Bellflower is a city located in southeast Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It was founded in 1906 and incorporated on September 3, 1957. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 79,190, up from 76,616 at the 2010 census. This made it the 65th most densely populated city in the United States, of cities over 50,000 residents (the 8th most densely populated city in California).
The original title to the Bellflower area dates back to 1784 with one of the first Spanish land grants in California. The Bellflower area was a hunting and fishing spot due to an abundance of wild game, ducks and geese, carp and perch. The area was also used for cattle and grazing dairy cows but settlers moved away. Willow, bamboo, and underbrush, wild grape, blackberry, and rose bushes were grown along the river the name of The Willows and The Wilderness.
The site was formerly rich farmland watered by artesian wells and floodwaters of the now-contained San Gabriel River. In 1906, F.E. Woodruff, a local real estate investor, founded the first municipality on the site, which was named Somerset in 1909 when a post office was established there. However, the proponents of the name 'Bellflower' claimed that the US Post Office Department rejected the name 'Somerset' to prevent confusion with Somerset, Colorado. The present name is derived from the bellflower apple, which was grown in local orchards during the early 1900s.
Originally settled by dairy farmers of Dutch, Japanese, and Portuguese descent, Bellflower and neighboring Paramount served first as the apple and later the milk production centers for Southern California, until soaring post-World War II property values forced most of the farmers to move several miles east to the Dairy Valley/Dairyland/Dairy City area (the cities of Cerritos, La Palma, and Cypress). These farms were in turn converted into large housing subdivisions for Los Angeles's growing population that worked in the region's skilled industrial and service sectors. As a result, amongst the highly diverse backgrounds in Bellflower, there remains today a notable number of residents of Dutch descent; Bellflower is one of the only cities in the US to boast multiple Dutch grocery stores.
After Bellflower was incorporated in 1957, its gradual metamorphosis from agricultural center to residential suburb continued. From the 1950s through the late 1960s, Bellflower Boulevard, the city's main thoroughfare, was a thriving commercial strip for shopping. Numerous retail and franchise restaurant firms began on this street, which also featured middle- and high-end boutiques, arts and crafts shops, and other small shopkeeps alongside larger department stores and banks. Today, Bellflower is an urban community within greater Southeast Los Angeles, and ranks amongst the most densely populated cities in the United States. It is a sister city with Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico.
Bellflower is located at 335317N 1180739W / 33.888165N 118.127604W / 33.888165; -118.127604.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.2 square miles (6.1 square miles (of it is land and 0.1 square miles (of it (is water.
Bellflower is bordered by Downey on the north and northwest, Norwalk and Cerritos on the east, Lakewood on the south, Long Beach on the southwest, and Paramount on the west. Bellflower is part of Southeast Los Angeles County and the "Gateway Cities Council of Governments" (the 2010 census Bellflower had a population of 76,616. The population density was 12,416.7 inhabitants per square mile (The racial makeup of Bellflower was 32,337 (White (Non-Hispanic White), 10,760 (African American, 731 (Native American, 8,865 (Asian, 615 (Pacific Islander, 19,732 (from other races, and 3,576 (from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 40,085 persons (census reported that 75,877 people (of the population) lived in households, 399 (lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 340 (were institutionalized.
There were 23,651 households, 11,029 (had children under the age of 18 living in them, 10,992 (were opposite-sex married couples living together, 4,812 (had a female householder with no husband present, 1,965 (had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,666 (unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 170 (same-sex married couples or partnerships. 4,618 households (were one person and 1,540 (had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.21. There were 17,769 families (of households); the average family size was 3.67.
The age distribution was 21,749 people (under the age of 18, 8,493 people (aged 18 to 24, 22,418 people (aged 25 to 44, 17,339 people (aged 45 to 64, and 6,617 people (who were 65 or older. The median age was 31.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
There were 24,897 housing units at an average density of 4,034.9 per square mile, of the occupied units 9,459 (were owner-occupied and 14,192 (were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.1%. 31,897 people (of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 43,980 people (lived in rental housing units.
According to the 2010 United States Census, Bellflower had a median household income of $49,637, with 17.1% of the population living below the federal poverty line.
At the 2000 census there were 72,878 people in 23,367 households, including 17,128 families, in the city. The population density was 11,999.5 inhabitants per square mile (There were 24,247 housing units at an average density of 3,992.3 per square mile ( The racial makeup of the city was 22.37% White American, 33.09% Black or African American, 0.92% Native American, 9.69% Asian, 0.70% Pacific Islander, 24.38% from other races, and 5.13% from two or more races. 43.23% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.Of the 23,367 households 43.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 21.1% of households were one person and 7.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.59.
The age distribution was 31.9% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% 65 or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
The median household income was $39,362 and the median family income was $42,822. Males had a median income of $32,658 versus $28,012 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,982 and was below the "poverty rate". About 12.8% of per capita family households and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.7% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.
Mexican and German were the most common ancestries. Mexico and the Philippines were the most common foreign places of birth in 2000.
According to the city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
In the California State Legislature, Bellflower is in the 32nd Senate District, represented by Republican Kelly Seyarto. In the California State Assembly, it is in the 58th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Sabrina Cervantes.
In the United States House of Representatives, Bellflower is mostly covered by the 42nd congressional district which is represented by Robert Garcia (Beach).
Fire protection in Bellflower is provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department from stations 23 and 98. Ambulance transport is provided by Care Ambulance Service.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department operates the Lakewood Station in Lakewood, serving Bellflower. In addition the sheriff's department operates the Bellflower Substation in Bellflower.
The United States Postal Service Bellflower Post Office is located at 9835 Flower Street. Los Cerritos Community News serves the city.
The Artesia Freeway (Route 91) passes eastwest through the southern portion of Bellflower, the San Gabriel River Freeway (605) runs northsouth just east of the city, and the Century Freeway (105) runs eastwest just north of the city.
Bellflower is served by bus service from Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (and Long Beach Transit. The city also operates Bellflower Bus, a fixed-route local bus.
Most of Bellflower is within the Bellflower Unified School District. Some of Bellflower is in the Downey Unified School District and some of it is in the Paramount Unified School District. BUSD has two secondary schools in Bellflower: Bellflower High School and Somerset High School.
St. John Bosco High School, and Valley Christian Elementary both privately run, are also in Bellflower.