West Athens, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids West Athens, California
Census-designated place
Los Angeles Southwest College
Location of West Athens in Los Angeles County, California
West Athens, California Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	California
County	Los Angeles
Area
• Total	1.336 sq mi (3.461 km2)
• Land	1.336 sq mi (3.461 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)  0%
Elevation	190 ft (58 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	9,393
• Density	7,030.7/sq mi (2,714.0/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	90044, 90047
Area code(s)	323/310
FIPS code	06-84116
GNIS feature ID	1867067

West Athens is a community in Los Angeles County, California. It is called a census-designated place (CDP). This means it is a place that the government counts for population, but it is not officially a city. In 2020, about 9,393 people lived here.

West Athens is an area that is not part of any city. It is managed by Los Angeles County. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department helps keep the community safe.

The area is mostly homes, but there are also shops along the main roads. Los Angeles Southwest College is located right in West Athens.

Exploring West Athens Geography

West Athens is located at 33°55′21″N 118°18′4″W / 33.92250°N 118.30111°W / 33.92250; -118.30111. It covers about 1.3 square miles (3.4 square kilometers) of land. There is no water area in West Athens.

This community shares its borders with several other places:

• To the south is Gardena.
• To the west is Hawthorne.
• To the northwest is Inglewood.
• To the north is Westmont.
• To the east is the big city of Los Angeles.

West Athens Population Facts

Population in 2020

In 2020, the population of West Athens was 9,393 people. The community is made up of people from many different backgrounds.

• About 47.6% of the people were Black or African American.
• About 44.9% were Hispanic or Latino.
• Smaller groups included White (1.5%), Asian (2.0%), Native American (0.3%), and Pacific Islander (0.3%).
• About 2.5% of people identified as being of two or more races.

Population in 2010

Back in 2010, West Athens had 8,729 people. Most people, about 99.4%, lived in homes with their families or roommates.

The community had 2,525 households.

• Almost half of these households (49.9%) had children under 18 living there.
• The average household had about 3.44 people.
• The average family had about 3.77 people.

The ages of people in West Athens varied:

• About 29.1% were under 18 years old.
• About 11.7% were between 18 and 24 years old.
• The median age, which is the middle age of all people, was 32.1 years.

More than half of the homes (52.6%) were owned by the people living in them. The rest were rented. The median household income in 2010 was $46,391.

Education in West Athens

Students in West Athens attend schools that are part of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Local Schools

Here are some of the public schools in West Athens:

• West Athens Elementary School
• Ánimo Legacy Charter Middle School, which used to be Clay Middle School.
• Students in West Athens are usually zoned to attend Washington Preparatory High School in Westmont.

There is also an alternative school:

• Middle College High School, which is located on the campus of Los Angeles Southwest College.

Colleges and Universities

• Los Angeles Southwest College is a college located right in West Athens.

Community Services and Infrastructure

Emergency Services

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) helps keep West Athens safe. They have a station nearby called the South Los Angeles Station. The LASD also runs the Audrey & Sydney Irmas Youth Activity Center in West Athens, which is a place for young people.

Local News

• The Morningside Park Chronicle is a local newspaper that covers news for West Athens and the nearby Morningside Park area.

See also

In Spanish: West Athens para niños