Chinatown in Los Angeles, 1922. Photo by Paul Grenbeaux, courtesy of Library of Congress.
| Census Year | Total Population | White | Black | Chinese | Indian | Japanese | Filipino | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 3,530 | 3,518 | 12 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1860 | 11,333 | 11,246 | 87* | 11 | 2,014 | --- | --- | --- |
| 1870 | 15,309 | 14,720 | 134 | 234 | 219 | 2 | --- | --- |
| 1880 | 33,381 | 31,707 | 188 | 1,169 | 316 | 1 | --- | --- |
| 1890 | 101,454 | 95,033 | 1,817 | 4,424 | 144 | 36 | --- | --- |
| 1900 | 170,298 | 163,975 | 6,323 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1910 | 504,131 | 483,478 | 9,424 | ** | ** | ** | ** | 11,229 |
| 1920 | 936,455 | 894,507 | 18,738 | ** | ** | ** | ** | 23,210 |
| 1930 | 2,208,492 | 1,949,882 | 46,425 | ** | ** | ** | ** | 212,185 |
| 1940 | 2,785,643 | 2,660,042 | 75,209 | ** | ** | ** | ** | 50,392 |
| 1950 | 4,151,687 | 3,877,944 | 217,881 | ** | ** | ** | ** | 55,862 |
| 1960 | 6,039,834 | 5,453,866 | 461,546 | 19,286 | 8,109 | 77,314 | 12,122 | 6,528 |
* black & mulatto
** Numbers included under OTHERS column
Source: The former University of Virginia Geospatial & Statistical Data Center
In 1850, the U.S. Census recorded 12 free blacks, 8 Jews and 2 Chinese residing in Los Angeles County.
