West Athens is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...

(CDP) in Los Angeles County, California. The population was 9,393 at the 2020 census. It is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

within the 2nd Supervisorial District of Los Angeles County. West Athens is served by the

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD), officially the County of Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, is a law enforcement agency serving Los Angeles County, California. LASD is the largest sheriff's department in the United States ...

, operating out of the South Los Angeles Station. The approximate boundaries for West Athens are: 87th Street to the north,

Vermont Avenue Vermont Avenue is one of the longest running north–south streets in City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County, California. With a length of , is the third longest of the north–south thoroughfares in the region. For most of its length be ...

to the east, El Segundo Boulevard to the south, and approximately Western Avenue to Van Ness Avenue to the west. West Athens is predominantly residential, with commercial uses along its main corridors. Los Angeles Southwest Community College lies within the West Athens neighborhood and city limits.

Geography

West Athens is located at (33.922414, -118.301156). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the CDP has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2020 census

''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.'' Per the 2020 Census, the population was 9,393.

2010 Census

At the 2010 census West Athens had a population of 8,729. The population density was . The racial makeup of West Athens was 1,584 (18.1%) White (1.3% Non-Hispanic White), 4,578 (52.4%) African American, 31 (0.4%) Native American, 111 (1.3%) Asian, 10 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 2,127 (24.4%) from other races, and 288 (3.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3,843 persons (44.0%). The census reported that 8,674 people (99.4% of the population) lived in households, 50 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 5 (0.1%) were institutionalized. There were 2,525 households, 1,261 (49.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,028 (40.7%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 774 (30.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 227 (9.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 175 (6.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 10 (0.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 378 households (15.0%) were one person and 138 (5.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.44. There were 2,029 families (80.4% of households); the average family size was 3.77. The age distribution was 2,539 people (29.1%) under the age of 18, 1,025 people (11.7%) aged 18 to 24, 2,275 people (26.1%) aged 25 to 44, 1,994 people (22.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 896 people (10.3%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 32.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males. There were 2,691 housing units at an average density of 2,013.5 per square mile, of the occupied units 1,328 (52.6%) were owner-occupied and 1,197 (47.4%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.4%. 4,427 people (50.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 4,247 people (48.7%) lived in rental housing units. According to the 2010 United States Census, West Athens had a median household income of $46,391, with 23.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

2000 Census

At the 2000 census there were 9,101 people, 2,573 households, and 2,102 families in the CDP. The population density was 6,784.4 inhabitants per square mile (2,622.3/km). There were 2,673 housing units at an average density of . The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the CDP was 12.9% White, 65.1% African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 25.1% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 25.3%. Of the 2,573 households 45.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples living together, 28.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.3% were non-families. 14.2% of households were one person and 4.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.54 and the average family size was 3.83. The age distribution was 35.1% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 7.3% 65 or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males. The median household income was $35,423 and the median family income was $39,028. Males had a median income of $27,484 versus $31,750 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $12,903. About 24.0% of families and 25.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 35.9% of those under age 18 and 18.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

West Athens is served by the Los Angeles Unified School District such as:

Schools

* West Athens Elementary School * Clay Middle School *

Washington Preparatory High School George Washington Preparatory High School is a public four-year high school in the Westmont section of unincorporated Los Angeles County, California. Founded in 1926, the school has a Los Angeles address but is not located in the city limits of Lo ...

Colleges

Los Angeles Southwest College Los Angeles Southwest College (LASC) is a public community college in the unincorporated area of West Athens, California in Los Angeles County, California. It is part of the Los Angeles Community College District and its service area includes In ...

Infrastructure

Emergency services

The

(LASD) operates the South Los Angeles Station serving West Athens. It also operates the Audrey & Sydney Irmas Youth Activity Center in West Athens.

Government

In the California State Legislature, West Athens is in , and in . In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, West Athens is in .

Newspapers

* ''Morningside Park Chronicle'' is an

newspaper based in Morningside Park that also covers the West Athens area.

References

{{authority control Census-designated places in Los Angeles County, California Unincorporated communities in California Census-designated places in California Unincorporated communities in Los Angeles County, California