A Closer Look at South LA’s Most Affluent African American Neighborhood

South LA’s View Park-Windsor Hills/ Hyde Park neighborhood is arguably one of the most unique neighborhoods in Los Angeles County. It’s rich in African American culture and is notably one of the most affluent African American neighborhoods in the city. According to Census Reporter, this neighborhood is 60% African American, 30 % Hispanic, 5% White, 2 % mixed race, and 1% Asian. The demographics of this population and the wealth associated with the area are truly something special.

This neighborhood is so well known for its affluent African American population that there was a reality TV show that followed the lives of African American teens growing up in the area and gave the audience a glimpse into their lavish lives.

A drive into the hills of this neighborhood and you are sure to find the inspiration for your dream home. The data on the report lists the median value of owner-occupied housing at $556,400. This is approximately 10% higher than the state median at $505,000. I found this to be close to the number I would’ve assumed, with 52% of housing in the area being valued between $500,000-$1 million.

The median household income in my neighborhood is $54,729 while the per capita income is $32,101. I found the significant difference between the two to be interesting because I would’ve initially assumed that the median household income was higher due to the cost of living in the neighborhood. I was surprised to see that 42% of the population in my neighborhood has a household income under $50k.

A close look at the place of birth of the foreign population in the area revealed that 9% were born in Africa, this is double the percentage of the LA/Long Beach/Anaheim area. Another interesting fact is that 83% of the neighborhood’s population was born in Latin America. I was shocked to see how much of the Hispanic population was not born in America. Accurate census reporting helps us to understand those who make up our community and allow us to shape the futures of our communities around the population.

The data regarding language spoken at home was also similar to what I would’ve expected. 68% of households speak English only. However, I do see this number decreasing in the future with more dual language immersion programs being offered in LA county schools.

This neighborhood has luckily seen lower COVID-19 cases compared to other areas in the city with an infection rate of 13484.9 per 100k according to data on Coronavirus Report.