This project investigates the demographic and income patterns driving urban displacement across a study population of 9.75 million — exposing the fault lines between who benefits from neighborhood change and who cannot afford to stay.
"Gentrification is not random. It follows the predictable geography of concentrated wealth, moving into neighborhoods where longtime residents cannot compete on income alone." cite
South Gate–East LA is over 95% Hispanic — the most racially concentrated working-class district in our dataset. Rent here has risen significantly since 2016. cite
Nonfamily households — the most rent-burdened group — spend an estimated 43% of income on rent, 13 points above HUD's cost-burden threshold. cite
Gentrification reshapes cities neighborhood by neighborhood — changing who can afford to live where, and who gets left behind. This project draws on U.S. Census ACS data to quantify the demographic and income patterns that drive urban displacement across LA County's 8 Community College Districts.
By examining racial composition alongside income and rent data, we can see how structural economic inequality maps directly onto housing pressure — and who, ultimately, pays the price of change.
Use the navigation above to explore the raw data, read the interactive narrative, and view our summary visualizations.
"The data doesn't lie: neighborhoods with the highest concentration of working-class renters and income inequality are the most vulnerable to rapid, irreversible change." — Urban Change Lab · Research Summary · 2024
All figures pulled live from the ddelgatt_LA_neighborhoods MySQL database across three tables: demographic, income, and medianRent.
Population composition across all 8 LA County CCDs. Filter by year using the pills below.
Median and mean household income per district, sorted highest to lowest.
Median gross rent by district and year. Click any column header to sort.
LA County · 8 Community College Districts · 2015–2024
This is a story told entirely through live, real data.
The 25–44 age cohort — roughly 2.9 million people — represents the group most exposed to rental market pressure. Source: ACS Table B01001, Los Angeles County.
Age distribution · LA County · ACS 2020–2024 · Table B01001
← Male | Female → | Red = peak renter ages
Pasadena (CCD 5) and South Gate–East LA (CCD 8) sit in the same county but exist in entirely different economies. The gap grew by $10,723 since 2016.
Real numbers. Long Beach–Lakewood led at +61.5%. South Gate, the most affordable district, still rose +50.9%.
Drag to model how policy interventions would affect the gap between South Gate and Pasadena.
Seven charts built from live database data — demographics, income, and rent across all 8 LA County CCDs.
Each bar is one district. Segments show Hispanic/Latino, NH White, NH Black, NH Asian, and other populations. Hover for counts. Filter by year below.
Pick a district and year to see its racial breakdown as a donut.
Total Hispanic/Latino residents per district. Hover for exact count and % of total.
Click district buttons to show/hide lines. Hover for exact median income per year.
Click district buttons to toggle lines. Hover for exact rent values.
Which districts saw the biggest rent growth? Hover bars for exact % change.
How much does bedroom count cost you? Pick any district and year to see how rent scales from studio to 5+ bedrooms.
External research, policy reports, and data sources that support and complicate this project's findings on gentrification and urban displacement in Los Angeles.