Who are the People In Your Neighborhood?

Part: 1A: Social Geography

Los Angeles, California, the largest city in the state and, since 1982, the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It is the seat of Los Angeles County. The city lies on the Pacific coast in southern California, roughly 350 miles (560 km) southeast of San Francisco and 100 miles (160 km) Northwest of San Diego. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,455 km² (948 mi²), making it the smallest county in Southern California. Surface water accounts for 411 km² (159 mi²) of the area, 16.73% of the total; 2,045 km² (789 mi²) of it island (factfinder2.census.gov).

Orange County is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean, on the north by Los Angeles County, on the northeast by San Bernardino County, on the east by Riverside County, and on the south by San Diego County. Most of Orange County's population resides in one of two shallow coastal valleys that lie in the basin, the Santa Ana Valley and the Saddleback Valley(factfinder2.census.gov). The coastal plain gently rises into the Santa Ana Mountains, which lie within the boundaries of the county and of the Cleveland National Forest. The high point is Santiago Peak (5,687 ft/1,733 m), about 20 mi (32 km) east of Santa Ana. Santiago Peak and nearby Modjeska Peak, just 200 feet shorter, form a ridge known as Saddleback, visible from almost everywhere in the county. Los Angeles lies on a hilly coastal plain with the Pacific Ocean as its southern and western boundaries. The city stretches north to the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains and is bounded by the San Gabriel Mountains to the east. Numerous canyons and valleys also characterize the region, making it an area of diverse climatic conditions.

Part 1 B: Social Or Economic Variables

Los Angeles is one of the few major metropolitan areas in the U.S. to experience an increase.1 The findings of this study, along with those of Other recent research, support the conclusion that the number of neighborhoods experiencing concentrated poverty and the share of people who live in these neighborhoods have increased in the Los Angeles region. This troubling trend adversely impacts the life outcomes of many Los Angeles residents. From labor market outcomes, such as employment and earnings, to a broader array of social indicators, the persistence of concentrated poverty erodes the wellbeing of City residents. Increasing access to local employment with living wages is one way in which the City can ameliorate some of the effects of poverty and assist residents of poverty stricken communities.

The number of neighborhoods and the number of residents in concentrated poverty - census tracts with poverty rates of 40 percent or more - both declined by almost 25 percent between 1990 and 2000. The number of neighborhoods in concentrated poverty throughout the nation declined from 3,417 to 2,510, and the number of residents declined from 10.4 million to 7.9 million. A decline in ...