Sawtelle in Numbers
In my West Los Angeles neighborhood of Sawtelle, California, there is a influx of data that tells a story of identification and history that defines it as not just another neighborhood of this city of three million people. The median income of a household in Sawtelle is on the higher end at $87,392. There is a reasonably sizable difference compared to income per capita which comes out at $65,137. This isn’t necessarily surprising as this area of the city is one of the most expensive areas to live in.
In terms of race and identity, this community has a historical Japanese background and is more or less reflected in the racial makeup. While there is a majority of 42% white people, the Japanese heritage is still alive and ever present. The area is comprised of 33% people who identify as Asian. These lines can be blurred however especially on the United States census. The census identify people who are “Asian” as those who come from the eastern portion. They identify those who are Middle Eastern as “White” which can be disputed due to the fact that right next to Sawtelle lies the neighborhood of Little Persia. Some who are reflected in the White 42% could definitely be Middle Eastern without it being identified on the chart.
Stemming from this, there are many similarities to race and ethnicity to place of birth of the people who live in this area. An overwhelming 54% of the population born outside the U.S. were those born in Asia coinciding with the entire community coming out to 30% foreign born. This is no surprise as Sawtelle was founded as a Japanese settlement where Immigrants from the country settled.
A real surprise was the makeup of languages spoken at home. For children between the ages of 5–17, 71% speak Spanish. Surprisingly adults come out to 58% for those who only speak English at home. The percentage of Asian Language was high but was surprising to see Spanish come out especially them coming out as only 18% of the population.
One additional data collection that fascinates me but shouldn’t be seen as a surprise is that the median value of housing units is at a staggering $855,300. This proves once again that the area only supports higher income individuals in the younger variety especially. The median age in this community is 37.1.
