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CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Downey

California · 91,444 residents · 12.4 sq mi
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The short version

Downey is home to 91,444 people in California. Median home value sits at $227,300. Owners hold 52% of the housing stock. Median rent is $649 a month. Poverty is uncommon here, at 8.1% of residents. There are 15,879 fewer people here than in 2000.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 33.2
US median: 33.0
Less educated
16% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Less affordable
home values up 44%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
91,444
−15%vs 2000
vs 107,323 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
33.2
+5%vs 2000
vs 31.6 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
12.4 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
89K96K103K110K117K19902000201020202024Downey
2024111K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 57.4%(6,745)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 96.8%(6,178)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146.2%(5,691)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 196.8%(6,239)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 247.8%(7,108)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3418.1%(16,549)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4414%(12,820)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 5410.8%(9,833)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 649%(8,192)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 748.2%(7,466)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 843.8%(3,496)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.2%(1,127)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$36,991
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $45,667 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$16,696
−8%vs 2000
vs $18,197 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
8.1%
−3.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 11.1% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$227,300
+44%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $207,400 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$649
+17%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $731 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
52.5%
+0.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 51.8% in 2000
47.5% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic28.7%(30,851)
Black3.5%(3,717)
Hispanic / Latino57.9%(62,089)
Asian7.6%(8,153)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic72.7%(66,470)
Black3.3%(3,001)
Hispanic / Latino32%(29,249)
Asian8.8%(8,037)
Other15.2%(13,936)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican58.8%(65,209)
Central American9.1%(10,131)
Salvadoran4.9%(5,488)
Guatemalan2.4%(2,690)
South American2.1%(2,351)
Nicaraguan1.2%(1,320)
Cuban1.2%(1,295)
Puerto Rican0.9%(1,026)
Peruvian0.9%(983)
Ecuadorian0.5%(565)
Spaniard0.4%(482)
Honduran0.3%(388)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Colombian0.3%(285)
Dominican0.2%(262)
Argentine0.2%(227)
Chilean0.1%(164)
Bolivian0.1%(127)
Costa Rican0.1%(111)
Panamanian0.1%(86)
Asian origin
Filipino3%(3,273)
Korean1.6%(1,736)
Asian Indian0.6%(691)
Chinese0.6%(674)
Japanese0.3%(367)
Cambodian0.3%(280)
Vietnamese0.2%(269)
Bangladeshi0.2%(188)
Pakistani0.1%(137)
Sri Lankan0.1%(112)
Thai0.1%(106)
Taiwanese0.1%(69)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.3%(299)
Guamanian0.1%(63)
Ancestry
American3%(3,367)
Irish2.1%(2,344)
German1.8%(1,975)
Italian1.8%(1,973)
English1.6%(1,820)
Arab1.3%(1,439)
Lebanese0.6%(692)
West Indian0.5%(586)
Polish0.5%(546)
French0.5%(530)
Armenian0.5%(504)
Egyptian0.4%(410)
+ 39 more ancestry groups with data
Scottish0.3%(366)
Greek0.3%(316)
Haitian0.2%(268)
Dutch0.2%(252)
Norwegian0.2%(216)
Portuguese0.2%(193)
Russian0.2%(191)
Scotch-Irish0.2%(172)
Iranian0.1%(130)
Welsh0.1%(121)
Romanian0.1%(118)
Swedish0.1%(103)
British0.1%(85)
Brazilian0.1%(81)
Canadian0.1%(79)
Austrian0.1%(78)
Czech0.1%(74)
Danish0.1%(62)
Nigerian0.1%(61)
Lithuanian0.1%(57)
Israeli0%(50)
Hungarian0%(46)
Croatian0%(42)
Kenyan0%(38)
Jordanian0%(34)
Jamaican0%(34)
Ukrainian0%(19)
Finnish0%(11)
Serbian0%(10)
Syrian0%(7)
Slovak0%(7)
Turkish0%(6)
Iraqi0%(5)
Swiss0%(5)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
16.3%
−1.0 ptsvs 2000
vs 17.3% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
76.3%
+4.0 ptsvs 2000
vs 72.3% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
5.3%
−0.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 5.4% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.0 min
+18%vs 2000
vs 19.5 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married42.6%(18,912)
Married47.5%(21,107)
Widowed1.9%(864)
Divorced8%(3,562)
Women 15+
Never married38.2%(18,110)
Married43.1%(20,419)
Widowed7.5%(3,538)
Divorced11.2%(5,305)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
7.1%
−14.6 ptssince 2013
from 21.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
52.2%
−2.3 ptssince 2020
from 54.5% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
10.5%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 9.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
14.4%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 12.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
28.6%
+2.9 ptssince 2020
from 25.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.2%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 0.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
61.4%
−1.0 ptssince 2020
from 62.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
39.2%
+4.1 ptssince 2020
from 35.1% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)28.5%(688)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)30.4%(733)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era28.8%(696)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.2%(126)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.3%(31)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,415 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
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DOWNEY VS
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DOWNEY VS
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DOWNEY VS
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Downey, California?

Downey, California has about 91,444 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Downey, California?

The typical household in Downey, California earns about $36,991 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Downey, California expensive?

In Downey, California, the median home is worth about $227,300, and the typical rent is about $649 a month.

How educated are people in Downey, California?

About 16.3% of adults age 25 and over in Downey, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Downey, California?

About 8.1% of people in Downey, California live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →