBellflower Bus, a fixed-route local bus.
Los Angeles Metro Rail is planned to reachBellflower station, a formerPacific Electric station, via theSoutheast Gateway Line around 2035.[45]
Most of Bellflower is within theBellflower Unified School District. Some of Bellflower is in theDowney Unified School District and some of it is in theParamount Unified School District.[46] BUSD has two secondary schools in Bellflower:Bellflower High School andSomerset High School.
St. John Bosco High School, andValley Christian Elementary both privately run, are also in Bellflower.
The Clifton M. Brakensiek Library is a branch of theCounty of Los Angeles Public Library.[47]
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