Downey

Downey is a city located in Southeast Los Angeles County, California, United States, 13 mi (21 km) southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city is the birthplace of the Apollo space program. It is also the home of the oldest operating McDonald's restaurant in the world. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 114,355. Downey was founded by and named for the former and youngest ever governor of California, John Gately Downey, who was born in Ireland. The Central Milk Agency marketed the milk for "seven hundred dairymen whose dairy herds range from thirty to two thousand head" with the value of the products marketed in excess of $1,000,000 per month. After World War II, Downey's largest employer during the war was World War I aircraft manufacturer Vultee Aircraft Company. It was incorporated as a city in 1956 and instituted a charter of government in 1964. The City of Downey is located on the banks of the San Gabriel River, which is a tributary of the Los Angeles River. The town is located in the San Fernando Valley, which was once known as the "Valley of the Giants" due to the influence of the Fresno and San Fernando valleys. In the late 1800s, the area was known as "The Valley of the Grapes" because of the large number of grapevines growing in the area. The area was once home to the Tongva people, a Native American people who lived near the Rio Hondo.

History

Mission San Gabriel Arcángel was initially founded on September 8, 1771, near settlements of the Tongva people. Downey was founded by and named for the former and youngest ever governor of California, John Gately Downey, who was born in Ireland. The town was the birthplace of the Apollo spacecraft, which was the first aircraft company to build airplanes. After World War II, the area grew as an "orange-grove" suburb. The Central Milk Agency marketed the milk for "seven hundred dairymen" with the value of the products marketed in excess of $1,000,000 per month. In 1964, Downey instituted a charter of government and was incorporated in 1956 and replaced the Suburban homes after the government replaced the homes in 1964. The company was a pioneer in the use of women in manufacturing positions and was a birthplace of Apollo Space Rockwell International, whose facilities were then bought by the aerospace company Boeing. The city is located on the banks of the Rio Hondo River, near the intersection of today's San Gabriel Blvd and Lincoln Avenue. It is located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, on the west side of the Santa Ana River, and on the east side of Los Angeles. It was founded in 1883 by Governor Downey who convinced the Southern Pacific Railroad to route through and stop in Downey. In the late 1860s the Gallatin residents built a small school known as the "Little Red Gallatin School House". By 1871, it wasn't large enough and a two-story school was built.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau the city has a total area of 12.6 square miles (33 km²) 12.4 square miles of it is land and 0.2 square miles is water. Downey has a semi-arid climate with a Köppen climate abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps. The city is located in the San Fernando Valley, a foothills region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The cities of South Gate and Bell Gardens are adjacent to the west and northwest, Pico Rivera lies to the northeast, Santa Fe Springs and Norwalk to the east, and Paramount and Bellflower are to the south. The town has a population of 8,000 (as of the 2010 census). It is located at an elevation of 6,000 feet (2,000 meters) and has a climate of semi- arid to dry desert conditions. It is the only city in California with a population over 10,000 in the Santa Fe Mountains, which is the state's second-largest city. It also has the second-highest homicide rate in the state, after Los Angeles. It has one of the highest murder rates in the United States, behind only Los Angeles, and is home to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL), which has more than 1,000 people per 100,000 residents. It was the site of the deadliest mass shooting in U.N. history, with more than 100 people killed in the line of duty in 2009.

Demographics

The 2010 United States Census reported that Downey had a population of 111,772. The racial makeup of Downey was 63,255 (56.6%) White, 19,784 (17.7%) Non-Hispanic White, 7,804 (7.0%) Asian (2.2%) and 4,329 (3.9%) African American. There were 35,601 housing units at an average density of 2,832.7 per square mile (1,093.7/km²), of which 17,135 were owner-occupied, and 16,801 (49.5%) were occupied by renters. Approximately 3040 homeless reside in the area. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Downey has a median household income of $60,939, with 11.8% of the population living below the federal poverty line. The city's population was 107,323 as of the 2000 U States Census, with 33,989 households, and 26,001 families residing in the city. The median age was 33.3 years. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males. The population was spread out, with 29,972 people (26.8%) under the age of 18, 33,056 people (29.6) aged 25 to 44, 25,057 people (22.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 11,579 people (10.4) who were 65 years of age or older.

Economy

In 2017, the City of Downey was recognized as L.A. County's "Most Business-Friendly City" by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation for cities with a population greater than 68,000. According to the city's 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are: California State University, Los Angeles, University of California, San Diego, and University of Southern California. In 2017, Downey had a population of 68,068. In 2011, the city had a GDP of $1.2 billion. In 2012, the population was $1 billion, and in 2013, it was $2.1 billion. The city's economy is one of the fastest growing in the United States. In 2013, the economy was the second-fastest-growing in the U.S., with a growth rate of 2.7%. In 2014, the growth rate was 3.8%. In 2015, the unemployment rate was 2.9%. In 2016, the employment rate was 1.9%, and in 2017, it rose to 2.4%. In the city, the largest employers were California State College, Los Angeles University, and the University of Southern California, with a combined workforce of more than 100,000 people. In the same year, the number of people employed by the city was 2,000, and it had the highest unemployment rate in the state at 2.6%. The city also has the highest percentage of women working in the industry, with an unemployment rate of 1.7.

Government

In the California State Legislature, Downey is in the 32nd Senate District, represented by Republican Kelly Seyarto. In the U.S. House of Representatives, Downy is in California's 40th congressional district, represented by Democrat Lucille Roybal-Allard. Downey was a member of the California City Council from 2007 to 2009. In 2010, Downney was elected to the California Assembly. She was re-elected to the Assembly in 2012 and 2013. In 2014, she won a seat in the California Senate, representing the 58th district. She also served as mayor of Downey from 2010 to 2013. She is a member of the California Democratic Party, and the California Republican Party, which is represented by Democrat Cristina Garcia. In 2012, she was a candidate for the California gubernatorial election, which she lost to Democrat Tom Villalobos. In 2013, she ran for the state Senate again, and was elected in 2014. She has served in the Assembly twice, in 2010 and 2014. In 2015, she lost her re-election bid, and is now running for the State Senate again. She lives in Downey with her husband, who is a former mayor of the city, and her daughter, who also lives in the city. The couple have a son and daughter-in-law, both of whom live in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2016, she moved back to Downey, where she lives with her parents.

Culture

In 1955, Downey was featured in newspapers worldwide when truck driver George Di Peso had a gopher problem. There was a great deal of speculation about the cause of the disappearing hose. In the early 1960s, it was widely reported that the Downey City Library had banned Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan books because Tarzan was not married to Jane when they conceived Boy. It turns out that there was no "ban" What happened was that in one elementary school, a parent had put two Zane Grey books "out of site in a desk drawer" No TarzanBooks were involved. The ZaneGrey books were put back on the shelves. The most likely explanation was that there is an underground river that pulled at the hose. The rumor about Tarzan is, however, a wild exaggeration. It was reported in the Los Angeles Times that were published in the 1970s (for example, "Downey Sends L.A. Back to the Bush League," Jack Smith, May 8, 1970). The rumor was, however, "There was no indication that Tarzan and his mate, Jane, were ever married before they took up housekeeping in the treetops," and. "2Grey was known to put such expletives as 'damn! and 'hell' in the mouths of his western cowhands" in the mouth of his Western cowhands." It was also reported that one of Downey's elementary schools had removed Edgar Rice. Burrough's and Zane. Grey books from its library.

Education

Most of Downey is within the Downey Unified School District. Downey has three public high schools: Downey, Warren, and Columbus High School. Private schools include: Calvary Chapel Christian School, St. Pius X-Matthias Academy, Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, Saint Raymond's Catholic School, and Saint Mark's Episcopal School. The Downey City Library serves the city. The headquarters of the County of Los Angeles Public Library are located in Downey. The city library opened in the former cafeteria of the former Downey Elementary School, then being used as the city hall and police station, on July 1, 1958. A permanent library building was built on December 7, 1959. It had almost 16,000 square feet (1,500 m2) and it was built for $186,200, costing $11.97 per square foot. It was dedicated on December 17 and opened on December 18. In February 1984 an addition of almost 12,000 sq ft was completed and dedicated. In addition to the city library, Downey also has its own police station and fire station. It is home to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the California Department of Public Health. The City of Downy has a large number of libraries, including the L.A. County Public Library, which opened in 1915. It has a branch in the County Civic Center, which has been moved several times. In 1958 the City Council voted to establish its own library and withdraw from the county system. The library services were originally provided out of a bookstore.

Infrastructure

The city is served by four freeways. The U.S. Postal Service operates the Downey Post Office. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) provides bus services to the city. The city also operates a local bus service called DowneyLINK. Downey is home to the Whittier Health Center, which is part of the LA County Department of Public Health, and the Lakewood Boulevard station of the Green Line (Los Angeles Metro) The city is located in the San Fernando Valley, in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, and is near the San Gabriel Mountains. It is located on the San Diego River, which flows through the northern part of Los Angeles and the southern parts of the San Francisco Bay Area. In the southern part, the city is on the border of San Diego County, where it is located near the cities of Santa Barbara and San Diego. It has a population of about 3,000 people (as of the 2010 Census). The city has an estimated population of 4,000 (as of the 2011 Census), with about 2,000 residents living in the south and the majority of the city in the northern parts of it. The majority of residents live in the city's southern neighborhoods, which are known as the "Downey Suburbs" or "The Downey Ridges" The city's central business district is located at the intersection of Firestone Boulevard and Imperial Highway. It also has a number of small businesses, such as a restaurant, a bank, and a health care center.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Downey, Los Angeles County, California = 1. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 52. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Downey = 6.2 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 114,355 individuals with a median age of 34.1 age the population grows by 3.00% in Downey, Los Angeles County, California population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 9,215.49 residents per square mile of area (3,558.25/km²). There are average 3.2 people per household in the 33,981 households with an average household income of $58,471 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 10.20% of the available work force and has dropped -6.24% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 17.32%. The number of physicians in Downey per 100,000 population = 213.2.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Downey = 14.5 inches and the annual snowfall = 0 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 28. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 287. 89 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 47.8 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 45, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Downey, Los Angeles County, California which are owned by the occupant = 50.04%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 49 years with median home cost = $355,010 and home appreciation of -12.98%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $7.73 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,781 per student. There are 23.7 students for each teacher in the school, 4491 students for each Librarian and 917 students for each Counselor. 6.98% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 11.93% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 5.26% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).