Los Angeles hits a milestone: 4 million people and counting

A view of downtown Los Angeles from Hilltop Park in Signal Hill.

By Shelby Grad

May 2, 2017 11:08 AM PT

Los Angeles gained 42,470 people between 2016 and 2017.

That might not seem like a lot, but it was enough to push the city’s population over the 4-million mark — to 4,041,707, according to a new state report.

The milestone isn’t much of a surprise, given that other studies already put the city’s population at 4 million. But it’s a mark that underscores Los Angeles’ place as the dominant population center in California.

The rest of the Top 10:

San Diego: 1,406,318
San Jose: 1,046,079
San Francisco: 874,228
Fresno: 525,832
Sacramento: 493,025
Long Beach: 480,173
Oakland: 426,074
Bakersfield: 383,512
Anaheim: 358,546

Here’s a look at L.A.’s path to 4 million people:

950

Population: 1.9 million

California was in the midst of post-World War II suburbanization. Much of the city was developed before the war, but the 1950s saw vast housing tracts going up in the San Fernando Valley.

Milestones: Los Angeles came out of World War II poised to become an economic powerhouse, thanks in part to defense spending.

1960

Population: 2.4 million

As the move to more suburban-like neighborhoods continued, the city’s population surged. Signs of decline in the central city, however, were becoming apparent.

Milestones: Disneyland opened in Anaheim, while the Cold War fueled defense spending in Southern California.

City Hall is seen beyond the Bunker Hill neighborhood in 1960.

1970

Population: 2.8 million

By 1970, downtown L.A. had started to look more vertical, with the rise of skyscrapers the decade before.

Milestones: A freeway system connected Southern California in dramatic ways, and the Manson Family murders shocked the world.

The tall buildings in downtown Los Angeles rise above a blanket of smog in October 1973.

1980

Population: 2.9 million

The 1980 census found whites made up less than half of the city’s residents, making L.A. a majority minority city. While the shift had been predicted, it was notable. A Times story on the findings noted that “Hispanics” — already 28% of the population — were projected to become the largest single ethnic group in the city by 1984.

Milestones: A new skyline began to form in downtown L.A. and other areas, notably Century City; Tom Bradley was elected the city’s first black mayor.

Shoppers fill a sidewalk in downtown Los Angeles in 1980.

1990

Population: 3.4 million

The 1980s saw a boom that took many experts by surprise. It was fueled by rising Latino and Asian populations, both through immigration and births. By 1991, Latinos were the majority group in L.A.

Milestones: Los Angeles hosted the Olympics in 1984, and the city was riveted by the Lakers’ “Showtime” era. L.A. got a gleaming skyline, while income and racial disparities became more evident.