A procession at Wat Thai Buddhist Temple in North Hollywood. Los Angeles Almanac Photo
Los Angeles is home to the largest Thai population outside of Thailand.
Also see: Asian Ethnic Origin by City and Community
and 2000 Census Figures
Los Angeles County has, by far, the largest Asian population of any county in the United States. According to U.S. Census 2017 estimates, Los Angeles County has 1.46 million persons of Asian descent (racially Asian alone; 1.68 million when mixed with other races), more than twice the Asian population in second-place Santa Clara County, California (671,511). In terms of what percentage of the total population is Asian, however, Los Angeles County’s Asian population makes up only 14 percent of the county’s total population (compared to 35 percent for Santa Clara County and even 20 percent for Orange County, California. Nevertheless, Los Angeles County is also home to the largest populations that are ethnically Chinese, Taiwanese, Filipino, Korean, Cambodian, Thai, Indonesian, Sri Lankan, Mongolian and Malaysian (and the second largest ethnic Japanese population only after Honolulu County, Hawaii).
Also see How the San Gabriel Valley Became America's "Suburban Chinatown."
Asian Alone or in Any Combination With Other Races
| Ethnic Origin | 2010 Census | 2017 Census Estimates* | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Percent | Population | Percent | |
| Total Asian categories tallied | 1,390,049 | 100.00% | 1,680,023 | 100.00% |
| Asian Indian | 83,206 | 5.99% | 104,042 | 6.19% |
| Bangladeshi | 5,018 | 0.36% | 4,835 | 0.29% |
| Bhutanese | 41 | 0.00% | 132 | 0.01% |
| Burmese | 4,995 | 0.36% | 5,772 | 0.34% |
| Cambodian | 35,879 | 2.58% | 41,459 | 2.47% |
| Chinese (except Taiwanese) | 380,445 | 27.37% | 490,948 | 29.22% |
| Filipino | 331,642 | 23.86% | 405,507 | 24.14% |
| Hmong | 710 | 0.05% | 1,349 | 0.08% |
| Indonesian | 10,004 | 0.72% | 15,023 | 0.89% |
| Japanese | 110,986 | 7.98% | 141,059 | 8.40% |
| Korean | 221,031 | 15.90% | 234,341 | 13.95% |
| Ethnic Origin | 2010 Census | 2015 Census Estimates* | ||
| Population | Percent | Population | Percent | |
| Laotian | 3,676 | 0.26% | 5,009 | 0.30% |
| Malaysian | 1,291 | 0.09% | 1,560 | 0.09% |
| Mongolian | ** | ** | 3,044 | 0.18% |
| Nepalese | 1,171 | 0.08% | 2,334 | 0.14% |
| Okinawan | ** | ** | 258 | 0.02% |
| Pakistani | 10,114 | 0.73% | 12,639 | 0.75% |
| Sri Lankan | 4,952 | 0.36% | 5,532 | 0.33% |
| Taiwanese | 43,836 | 3.15% | 27,074 | 1.61% |
| Thai | 27,058 | 1.95% | 30,191 | 1.80% |
| Vietnamese | 99,517 | 7.16% | 116,472 | 6.93% |
| Other Asian, specified | 1,948 | 0.14% | 324 | 0.02% |
| Other Asian, not specified | 12,529 | 0.90% | 31,119 | 1.85% |
* 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
** Not counted in the 2010 Census.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
In 1850, the U.S. Census recorded 15 blacks, 8 Jews and 2 Chinese residing in Los Angeles County.
